Pest, disease and weed management
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Research outcomes: A comprehensive RD&E program that addresses existing and emerging pests, diseases and weeds, allowing sugarcane growers to manage their crops efficiently with minimal environmental impacts. An enhanced industry capacity to deal with incursions of exotic pests, diseases and weeds.
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Item Enhancement of the sensitivity of gene probes for viral diseases of sugarcane by the polymerase chain reaction : SRDC final report BS48S(BSES, 1994) Smith, GR; Leonard, GJThe sensivity of gene probes for two important viral pathogens of sugarcane, sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Fiji disease virus (FDV), has been significantly enhanced by a version of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This version, known as RT-PCR, involves a reverse transcription (RT) step to synthesise DNA from RNA template prior to the PCR amplication. RT-PCR increased the level of sensitivity of detection by 10(3)-fold for SCMV and by up to 10(6)-fold for FDV. The RT-PCR conditions for routine detection of SCMV and FDV in sugarcane tissues were determined, but the glasshouse trial was not completed.Item Canegrub resistant plants containing antimetabolic compounds : SRDC final report BSS163(BSES, 2000) Smith, GR; Nutt, KA; Allsopp, PGTransgenic sugarcane plants engineered to express either the potato proteinase inhibitor II or the snowdrop lectin gene show increased antibiosis to larvae of Antitrogus consanguineus in pot-based glasshouse trials.Canegrubs feeding on the transgenic line UP87, transformed with the potato gene, gained as little as 4.2% of the weight of canegrubs fed on untransformed control plants. Similarly, larvae feeding on the roots of transgenic line G87, transformed with the snowdrop gene, gained only 20.6% of the weight of grubs feeding on the non-transgenic control plants. Overall, 22% of the tested transgenic plant lines engineered with either the potato or the snowdrop constructs resulted in a statistically significant reduction in gain of weight by canegrubs feeding on roots. Weight gains of insects were compared to those of larvae feeding on the roots of either non-transgenic control plants, or non-transgenic plants regenerated after passage through the tissue culture system.Plants transformed with a proteinase inhibitor from an ornamental tobacco showed no statistical effect on the weight gain of the grubs. This result was unexpected, as the proteinase inhibitor from tobacco was predicted to be as effective as the PI from potato. Further analysis of the gene construct by sequencing established that the gene construct was faulty in contrast to the original restriction analysis that had indicated that the plasmid was correctly constructed. Protein could not be produced by the faulty construct, and this is reflected in the negligible effect on weight gain of the grubs. The plasmid was re-constructed and transformed into sugarcane. Plants containing this construct are being grown for testing.Having now established that canegrub resistance can be engineered into sugarcane, the next phase is to test the efficacy of these transgenes against other species of canegrub larvae and to further develop a commercial product.Item Identification of resistance mechanisms in sugarcane to infection by Pachymetra : SRDC final report BS79S(BSES, 1999) McGhie, TK; Maclean, D; Smith, GR; Croft, BJProject objectives- Develop techniques for studying the biochemical reactions of sugarcane to infection by Pachymetra.- Identify biochemical mechanisms of infection by Pachymetra.- Identify biochemical changes produced in sugarcane by infection with Pachymetra.- Compare the effect of chemical constituents of different sugarcane varieties on Pachymetra oospore germination and hyphal growth.- Determine which resistance mechanisms and responses of sugarcane are present in resistant varieties, ranked by glasshouse screening, as an aid to future breeding programs.Item The production and evaluation of gene probes for diagnosis of sugarcane mosaic virus and Fiji disease virus (Final report SRDC Project BS10S)(BSES, 1991) Smith, GR; Leonard, GJSpecific and sensitive cDNA probes have been developed for detection of both FDV and SCMV in diseased sugarcane plants. Results from glasshouse evaluation indicate that FDV probes are not sensitive enough to be used for the detection of the virus in asymptomatic diseased plants. Results are not yet available from the SCMV probe glasshouse trial.