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 Epidemiology studies into sugarcane smut : SRDC final report BSS302(BSES, 2010) Magarey, RCThe objective of this project was to: Optimise industry transition from susceptible to resistant commercial varieties, with minimal losses resulting from direct or in-direct crop effects, thus maximising industry profitability.Item Chlorotic streak disease of sugarcane : SRDC final report BSS243(BSES, 2002) Magarey, RCChlorotic streak is a disease recognised since 1929 and is widespread through the cane growing countries of the world. Despite considerable research, particularly in the 1940-1970 period, the causal agent of the disease is still unknown. The disease is systemic and affects germination and crop yield. It is widespread through Queensland being favoured by high rainfall and/or poor drainage. The worst affected areas are the high rainfall wet tropics and poorly drained areas in other districts. This three-year project was initiated to gain a better understanding of the effects of the disease on yield; to screen commercial varieties for resistance; to research the distribution in parts of the Burdekin River Irrigation Area (BRIA); and to attempt to identify the causal agent. Yield loss trials were planted in the Tully and Herbert districts in 2000. Varieties ranging from resistant to susceptible were included to determine the relationship between resistance and yield loss. Plant crop harvests in 2001 revealed losses of up to 60% when crops planted with stalks showing diseased symptoms were compared with crops established with stalks exhibiting no symptoms. Yield effects therefore can be dramatic with the disease. Even some resistant canes suffered significant losses, suggesting farmers should obtain the cleanest planting material they can to establish new crops. One resistant variety (Q162) suffered negligible losses. Germination was slowed, and reduced overall, by chlorotic streak disease (CSD) with the main effect being on tonnes cane/ha rather than ccs (sugar content was largely unaffected by CSD). There was a significant relationship between varietal resistance and yield (r-squared 0.56) in the Herbert trial suggesting there is a correlation between resistance and yield. Surveys of the Invicta, Pioneer, Kalamia and Inkerman mill areas revealed the presence of a greater level of CSD than known previously. The greatest level of disease was found in Q127 though other varieties were also diseased. There was a link between irrigation water source and the area affected by the disease. Where channel water was used, higher disease levels resulted compared to fields irrigated with bore water. This is not surprising because drainage water from infested fields is known to carry the causal agent and channel water contains some drainage water. Transmission studies using hydroponics were commenced to provide suitable root material for molecular assay research into the causal agent. However, no disease transmission occurred and it is postulated that a soil-borne vector may be needed to aid transmission. PhD studies at the University of Adelaide have focused on light and electron microscopy, and molecular methods of pathogen detection. This project finishes in 2003 but so far no agents have been associated with diseased material.Item Characterisation and maintenance of the Australian sugarcane mapping populations(BSES, 2003) McIntyre, LThere were two major aims to this project. The first was to identify markers linked to major diseases of sugarcane that were difficult and expensive to select for. The second objective was to determine the cross-transferability of markers by testing the association between markers and traits in other germplasm. Both of these aims have been successfully addressed. Fiji Disease virus (FDV) and Pachymetra are two major diseases of sugarcane. Both require laborious and expensive screening in the field or glasshouse and consequently, only limited numbers of clones can be screened. Thus, both of these traits are candidates for molecular markers. Successful identification of molecular markers associated with these diseases could enable indirect selection for resistance to be undertaken, in the absence of screening, or with reduced screening, for the diseases themselves. Two populations, Q117 x 74C42 and Q96 x Q178, were developed by Dr Nils Berding (BSS038) and each contained more than 200 progeny. Both populations had been previously scored for numerous sugar-related and agronomic traits and marker-trait associations (QTLs) identified for all traits in the Q117 x 74C42 population. One objective in this project was to see if QTLs identified in Q117 x 74C42 would detect the same traits in the Q96 x Q178 population. Unfortunately, in the process of mapping in this second population, it was discovered that the population was a mixture of several very small, different populations. This project objective could not be completed as planned, but was modified, as discussed below. In addition to the approximately 300 markers already scored on the Q117 x 74C42 population (CTA024), a further 1100 amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLPs), simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and resistance gene analogue (RGAs) were scored. The first two types were used as they are PCR-based, reliable, easy to generate, and the type of markers currently being used in other sugarcane maps. RGAs are potential candidate genes for disease resistance. Unfortunately, during the amalgamation of the marker information, it became apparent that the replanted progeny clones had become “renumbered” in the field. It was thus not possible to combine the two data sets, and consequently, new maps were developed for the Q117 x 74C42 population using just the AFLP, RGA and SSR data. The 1100 markers were used to develop two parental maps. The Q117 map contains 407 markers in 75 linkage groups, while the 74C42 map contains 447 markers in 84 linkage groups.Item Epidemiology and control of sugarcane mosaic virus in the Isis district : SRC final report UQ3S(BSES, 1992) Teakle, DS; Taylor, PWJ; Allsopp, PGObjectives:Item Varietal control of ratoon stunting disease (RSD) of sugarcane(BSES, 1990)Ratoon stunting disease, caused by the xylem-limited bacterium Clavibacter xyli subsp. xyli, is prevalent in most sugarcane-producing countries, including Australia. It is regarded as the most damaging disease of sugarcane and under unfavourable conditions, principally drought stress, yield of intolerant cultivars may be reduced by 50%. Control of RSD has been hindered by the fact that it produces no obvious symptoms. Recommended control measures of heat therapy and farm hygiene have failed to adequately control the disease and it remains present at high levels in a number of countries where such control has been attempted for many years. Genetic variation for RSD susceptibility has been recognised since discovery of the disease in 1950 and work towards genetic control of RSD ,•/as begun at Macknace with CSR funding in 1986. When SRDC funding for the work was sought in January, 1988, the stated Objectives were:- 1. To develop pot-testing procedures to reliably and economically rate varieties for RSD resistance. 2. To rate existing commercial varieties for RSD resistance so that growers may manage them more effectively. 3. To select varieties with improved RSD resistance from existing seedling populations. 4. To eventually breed specifically for improved RSD resistance.Item Report by the consultant phytopathologist on the mission to investigate the Fiji disease situation in Madagascar(BSES, 1991) Egan, BTPresents findings, conclusion and recommendations of the mission to investigate the Fiji disease situation in Madagascar.Item Review of the green grassy shoot disease (GGSD) situation in Nghe An Province(BSES, 2008) Magarey, RCGreen grassy shoot disease (GGSD) has been rapidly escalating. Without further research and extension assistance, GGSD has great potential to cripple production in Vietnam. The visit has provided a great deal of new information on GGSD and about the agencies addressing the issue within Vietnam.Item Estimating disease-associated yield losses in breeding selection trials - Endemic diseases; Pachymetra root rot, orange rust and yellow spot(BSES, 2007) Magarey, RCPrevious work has shown that plant improvement stage 3 selection trials can be used to assess the relationship between yield and disease resistance with particular Queensland endemic diseases - principally Pachymetra root rot, yellow spot and orange rust. Results provide a means for fine-tuning the plant improvement program - ensuring that commercial varieties have just the right level of resistance to maximise high yielding ability while minimising disease-associated yield losses.In this study, data from 2003-series stage 3 (FATs) trials in northern and central districts were studied to determine the relationship between resistance and yield for Pachymetra root rot and orange rust. As yellow spot only occurs in the high rainfall areas of northern Queensland, analyses for this disease were restricted to this region only. Brown rust was to be included in the study but the difficulty is assessing disease resistance in FATs, and the lack of disease, made obtaining data to brown rust impossible. Additional data were available for Pachymetra root rot for northern series trials (1995-2004) providing more detailed information for this disease.Item Survey of sugarcane in eastern Australia for sugarcane smut : SRDC final report BSS230(BSES, 2000) Croft, BJ; Magarey, RC; Smith, DJSugarcane smut is a serious disease of sugarcane that can cause yield losses in excess of 30% in susceptible varieties. The disease was found for the first time in Australia on the 21 July 1998 in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) of Western Australia.An initial rapid survey in eastern Australian sugarcane crops failed to locate smut. Travel by canegrowers to the ORIA and movement of machinery from the ORIA to eastern states prior to the discovery of smut had created opportunities for the disease to enter Queensland and New South Wales. There was also the possibility that the atmospheric conditions that facilitated the incursion into the ORIA, may have carried the disease to the eastern states. The status of sugarcane smut in the eastern states was uncertain at the commencement of the current survey.This report describes the results of a two-year sugarcane smut survey carried out by Cane Protection and Productivity Board (CPPB) and Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) staff in Queensland and New South Wales between the 10 November 1998 and the 17 March 2000.Item A database of pest and disease incidence for the sugar industry : SRDC final report BS126S(BSES, 1999) Stringer, JKThis project established a system to collate, store and interrogate pest and disease data that are collected annually by Queensland Cane Protection and Productivity Boards (CPPBs). An Access database titled ‘Bugbuster’ was developed and this served as the template which was modified to accommodate the needs of individual CPPBs.