Completed projects and reports

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Sugar Research Australia, Sugar Research Development Corporation and BSES reports from completed research projects and papers.

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    New germplasm to develop more productive varieties with enhanced resistance to nematodes, pachymetra root rot and smut : final report 2011/344
    (Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2016) Croft, BJ
    Sugarcane industries around the world were transformed in the early 1900s when Dutch plant breeders working in Indonesia, and Indian breeders, working independently, developed sugarcane varieties derived from the wild relative called Saccharum spontaneum. Crossing sugarcane with wild relatives, and the subsequent backcrossing of progeny to sugarcane to regain sufficiently high sugar content for commercial production is known as introgression breeding. The wild relative added higher yield, extra vigour, longer ratoons and disease resistance to the original sugarcane, S. officinarum. Most modern sugarcane varieties can be traced back to a very small number of these early crosses with the wild Saccharum spontaneum. In Asia and the Pacific region, there is a vast source of variation within wild sugarcane relatives that could potentially provide commercial sugarcane with new genes to improve yield, stress resistance, ratooning ability and disease resistance. One wild sugarcane relative that was recently successfully crossed with sugarcane in China, Erianthus arundinaceus, is highly drought tolerant, almost immune to pachymetra root rot and is highly resistant to nematodes. SRA and CSIRO researchers have worked closely in this project to build on earlier projects to introduce new traits into the Australian sugarcane breeding population from wild relatives of sugarcane. The project screened the available introgression clones for yield, pachymetra root rot, lesion nematode, root-knot nematode and smut resistance and made new crosses to further improve the introgression clones. One clone derived from Erianthus, KQ08-1040, performed better than the average of the standards for yield in final assessment trials in the Central regions. This clone was also one of the best parent clones in progeny assessment trials. KQ08-1040 will be further assessed as a potential commercial variety and could be the first sugarcane variety anywhere in the world to have Erianthus as a progenitor. A number of other introgression clones from crosses with Saccharum spontaneum, Saccharum robustum and Erianthus procerus performed well as clones or as parents in yield trials in the Burdekin, Central, South and NSW regions. The clones are currently being tested in the Herbert and North regions.
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    SmutBuster: accelerated breeding of smut-resistant sugarcane varieties : SRDC final report BSS325
    (BSES, 2011) Cox, MC; Croft, BJ; Bonnett, G
    Sugarcane smut is caused by the fungus, Ustilago scitaminea Syd., and is one of the most serious diseases of sugarcane. At the end of 1983, only the sugar industries of Australia and Fiji remained free from smut. Sugarcane smut was reported for the first time in Australia in July 1998 in the Ord River Irrigation Area. Eight years later, smut was identified on the east coast of Australia at Childers. By December 2007 sugarcane smut was widespread and established in the Bundaberg?Isis, Central Queensland and Herbert River districts, and by 2010 the Mulgrave, Tully and Burdekin districts were also infested. The average yield loss reported in papers at the time of the east coast smut incursion was 6% yield loss for each 10% increase in per cent-infected plants. To minimise losses susceptible varieties will need to be completely replaced with equivalent/higher yielding smut-resistant varieties, as fast as possible. This would necessitate changing ~80% of the2006 sugarcane crop. Replacement of susceptible varieties will be achieved, not only by rapid scale-up of smut-resistant varieties, but also accelerated development of high yielding,smut-resistant varieties. The parental pool of high breeding value, smut-resistant germplasm was however severely limited, adversely impacting the core crossing program. Without a significant plant breeding response, the rate of genetic gain for productivity would decrease and fewer productive, smut-resistant varieties would be released from the BSES-CSIRO Sugarcane Variety Improvement Program. The SmutBuster project was a key component of the RD&E response to sugarcane smut with the specific objective of developing high yielding smut-resistant varieties through the utilisation of high breeding value parental germplasm with susceptible reaction to smut.
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    Smut-proofing the Australian industry - ensuring a reliable cane supply through reduced genetic vulnerability to sugarcane smut
    (BSES, 2009) Croft, BJ; Berding, N
    Since the smut incursion and subsequent spread of the disease breeding for smut resistance has become an essential priority for the BSES-CSIRO Variety Improvement program. The strategy that has been adopted includes the SmutBuster program which aims to maintain advances in breeding for productivity while ensuring that all new varieties have adequate smut resistance.
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    Survey of sugarcane in eastern Australia for sugarcane smut : SRDC final report BSS230
    (BSES, 2000) Croft, BJ; Magarey, RC; Smith, DJ
    Sugarcane 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.
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    Survey of sugarcane in eastern Australia for sugarcane smut : SRDC final report BSS230
    (BSES, 1999) Croft, BJ; Magarey, RC; Smith, DJ
    Objectives of project are to: conduct specific smut surveys to determine whether sugarcane smut is present in eastern Australia. Through publicity campaigns encourage cane farmers to inspect their farms for smut. Collate all survey results and produce reports at least every year or as required. Educate industry in all aspects of smut as a threat to the eastern Australian industry.
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    BS172S Pathogen risk analysis to prioritise research and quarantine needs of the Australian Sugar Industry
    (BSES, 1996) Croft, BJ
    Sugarcane smut and RSD occur at a high incidence and severity in the Indonesian sugar industry. Indonesia plans to close small factories and plantations on Java and establish new plantations on Irian Jaya, East Timor and Sulawesi. Movement of cane diseases in particular smut to these islands, which are closer to Australia, must be considered a major threat to the Australian Sugar Industry. Immediate discussions should be commenced to develop a plan to assist the Indonesians to prevent diseases from entering these new plantations, especially on Irian Jaya.The Indonesian Sugar Research Institute strongly supports our proposed ACIAR project. The Institute has good facilities and should provide a good partner in attempts to improve quarantine in the region.Other diseases of quarantine significance to Australia in Indonesia are leaf scorch which occurs on Sumatra and strain B and E of sugarcane mosaic. Downy mildew and Fiji disease occur in Irian Jaya, but not in commercial plantations.Assisting the Indonesian Sugar Industry to control diseases, especially smut, is in the long term interests of Australia as this will reduce the risk of this serious disease entering Australia