Porous Silica-Based Nanocapsules for Targeted and Controlled Release of Biocides. The project will lead to significant advances in nanotechnology and agrichemical biocide applications. A highly efficient insect control technology will be developed, that will be cost-effective with the ability for targeted control and release of biocides. The encapsulation technology will reduce the total usage and costs of biocides thus benefit the environment in terms of reduced environment pollution and enhanc ....Porous Silica-Based Nanocapsules for Targeted and Controlled Release of Biocides. The project will lead to significant advances in nanotechnology and agrichemical biocide applications. A highly efficient insect control technology will be developed, that will be cost-effective with the ability for targeted control and release of biocides. The encapsulation technology will reduce the total usage and costs of biocides thus benefit the environment in terms of reduced environment pollution and enhanced ecological safety.Read moreRead less
Psyllids as biosecurity threats to plantation and native eucalypts in Australia and internationally. Psyllids are tiny cicada-like insects that are economic pests of forestry and horticulture because the saliva injected when feeding causes leaf death and some vector plant diseases. Advanced technologies and procedures will be used to determine what makes plants susceptible to psyllids and to improve Australian preparedness ahead of an incursion.
The Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Control of Mycosphaerella Leaf Blights in Australian Eucalypt Plantations. Leaf spot diseases, caused by Mycosphaerella, have become widespread in over 150,000 ha of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations in Western Australia, causing severe reduction in canopy area of young trees. This project will research the epidemiology of these diseases by studying the life cycles of the key pathogenic Mycosphaerella species identified in a previous project, modes an ....The Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Control of Mycosphaerella Leaf Blights in Australian Eucalypt Plantations. Leaf spot diseases, caused by Mycosphaerella, have become widespread in over 150,000 ha of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations in Western Australia, causing severe reduction in canopy area of young trees. This project will research the epidemiology of these diseases by studying the life cycles of the key pathogenic Mycosphaerella species identified in a previous project, modes and timing of spore dispersal, the infection process, and host specificity. The economic impact of leaf spot diseases will be assessed from large exclusion trials. A predictive integrated management package for Mycosphaerella foliar diseases will be formulated and evaluated to minimising disease impact.Read moreRead less
The cause of basal stem rot in second rotation Eucalyptus globulus plantations. The Eucalyptus globulus plantation industry consists of over 300000 ha in Australia and is worth 1 billion dollars. The industry has expanded rapidly since the mid 1980's and now many crops are in their second rotation. Recently, poor coppice growth in second rotation crops as a result of fungal basal rot or decay, has started to become a significant management problem to the industry. This project will determine th ....The cause of basal stem rot in second rotation Eucalyptus globulus plantations. The Eucalyptus globulus plantation industry consists of over 300000 ha in Australia and is worth 1 billion dollars. The industry has expanded rapidly since the mid 1980's and now many crops are in their second rotation. Recently, poor coppice growth in second rotation crops as a result of fungal basal rot or decay, has started to become a significant management problem to the industry. This project will determine the cause(s) of basal stem rot/decay and develop management strategies to reduce the impact of the problem.Read moreRead less
Improving vaccine performance through understanding host-pathogen interaction in yersiniosis. This project will significantly contribute to the economic and environmental sustainability of the Australian salmon industry. It will reduce salmon production costs, ensure sufficient supply of fish from hatchery to grow-out and reduce the use of antibiotics. Reduced use of antibiotics will benefit both the environment and human health. As the salmon industry is based in regional and rural areas, th ....Improving vaccine performance through understanding host-pathogen interaction in yersiniosis. This project will significantly contribute to the economic and environmental sustainability of the Australian salmon industry. It will reduce salmon production costs, ensure sufficient supply of fish from hatchery to grow-out and reduce the use of antibiotics. Reduced use of antibiotics will benefit both the environment and human health. As the salmon industry is based in regional and rural areas, this project will support rural and regional communities. This project will further strengthen Australian leadership in aquaculture research through use of molecular methods to address industry issues and will therefore increase the competitiveness of Australian science.Read moreRead less
Pathogenicity of Mycosphaerella on Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Western Australia. Eucalyptus globulus is the main hardwood species grown in plantations in Western Australia. In recent years, the incidence of foliar damage caused by leaf spot fungi in the genus Mycosphaerella has started to become a worrying management problem for the industry. There are approximately 12 Mycosphaerella species associated with Eucalyptus globulus in Western Australia. This project will determine which are t ....Pathogenicity of Mycosphaerella on Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Western Australia. Eucalyptus globulus is the main hardwood species grown in plantations in Western Australia. In recent years, the incidence of foliar damage caused by leaf spot fungi in the genus Mycosphaerella has started to become a worrying management problem for the industry. There are approximately 12 Mycosphaerella species associated with Eucalyptus globulus in Western Australia. This project will determine which are the priority destructive Mycosphaerella species. The information gained will allow researchers to select and breed eucalypts for resistance of target Mycosphaerella species in the future. The project will also develop methods for rapid pathogenicity screening.Read moreRead less
QX DISEASE RESISTANCE IN SYDNEY ROCK OYSTERS. QX is a fatal disease of Sydney rock oysters. The protozoan parasite that causes QX has been identified in more than one third of oyster farming areas on the east coast of Australia. Disease outbreaks have already destroyed the oyster industry in some of those areas. This project tests whether a novel form of defensive protein that has been identified in some oysters can be used as a genetic marker of QX disease resistance. The selective breeding of ....QX DISEASE RESISTANCE IN SYDNEY ROCK OYSTERS. QX is a fatal disease of Sydney rock oysters. The protozoan parasite that causes QX has been identified in more than one third of oyster farming areas on the east coast of Australia. Disease outbreaks have already destroyed the oyster industry in some of those areas. This project tests whether a novel form of defensive protein that has been identified in some oysters can be used as a genetic marker of QX disease resistance. The selective breeding of disease resistant oysters based on such a genetic marker would help to control QX and secure the future of Australia's rock oyster industry.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH190100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,787,259.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. The Hub aims to develop and commercialise an innovative biological alternative to chemical fungicides targeting economically significant diseases of broadacre and horticultural crops. It addresses industry challenges of fungicide resistance, chemical residues in food, off-target effects and environmental harm. It builds on ground-breaking ‘BioClay’ platform to deliver pathogen targeting RNA using clay particles as non-genetically modified crop pr ....ARC Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. The Hub aims to develop and commercialise an innovative biological alternative to chemical fungicides targeting economically significant diseases of broadacre and horticultural crops. It addresses industry challenges of fungicide resistance, chemical residues in food, off-target effects and environmental harm. It builds on ground-breaking ‘BioClay’ platform to deliver pathogen targeting RNA using clay particles as non-genetically modified crop protection. An expert multidisciplinary team uniting science, commercial and social licence pathways ensures industry and consumer uptake advancing $60B Australian Agriculture. The Hub translates to increased productivity, market access and enhanced environmental credentials of Australian food.
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Development of environmentally-friendly insecticides for the Australian livestock industry. Many insects and other arthropods are serious pests of Australian livestock. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use on pets and around the home and garden. Unfortunately, many of these arthropod pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. This aim of this re ....Development of environmentally-friendly insecticides for the Australian livestock industry. Many insects and other arthropods are serious pests of Australian livestock. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use on pets and around the home and garden. Unfortunately, many of these arthropod pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. This aim of this research program is to develop a new generation of environmentally-friendly natural products that can be used to control arthropod pests on farms and around the home and garden.Read moreRead less
Biotechnology and epidemiology to control nodavirus in barramundi aquaculture. Production of farmed barramundi has increased more than 1200% in the NT since 2001 but is threatened by nodavirus infection. Three industry partners, Darwin Aquaculture Centre, Marine Harvest and Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory will collaborate with The University of Sydney to:
1. control nodavirus infection
2. develop new technologies to detect nodavirus using immunoassay and surface enhanced laser desorption ionis ....Biotechnology and epidemiology to control nodavirus in barramundi aquaculture. Production of farmed barramundi has increased more than 1200% in the NT since 2001 but is threatened by nodavirus infection. Three industry partners, Darwin Aquaculture Centre, Marine Harvest and Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory will collaborate with The University of Sydney to:
1. control nodavirus infection
2. develop new technologies to detect nodavirus using immunoassay and surface enhanced laser desorption ionisation mass spectroscopy (SELDI)
3. develop an integrated disease control strategy based on epidemiological survey data, and ensure that it is practical and able to be widely adopted
By this means growth targets for barramundi aquaculture in northern Australia will be achieved.
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