Molecular tools for understanding, predicting and managing flowering and reproductive development in Brassica oleracea. This project integrates basic research with application to a significant horticultural industry, building on Australia's position as a leader in world research on molecular and genetic regulation of flowering. The project will strengthen Australia's research reputation in this field, provide new tools for cultivar screening in and management of B. oleracea seed crops. The proj ....Molecular tools for understanding, predicting and managing flowering and reproductive development in Brassica oleracea. This project integrates basic research with application to a significant horticultural industry, building on Australia's position as a leader in world research on molecular and genetic regulation of flowering. The project will strengthen Australia's research reputation in this field, provide new tools for cultivar screening in and management of B. oleracea seed crops. The project will deliver training for 3 PhD students at the interface between basic and applied research. A shortage of skilled scientists with ability to link understanding of plant development at the molecular/genetic level with improved crop management practices has been identified by the horticultural sector as a major challenge. Read moreRead less
Propagation of terrestrial orchids for cultivation and conservation using in vitro symbiotic germination and tuberisation . The objective is to make Australian terrestrial orchids which have spectacular and unusual flower shapes and colours easier to grow, by producing tubers coated with mycorrhizal fungi. The availability of such propagules will be of value for horticulture, reintroduction of orchid species when rehabilitating mined land, and restoration of populations of rare and endangered ....Propagation of terrestrial orchids for cultivation and conservation using in vitro symbiotic germination and tuberisation . The objective is to make Australian terrestrial orchids which have spectacular and unusual flower shapes and colours easier to grow, by producing tubers coated with mycorrhizal fungi. The availability of such propagules will be of value for horticulture, reintroduction of orchid species when rehabilitating mined land, and restoration of populations of rare and endangered species. At present germination of the dust-like seeds with the appropriate mycorrhizal fungus, and handling the slow growing delicate seedlings makes these beautiful species unavailable except to the dedicated orchid enthusiast. Read moreRead less
Metabolite glucosylation during grape berry development. The research proposed contributes to building and transforming the Australian wine industry, and other horticultural industries, by developing expertise and knowledge in the area of grape berry metabolism. The synthesis and validation of a library of grape berry metabolites, annotation of part of the grapevine genome sequence dataset and development of the micro vine transformation system are innovative products of significant national and ....Metabolite glucosylation during grape berry development. The research proposed contributes to building and transforming the Australian wine industry, and other horticultural industries, by developing expertise and knowledge in the area of grape berry metabolism. The synthesis and validation of a library of grape berry metabolites, annotation of part of the grapevine genome sequence dataset and development of the micro vine transformation system are innovative products of significant national and international benefit. Two high-quality PhD students will be trained in a collaborative and high-quality research environment during the course of the proposed research.Read moreRead less
Control of foliar diseases in horticulture using milk components: widening applicability through understanding mechanisms. Fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and botrytis grey mould, have the potential to cause considerable losses in horticultural crops. Chemical fungicides, some of which are broad-spectrum biocides potentially harmful to human health, are applied routinely in disease management. Milk and whey, which can damage powdery mildew fungi, offer alternatives to conventional fungic ....Control of foliar diseases in horticulture using milk components: widening applicability through understanding mechanisms. Fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and botrytis grey mould, have the potential to cause considerable losses in horticultural crops. Chemical fungicides, some of which are broad-spectrum biocides potentially harmful to human health, are applied routinely in disease management. Milk and whey, which can damage powdery mildew fungi, offer alternatives to conventional fungicides. Identification of the components of milk which damage fungi, and their mechanisms of activity, will facilitate the development of environmentally sustainable strategies for management of fungal diseases in Australian horticulture. This will have particular benefits for personnel who regularly apply fungicides in glasshouses.Read moreRead less
The role of phytotoxins in ray blight disease of pyrethrum and significance of toxin tolerance to disease resistance. Ray blight disease, caused by Phoma ligulicola, is the greatest threat to the Australian pyrethrum industry causing $2.0M in annual losses. We aim to clarify the pathology of P.ligulicola in pyrethrum, focussing on the role of fungal toxins during infection. Toxin importance in disease will be determined through histology and induction of toxin- pathogen mutants. Toxins will be ....The role of phytotoxins in ray blight disease of pyrethrum and significance of toxin tolerance to disease resistance. Ray blight disease, caused by Phoma ligulicola, is the greatest threat to the Australian pyrethrum industry causing $2.0M in annual losses. We aim to clarify the pathology of P.ligulicola in pyrethrum, focussing on the role of fungal toxins during infection. Toxin importance in disease will be determined through histology and induction of toxin- pathogen mutants. Toxins will be characterised and used in tissue culture to select obtain toxin tolerant pyrethrum clones that will be evaluated for agronomic performance and disease resistance. Successful development of resistant clones will decrease production costs, minimise risk of fungicide resistance development and reduce environmental pollution.Read moreRead less
Manipulation of apoptosis-related genes to generate novel disease resistances in banana. Bananas are one of Australia's most important fruit crops. However, the industry is continually threatened by numerous diseases including yellow and black Sigatoka, Fusarium wilt and bunchy top. Control of these diseases currently requires either extensive pesticide treatments or complex agronomic procedures, of which most are ineffective, expensive or environmentally damaging. The aim of this project is to ....Manipulation of apoptosis-related genes to generate novel disease resistances in banana. Bananas are one of Australia's most important fruit crops. However, the industry is continually threatened by numerous diseases including yellow and black Sigatoka, Fusarium wilt and bunchy top. Control of these diseases currently requires either extensive pesticide treatments or complex agronomic procedures, of which most are ineffective, expensive or environmentally damaging. The aim of this project is to utilise a novel strategy to generate transgenic bananas with resistance to these diseases. The benefit will be both economic and environmental as implementation should significantly reduce or eliminate pesticide use. Importantly, this strategy can potentially be extrapolated to many other crops.Read moreRead less
Generating broad and stable resistance to gemini- and nanoviruses. The ssDNA geminiviruses and nanoviruses are considered a major threat to crop production in the tropics and subtropics. There are currently no effective control strategies for these viruses. We have been developing a novel transgenic strategy for generating resistance to ssDNA viruses based on the activation of a suicide gene in the presence of the viral Rep protein. Importantly, we have demonstrated proof-of-principle using Toba ....Generating broad and stable resistance to gemini- and nanoviruses. The ssDNA geminiviruses and nanoviruses are considered a major threat to crop production in the tropics and subtropics. There are currently no effective control strategies for these viruses. We have been developing a novel transgenic strategy for generating resistance to ssDNA viruses based on the activation of a suicide gene in the presence of the viral Rep protein. Importantly, we have demonstrated proof-of-principle using Tobacco yellow dwarf mastrevirus. In this project, we aim to further develop this strategy into a broad and stable mechanism for generating resistance to all known geminiviruses and nanoviruses.Read moreRead less
Integrated biological control of Sclerotinia minor root rot of pyrethrum crops. Tasmania is a major global supplier of natural pyrethrum, producing 25% of the world's requirements. However the industry has a major problem with Sclerotinia minor, current chemical treatment being expensive and providing limited effectiveness. The aim of this project is to develop long term integrated control measures for this disease, particularly by the application of biological control agents targeting S. minor ....Integrated biological control of Sclerotinia minor root rot of pyrethrum crops. Tasmania is a major global supplier of natural pyrethrum, producing 25% of the world's requirements. However the industry has a major problem with Sclerotinia minor, current chemical treatment being expensive and providing limited effectiveness. The aim of this project is to develop long term integrated control measures for this disease, particularly by the application of biological control agents targeting S. minor at planting. It will also examine possible break-crops biocidal to the fungus, and other integrated control measures. The significance/outcomes will be improved crop productivity to the industry, improved competitiveness with overseas producers and reduced dependence on chemical pesticides.Read moreRead less
Manipulating plant root exudation for soil-borne disease control. This project expects to fundamentally advance analysis and manipulation of root exudation, determine influence of rhizosphere microbiota on exudation, molecular responses to resting spore stimulation and to develop novel disease controls. Expected outcomes of this project include the demonstrated potential of novel disease mitigation and student training in innovative approaches to plant pathology and analytical chemistry. This sh ....Manipulating plant root exudation for soil-borne disease control. This project expects to fundamentally advance analysis and manipulation of root exudation, determine influence of rhizosphere microbiota on exudation, molecular responses to resting spore stimulation and to develop novel disease controls. Expected outcomes of this project include the demonstrated potential of novel disease mitigation and student training in innovative approaches to plant pathology and analytical chemistry. This should provide significant benefits, such as effective disease management tools.Read moreRead less
Understanding, controlling and improving the flavour of almond kernels. Almond kernels may be sweet, semi-bitter or bitter, with the first two categories marketed as fresh nuts, while the latter are used in processed products such as marzipan. Semi-bitter kernels have a more interesting flavour than sweet kernels and we require tools to breed for this character. The bitter flavour is imparted by amygdalin via the cyanogenic pathway. This project will characterise the genetic control of sweet, ....Understanding, controlling and improving the flavour of almond kernels. Almond kernels may be sweet, semi-bitter or bitter, with the first two categories marketed as fresh nuts, while the latter are used in processed products such as marzipan. Semi-bitter kernels have a more interesting flavour than sweet kernels and we require tools to breed for this character. The bitter flavour is imparted by amygdalin via the cyanogenic pathway. This project will characterise the genetic control of sweet, semi-bitter and bitter flavour, amygdalin accumulation in developing kernels, and key enzymes in the cyanogenic pathway. Almond populations segregating for these traits will be used and the data will be integrated into the Australian almond meiotic map.Read moreRead less