Cellular and molecular interactions of rhabdoviruses with their plant hosts and insect vectors. Viruses cause significant economic losses in agriculture, but little information is available on how plant-adapted rhabdoviruses multiply in both their plant hosts and insect vectors. This project on the localisation, transport and host defence properties of essential viral proteins will identify novel targets for improved disease control.
Generation of bananas with resistance to Fusarium wilt. Bananas are an important fruit crop in Australia, but the industry is continually threatened by numerous diseases such as Fusarium wilt. This project aims to generate transgenic banana plants with resistance to Fusarium wilt, a disease for which no effective control strategies currently exist.
Phytochemistry Of Thrips Resistance In Potato And Its Influence On Acquisition And Transmission Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. TSWV causes multi-million dollar losses to the Australian potato industry, which is the countries largest and most valuable vegetable commodity and an important source of income and employment for rural communities. Development of TSWV epidemics relies on the activity of vector thrips acquiring virus from infected plants and transmitting it to healthy potatoes. Deployment ....Phytochemistry Of Thrips Resistance In Potato And Its Influence On Acquisition And Transmission Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. TSWV causes multi-million dollar losses to the Australian potato industry, which is the countries largest and most valuable vegetable commodity and an important source of income and employment for rural communities. Development of TSWV epidemics relies on the activity of vector thrips acquiring virus from infected plants and transmitting it to healthy potatoes. Deployment of thrips resistant potato would greatly assist disease control. This project will determine the efficacy of thrips resistance in reducing TSWV epidemics and identify the chemical basis of resistance, which could be used as a screening tool for potato breeding, and could form the basis of a synthetic chemical tool for thrips prevention in potato and other crops.Read moreRead less
Compost extract: a new paradigm for disease management in sustainable horticulture. There is significant legislative and consumer pressure worldwide to reduce the amount of pesticide applied to food crops. Compost extract is a watery extract of mature compost that when applied to a crop canopy allows simultaneous suppression of a broad range of plant diseases while maintaining biodiversity in an agricultural ecosystem. This technology represents a paradigm shift from the monoculture approach o ....Compost extract: a new paradigm for disease management in sustainable horticulture. There is significant legislative and consumer pressure worldwide to reduce the amount of pesticide applied to food crops. Compost extract is a watery extract of mature compost that when applied to a crop canopy allows simultaneous suppression of a broad range of plant diseases while maintaining biodiversity in an agricultural ecosystem. This technology represents a paradigm shift from the monoculture approach of single-target fungicides or biological control agents. Scientific evaluation has been hampered by a lack of standard production techniques. Our aim is to identify and characterise compost extract technology that produces known and consistently high levels of effectiveness and safety.Read moreRead less
Extraction of flavour enhancers, antimicrobials and nutraceuticals from olive mill effluent. The project aims to recover valuable materials from olive mill waste. Natural flavours will be recovered from the wastewater and from the dry pomice after oil extraction. The research and development will see these flavour compounds added back to olive oil to enhance the flavours of bland oils and to increase the shelf life of olive oil. The same compounds also have uses as enhancing the flavours of food ....Extraction of flavour enhancers, antimicrobials and nutraceuticals from olive mill effluent. The project aims to recover valuable materials from olive mill waste. Natural flavours will be recovered from the wastewater and from the dry pomice after oil extraction. The research and development will see these flavour compounds added back to olive oil to enhance the flavours of bland oils and to increase the shelf life of olive oil. The same compounds also have uses as enhancing the flavours of foods in general and provide a source of naturally occurring antioxidants. The compounds will be tested as natural antibiotics as a means of controlling fungal infections in vineyards and in vegetable production. Read moreRead less
Biological control of grapevine scales. Wine grapes can be grown with a minimum of pesticide and fungicide applications in some regions, but biological control is still required to maintain populations of major pests. This project is concerned with grapevine and frosted scales, which are common pests of grapevines. The distribution and identity of different grapevine scales, and their main parasitoids, in the various grape growing regions of Australia will be determined by initial surveys. Exper ....Biological control of grapevine scales. Wine grapes can be grown with a minimum of pesticide and fungicide applications in some regions, but biological control is still required to maintain populations of major pests. This project is concerned with grapevine and frosted scales, which are common pests of grapevines. The distribution and identity of different grapevine scales, and their main parasitoids, in the various grape growing regions of Australia will be determined by initial surveys. Experiments and laboratory studies of the interaction of the various predators and parasitoids will be undertaken to develop a biological control program of the scales aimed at reducing pesticide input.Read moreRead less
Attract and reward: a novel approach to enhancing biological control of crop pests. Pests cause serious damage to Australia's agricultural crops. Current control relies heavily on synthetic pesticides. This project will develop novel products based on natural plant compounds to attract beneficial insects into crops where they will be supported with nectar, pollen and shelter to maximise their lifespan, reproduction, residency. This use of Australia's beneficial insect biodiversity will provide ....Attract and reward: a novel approach to enhancing biological control of crop pests. Pests cause serious damage to Australia's agricultural crops. Current control relies heavily on synthetic pesticides. This project will develop novel products based on natural plant compounds to attract beneficial insects into crops where they will be supported with nectar, pollen and shelter to maximise their lifespan, reproduction, residency. This use of Australia's beneficial insect biodiversity will provide novel pest control options to help transform the vegetable and grape industries. The work will reduce reliance on conventional pesticides; thereby contributing towards Australia's environmental sustainability and providing healthier foodstuffs. Read moreRead less
Development of a risk management system for systemic downy mildew of poppies. Development of a risk management system for systemic downy mildew of poppies. This project aims to identify the critical inoculum sources of systemic downy mildew—a new disease threat to the Australian poppy industry, which produces over half the world’s medicinal opiates. It will assess these sources’ relative importance and interaction with agronomic site factors in epidemics; and also intends to understand the syste ....Development of a risk management system for systemic downy mildew of poppies. Development of a risk management system for systemic downy mildew of poppies. This project aims to identify the critical inoculum sources of systemic downy mildew—a new disease threat to the Australian poppy industry, which produces over half the world’s medicinal opiates. It will assess these sources’ relative importance and interaction with agronomic site factors in epidemics; and also intends to understand the systemic progression in planta, an area poorly understood in all downy mildew pathosystems. The project expects the data will form the basis of a disease risk index tool to educate growers and guide disease management strategies essential to this industry’s long term viability.Read moreRead less
Meeting the challenges of Sclerotinia crown rot in a perennial production system - pyrethrum. The Australian pyrethrum industry has undergone rapid growth in the last decade, which has seen it become the second largest producer of natural insecticidal pyrethrins in the world. Current production supplies 60% of the global market, with further expansion planned. Sclerotinia crown rot is a major disease that results in plant death; reducing yields and the life of the perennial crop. This project ....Meeting the challenges of Sclerotinia crown rot in a perennial production system - pyrethrum. The Australian pyrethrum industry has undergone rapid growth in the last decade, which has seen it become the second largest producer of natural insecticidal pyrethrins in the world. Current production supplies 60% of the global market, with further expansion planned. Sclerotinia crown rot is a major disease that results in plant death; reducing yields and the life of the perennial crop. This project aims to develop more cost effective and environmentally sustainable methods of managing this disease. This will help to ensure consistent supply of pyrethrin to the world market, reduce the costs of production and increase the net return to growers.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