Revealed: Local scientists release findings to help farmers

Research has identified two fungal species for the first time – information that may assist farmers with managing crop diseases.

CROP RESEARCH: Senior research fellow at the Centre for Crop Health Dr Niloofar Vaghefi.

Local researchers are taking part in a collaborative research project that aims to assist farmers with managing crop diseases.

Macrophomina was initially thought to be the only fungal species known to cause charcoal rot in Australia but recent research by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has revealed two new species for the first time.

Teaming up with the University of Western Australia, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, USQ has identified the fungal pathogens causing charcoal rot and dry root rot.

USQ’s Centre for Crop Health senior research fellow Dr Niloofar Vaghefi said a large collection of fungal strains from 28 different plant species were inspected.

“The analysis resulted in the detection of two additional species – one which was previously identified overseas but had not been identified in Australia and a new species found in mungbean and sorghum paddocks in Queensland and that has only been detected in Australia so far,” Dr Vaghefi said.

“This is a significant finding because these crop pathogens cause the most damage in hot, dry drought conditions, so as droughts get more frequent and temperatures increase, having a scientifically-based management strategy for this crop pest will be more important than ever.”

Dr Vaghefi said different survival strategies and biology of the new species of fungus and the implications of controlling them would now be looked into further.

“There are not a lot of good management options for this disease available to Australian farmers at the moment because it infects so many crops and there’s a belief that not a lot can be done about it,” she said.

“However now we’ve realised that there are different types of the disease and it’s not the same everywhere, we’ll be able to thoroughly investigate to see if there are different options for management.

“Understanding the diversity of species causing disease on broadacre and horticultural crops is the first step towards better understanding the epidemiology of these crop pathogens in Australia, which will hopefully make it easier for local growers to better manage the disease in the future.”

The research project was funded by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries through the Broadacre Cropping Initiative with USQ and the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC).