by Kym McIntyre, Queensland Grains Biosecurity Officer
The GRDC Northern Region crop disease survey collects information about the distribution and spread of established and emerging crop diseases. It also looks for five high priority exotic diseases.
Led by Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries pathologist Lisa Kelly, the project is a partnership between industry and state and federal agencies to provide disease surveillance and related diagnostic services in major production areas of the northern region which includes Queensland and New South Wales.
Ms Kelly said “Unfortunately Covid-19 travel restrictions meant travel was restricted to Queensland during 2020, however 123 crops were surveyed and over 365 disease samples were processed.”
“The diverse cropping system in the northern region provides growers with important rotational opportunities to control diseases and weeds at the same time as responding to commodity prices.”
“However, some crop rotations can also carry diseases between cycles making the survey important as it captures changes in the occurrence, distribution and severity of diseases, which can be used by researchers, growers and agronomists when making management decisions.”
The 2019-20 survey included wheat, barley, mungbean, sorghum, soybean and peanut crops and identified the presence and distribution of several important endemic diseases.
“Spot form of net blotch and powdery mildew were prevalent diseases in barley paddocks inspected across southern Queensland.”
“In mungbean crops significant outbreaks of tobacco streak virus occurred in central Queensland, while in southern Queensland fusarium wilt and powdery mildew were widespread during the 2019-20 summer.”
“Anthracnose and target spot impacted soybean crops in the Burdekin region in early 2020.”
“In contrast, a low incidence of diseases was found in wheat, peanut and sorghum crops”
Exotic diseases also pose a risk to grain industries and Queensland’s long northern coastal border creates a high risk disease pathway into the country from Papua New Guinea and south-east Asia.
“The close proximity of these countries increases the possibility that new diseases will reach mainland Australia and become established, making early detection crucial to containment and possible eradication.”
To mitigate this risk, Ms Kelly says the survey has expanded to include surveillance for exotic diseases.
“While we have done surveillance for endemic diseases over the last five years or more, the 2019-20 survey was the first to actively target specific exotic pathogens.”
“Targeted surveillance for high priority exotic grain pathogens provides the best chance of early detection for containment and eradication and provides data for proof of area freedom.”
The five exotic diseases included in the 2019-20 survey were mungbean yellow mosaic virus (Begomovirus), sorghum downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi), barley stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei), wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzae – Triticum pathotype) and exotic pathogenic stem rust races (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, e.g. Ug99). All five are high priority exotic pests of the Australian grains industry.
“Fortunately, no exotic pathogens were detected during the 2019-20 surveillance and diagnostics activities across Queensland.”
Queensland grain growers are encouraged to look for unusual pests and contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to send in any samples they are unsure about.
For more information about disease surveillance email lisa.kelly@daf.qld.gov.au
For more information about exotic grain pests and diseases visit planthealthaustralia.com.au/gfbp
GRDC project: DAQ1907-001RTX