Distribution of Ramularia across the Australian grain belt

Background

A recent incursion of the barley disease Ramularia has not been fully delimited around the areas of confirmed occurrence. As this disease can spread through infected seed, growers in these regions will need information on the relative risk of saving seed for planting the following year. Other regions that currently have had no positive recordings will need to be surveyed to ensure that these areas are currently free from Ramularia. Ramularia in the northern hemisphere and New Zealand has recently increased in pathogen aggressiveness, decreased in fungicide sensitivity and caused epidemics in Germany. Determining the occurrence of Ramularia across the Australian grain belt will inform the level of disease management options required including seed hygiene, fungicide and pre-breeding investments.

Investment description

This investment will combine three surveillance approaches over two seasons to determine the incidence and distribution of Ramularia across the Australian grain belt.

1.Delimiting ramularia incidence around existing confirmed occurrences;

2.Where found, collection and storage of ramularia samples for further characterisation;

3.Determining the areas that are free of the disease with emphasis on areas known to be of highest disease risk across the Western, Southern and Northern GRDC regions.

There is a preference for a coordinated national approach.

Expected Outcome

By 2022, Australian grain growers will be implementing effective disease management strategies that minimise the impact of priority diseases on production leading to at least 10% increase in profitability

Expected Outputs

By December 2019 and annually thereafter, Australian grain growers will know the incidence and distribution of Ramularia across the Australian grain belt.

Details: A Ramularia occurrence survey to be conducted across the Australian Grain belt with an emphasis on the high and medium rainfall regions. A delimitation survey will be conducted in Western Australia.

Further details can be found on the GRDC website

https://grdc.com.au/research/applying-and-reporting/current-procurement/open-tenders