Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We ....Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We aim to reduce the risks posed by two important dengue-vectoring mosquitoes: the yellow fever and the Asian tiger mosquito. This will lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable mosquito control and protect the Australian population and its regional neighbours against the threats of mosquito-borne disease.Read moreRead less
Time to prime: using silicon to activate grass resistance under higher CO2. This project aims to deliver insight into how CO2 affects defence trade-offs in Australian grasses and establish if silicon (Si) supplementation with an industrial by-product restores resistance. Grasses contain more Si than nearly any other plant, resulting in multiple beneficial functions, including increasing resistance to disease and herbivory. However, increasing atmospheric CO2 reduces Si uptake in some grasses and ....Time to prime: using silicon to activate grass resistance under higher CO2. This project aims to deliver insight into how CO2 affects defence trade-offs in Australian grasses and establish if silicon (Si) supplementation with an industrial by-product restores resistance. Grasses contain more Si than nearly any other plant, resulting in multiple beneficial functions, including increasing resistance to disease and herbivory. However, increasing atmospheric CO2 reduces Si uptake in some grasses and frequently compromises plant defensive responses/signalling to herbivore attack. A key outcome will be identifying and maximising silicon-based resistance in vulnerable grasses against the threat of climate change and invasive herbivores. This will provide benefits such as increased productivity of Australian grasslands using a pollution-free, broad-spectrum and environmentally safer pest control approach.Read moreRead less
Psyllids as biosecurity threats to plantation and native eucalypts in Australia and internationally. Psyllids are tiny cicada-like insects that are economic pests of forestry and horticulture because the saliva injected when feeding causes leaf death and some vector plant diseases. Advanced technologies and procedures will be used to determine what makes plants susceptible to psyllids and to improve Australian preparedness ahead of an incursion.