Regulation and expression of disease resistance responses in the Rhynchosporium secalis/barley interaction. The barley leaf scald fungus, Rhynchosporium secalis, causes annual losses of up to 10% in Australia's major export crop, barley. The primary aim of this project is to isolate and understand the interplay of genes specifically involved in the regulation of resistance to scald. Several resistance-specific genes will be functionally analysed to identify regulatory signalling pathways that li ....Regulation and expression of disease resistance responses in the Rhynchosporium secalis/barley interaction. The barley leaf scald fungus, Rhynchosporium secalis, causes annual losses of up to 10% in Australia's major export crop, barley. The primary aim of this project is to isolate and understand the interplay of genes specifically involved in the regulation of resistance to scald. Several resistance-specific genes will be functionally analysed to identify regulatory signalling pathways that link genetic expression with the specific gene-for-gene disease resistance phenotype. Knowledge of the genes controlling signalling processes within the disease-challenged plant will allow for the development of more effective and durable resistances by traditional breeding and transgenic approaches.Read moreRead less
Interactions between genotype, plant nutrition and fungal disease development in strawberry. Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) growers lose more than 30% of their crop annually to disease. This project will elucidate the role of plant nutrition in disease development and investigate the interaction/s between plant genotype, pathogen and the environment. The physiological basis for durable resistance will also be established. Molecular markers for field resistance and nutrient use efficiency will ....Interactions between genotype, plant nutrition and fungal disease development in strawberry. Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) growers lose more than 30% of their crop annually to disease. This project will elucidate the role of plant nutrition in disease development and investigate the interaction/s between plant genotype, pathogen and the environment. The physiological basis for durable resistance will also be established. Molecular markers for field resistance and nutrient use efficiency will be developed for use in breeding programs. Furthermore, this project will enhance profitability and sustainability of the Australian strawberry industry.
Read moreRead less
The biology and epidemiology of the grapevine canker fungi, Botryosphaeria sp. Decline and dieback of grapevines is becoming an increasing problem for the viticulture industry in NSW. Recently, species of the fungus Botryosphaeria, were isolated from grapevines exhibiting these symptoms. In order to understand the biology and epidemiology of the causal organisms, we aim to; (i) determine species of Botryosphaeria present in NSW vineyards; (ii) determine which species are pathogenic on grapevines ....The biology and epidemiology of the grapevine canker fungi, Botryosphaeria sp. Decline and dieback of grapevines is becoming an increasing problem for the viticulture industry in NSW. Recently, species of the fungus Botryosphaeria, were isolated from grapevines exhibiting these symptoms. In order to understand the biology and epidemiology of the causal organisms, we aim to; (i) determine species of Botryosphaeria present in NSW vineyards; (ii) determine which species are pathogenic on grapevines; (iii) characterise the genetic diversity of strains and; (iv) screen fungicides for the control of these fungi. Information on the species, their biology and pathogenicity on grapevines, will enable the development of appropriate management strategies for its control and may lead to the development of molecular tools to identify species of Botryosphaeria.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
Genomics to rust proof the humble oat. This project aims to reduce the impact of the damaging and currently intractable fungal pathogen crown rust (OCR) in Australian oat production. The expected project outcomes are: new sources of enduring high value resistance to OCR, tools to accelerate the use of these resistances, and locally adapted OCR resistant oat germplasm for use in developing profitable oat varieties. The project will use new approaches to tap very recently released genomic resource ....Genomics to rust proof the humble oat. This project aims to reduce the impact of the damaging and currently intractable fungal pathogen crown rust (OCR) in Australian oat production. The expected project outcomes are: new sources of enduring high value resistance to OCR, tools to accelerate the use of these resistances, and locally adapted OCR resistant oat germplasm for use in developing profitable oat varieties. The project will use new approaches to tap very recently released genomic resources and unique oat/ OCR resources assembled over many years. It will lead to responsible stewardship of broadly effective OCR resistance in grazing/milling/hay oats, increasing grower profitability, reducing reliance on fungicides, and underpinning planned growth in our export oat market. Read moreRead less
Cell wall structure and dynamics in emerging fungal pathogens of crops. The project aims to understand the role of fungal cell wall biosynthetic enzymes in cell wall stability. The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure whose composition constantly changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and at different developmental stages. The devastating fungal crop pathogen Fusarium graminearum is responsible for the head blight disease in cereals. The project aims to understand the molecular ev ....Cell wall structure and dynamics in emerging fungal pathogens of crops. The project aims to understand the role of fungal cell wall biosynthetic enzymes in cell wall stability. The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure whose composition constantly changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and at different developmental stages. The devastating fungal crop pathogen Fusarium graminearum is responsible for the head blight disease in cereals. The project aims to understand the molecular events that govern metabolism and dynamics of the cell wall of F. graminearum. The project also plans to characterise the molecular interactions involved in plant defence against fungal pathogens and fungal responses to plant immune factors called defensins. Expected long-term outcomes include the development of novel strategies for disease control and crop protection.Read moreRead less
Impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi on native vegetation in South Australia - understanding underlying mechanisms to improve management. The disease Phytophthora dieback threatens many Australian native plants and the animals that rely on them for food and habitat. This research will provide new knowledge of the susceptibility to the disease of plant species that are threatened with extinction, and of the effects of plant and soil microbial community composition on patterns of spread of the disease ....Impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi on native vegetation in South Australia - understanding underlying mechanisms to improve management. The disease Phytophthora dieback threatens many Australian native plants and the animals that rely on them for food and habitat. This research will provide new knowledge of the susceptibility to the disease of plant species that are threatened with extinction, and of the effects of plant and soil microbial community composition on patterns of spread of the disease. This knowledge will assist the recovery of rare and threatened plant species and ecological communities statewide and nationwide. Read moreRead less
Protecting cereal grain development at high temperatures. This project aims to investigate new temperature-responsive factors that regulate cereal grain development to protect grain production under heat stress. The new research will leverage international collaborations with access to cutting-edge genetic and technological resources, and refine novel X-ray imaging techniques in Australia, to observe how temperature affects flower structure and function in barley and rice. Favourable mutations t ....Protecting cereal grain development at high temperatures. This project aims to investigate new temperature-responsive factors that regulate cereal grain development to protect grain production under heat stress. The new research will leverage international collaborations with access to cutting-edge genetic and technological resources, and refine novel X-ray imaging techniques in Australia, to observe how temperature affects flower structure and function in barley and rice. Favourable mutations that optimise plant yield and fitness will be defined and explored in other, more complex, cereals such as wheat. Expected outcomes will be fundamental breakthroughs in understanding how plants respond to, and buffer, the effects of heat to lead to translational breeding strategies that bolster grain yield.Read moreRead less
Root aquaporins as sensors and regulators of plant water transport. The knowledge we will gain will benefit Australia by allowing better management of plant water use. Because such large quantities of water move through aquaporins in membranes, our understanding of the pores could enable us to manipulate plants to conserve or use water depending on predicted climatic conditions. Molecular aspects of the project will reveal potential novel ways of controlling root water uptake by shoot and root m ....Root aquaporins as sensors and regulators of plant water transport. The knowledge we will gain will benefit Australia by allowing better management of plant water use. Because such large quantities of water move through aquaporins in membranes, our understanding of the pores could enable us to manipulate plants to conserve or use water depending on predicted climatic conditions. Molecular aspects of the project will reveal potential novel ways of controlling root water uptake by shoot and root manipulation. High calibre PhD and Honours students will also be educated to maintain the momentum of international excellence within Australia in the field of plant water relations.Read moreRead less
Finding the missing links in salt and water transport in plants. Grain crops and horticultural plants use proteins called aquaporins to move water across cell membranes, but a group of these proteins can also transport some important nutrient ions as well as toxic sodium ions. This project aims to reveal the molecular pathways that regulate water and ion transport via aquaporins using advanced techniques in biophysics and molecular biology. These results will provide novel insights into how plan ....Finding the missing links in salt and water transport in plants. Grain crops and horticultural plants use proteins called aquaporins to move water across cell membranes, but a group of these proteins can also transport some important nutrient ions as well as toxic sodium ions. This project aims to reveal the molecular pathways that regulate water and ion transport via aquaporins using advanced techniques in biophysics and molecular biology. These results will provide novel insights into how plants coordinate and adapt to changing water and salt conditions, addressing a missing link in how ions and water move in and out of plant vacuoles. Benefits include an expanded, innovative range of targets for plant breeding programs to improve plant productivity in our changing climate.Read moreRead less