biosecurity built on science
Managing myrtle rust in Australia
Dr Geoff PeggForest Health Team Leader
Forestry ScienceDAF Queensland
Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Tasmania
Spread in Australia
Lord Howe Island October 2016
biosecurity built on science
Screening methodologies for:- Selecting resistance to Puccinia psidii
within genera and species within breeding populations
- Examining resistance patterns, heritability and resistance mechanisms
Field assessment methodologies for:- Rating susceptibility of Myrtaceae to Puccinia psidii- Studying impact of Puccinia psidii on species and plant
communities
Myrtle rust research outputs
biosecurity built on science
Interstate trade restrictions - loss of markets or increased treatment requirements
Species removed from production Forestry – minimal direct impact
- Restrictions on movement of germplasm for commercial development (e.g. Eucalyptus globulus)
Native foods- Significant reduction in productivity- Loss of organic status and related markets- Relocation of industry
Impact on plant industries
biosecurity built on science
Host list and susceptibility rating identifying:- Resistant/tolerant species for future commercial development - Highly/extremely susceptible species from an environmental perspective
Full host list on-line and susceptibility ratings published- >350 species from 57 genera
Giblin FR & Carnegie AJ (2014) Puccinia psidii (myrtle rust) - Australian host list. http://www.anpc.asn.au/myrtle-rust
Pegg GS, Giblin FR, McTaggart AR, Guymer GP, Taylor H, Ireland KB, Shivas RG, Perry S (2014) Puccinia psidii in Queensland, Australia: disease symptoms, distribution and impact. Plant Pathology 63, 1005–102
- Proposed industry publications Publication in Horticulture journal and industry magazine articles - April 2017
Myrtle rust research outcomes – Plant industries
biosecurity built on science
Simple field rating system- 180 species assessed
50 Species HS/ES Variability in some species
Predicting impact- All trees rated as HS/ES are in
severe decline
Assessment system to be adopted for all new host species reports
Tolerant Moderate Susceptibility
High Susceptibility
Extreme Susceptibility
biosecurity built on science
Identification of resistance for implementation into current and future breeding programs - Eucalypt species
Pegg, G. S., Brawner, J. T., and Lee, D. J. 2014. Screening Corymbia populations for resistance to Puccinia psidii Plant Pathology 63: 425-436. Lee, David, Brawner, Jeremy, and Pegg, Geoff 2014. Screening Eucalyptus cloeziana and E. argophloia populations for resistance to Puccinia psidii.
Plant Disease 99, 71-79. Butler J. B., Freeman J. S., Vaillancourt R. E., Potts B. M., Glen M., Lee D. J., Pegg G. S. 2016. Evidence for different QTL underlying the immune and
hypersensitive responses of Eucalyptus globulus to the rust pathogen Puccinia psidii Tree Genetics & Genomes 12(3).
- Lemon myrtle RIRDC project – 392 clones screened
- D. Lee, J. Doran, G. Pegg, D. Lea, P. Macdonell and F. Giblin 2015. Myrtle Rust Screening in Lemon Myrtle Provenance Plantings. RIRDC Publication
PhD student (Emily Lancaster - QAFFI) Examining disease epidemiology, field tolerance and management options
- Broad leaved Melaleuca species
Myrtle rust research outcomes – plant industries
biosecurity built on science
Melaleuca quinquenervia provenance susceptibility
biosecurity built on science
biosecurity built on science
Melaleuca leucadendra provenance susceptibility
biosecurity built on science
Melaleuca viridiflora provenance susceptibility
biosecurity built on science
Susceptibility and impact levels recorded for 180 species Detailed assessments on impact for 21 species
- Impact across host natural distribution- Impact on regeneration- Impact on plant communities
Myrtle rust research outcomes - Environment
biosecurity built on science
Impact on widespread species
• Myrtle rust impact• Most populations consist entirely of
dead or dying trees
• Regenerating seedlings/suckers also infected & killed
• Rhodomyrtus psidioides • Native guava
• Conservation status• Least Concern
• Fast growing • Important successional role in
rainforest regeneration
Carnegie AJ, Kathuria A, Pegg GS, Entwistle P, Nagel M, Giblin FR, 2015. Environmental impact of the invasive rust Puccinia psidii on Australian native Myrtaceae. Biological Invasions DOI 10.1007/s10530-015-0996-y
biosecurity built on science
Rhodomyrtus psidioides 2014
biosecurity built on science
Rhodomyrtus psidioides 2016
biosecurity built on science
Widespread species – Rhodamnia rubescens
2014
2016
biosecurity built on science
Impact on plant communities – Wet sclerophyll with rainforest understory
Mid-storey species and compositionTree species % tree canopy healthyAcmena smithii 78.5 ±13.124 a
Archirhodomyrtus beckleri 7.66 ±3.063 bDecaspermum humile 0 ± 0 b
Gossia hillii 4.348 ±4.348 b
Impact of Puccinia psidii infection – mid-storey
66%
13%
12%
6%3%
Regenerating seedlings - species composition
Acmena smithii
Archirhodomyrtus beckleri
Rhodamnia maideniana
Decaspermum humile
Gossia hillii
41%
25%
15%
11%
2%2% 2%
1% 1%
Midstorey species and composition
Archirhodomyrtus beckleri
Gossia hillii
Decaspermum humile
Acmena smithii
Rhodamnia rubescens
Rhodomyrtus psidioides
Syzygium hodgkinsonii
Pilidiostigma glabrum
Syzygium oleosum
biosecurity built on science
Tallebudgera Valley 2014
Decaspermum humile
Syzygium corynanthum
Acmena smithii
biosecurity built on science
Tallebudgera Valley 2016
Decaspermum humile
Syzygium corynanthum
Acmena smithii
biosecurity built on science
Impact on plant communities
Acmena smithiiAcmena smithii
Decaspermum humile
Acmena smithii
Rhodamnia rubescens
biosecurity built on science
Impact on plant communities
biosecurity built on science
Publication:- Angus J. Carnegie, Amrit Kathuria, Geoff S. Pegg, Peter Entwistle, Matthew Nagel, Fiona Giblin, 2015.
Environmental impact of the invasive rust Puccinia psidii on Australian native Myrtaceae. Biological Invasions DOI 10.1007/s10530-015-0996-y –
Proposed publications - 2017- Impact of Puccinia psidii on regeneration of Melaleuca quinquenervia and interaction with native insect pests - Impact of Puccinia psidii on Myrtaceous rich plant communities in wet sclerophyll environments in south-
east Queensland- Impact of Puccinia psidii on regeneration of Myrtaceae in coastal heath following wildfires
Workshop Brisbane April 2016 - Aimed at raising the awareness of myrtle rust within the various environment departments
Federal and State Environment Departments, PHA, PBCRC etc. NZ and USA representatives National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
Myrtle rust research outcomes - Environment
biosecurity built on science
Legislative outcomes- Myrtle rust declared as a Threatening Process in NSW and applications submitted for national listing- Application for Rhodomyrtus psidioides and Rhodamnia rubescens to be listed as Critically Endangered submitted
Myrtle Rust Environmental Impacts Working Group
Briefing of Federal Department of Environment Division Heads and Head of Australian Environment Agencies- Recommended that issue be taken to a future COAG meeting
Project development- Prioritising species for conservation based on susceptibility/impact data and risk modelling – NSW Department of
Environment- Myrtle rust identified as a priority for National Environmental Science Program
PhD project funding looking at conservation of species identified from this project as being under threat
Myrtle rust research impacts
biosecurity built on science
Thankyou- Dr Angus Carnegie, Dr Suzy Perry- Dr Fiona Giblin, Dr David Lee, John Huth, Peter Entwistle, Dr Kylie Ireland- Dr Gordon Guymer, Bob Makinson
The PBCRC for the support for this research
For more information, please email [[email protected]]