Life Sciences Commons^™

Managing Lupin Anthracnose, Greg Shea, W A. Cowling, B J. Burchell, D Luckett, H Yang, Mark W. Sweetingham, Geoff J. Thomas

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Anthracnose in lupins was first reported in commercial crops in Western Australia in September 1996. By October 1996, several thousand lupin breeding lines and wild types of 11 lupin species were sown in New Zealand for resistance screening. In 1997, resistance to anthracnose was confirmed in several breeding fines and commercial cultivars of narrow-leafed lupins (I. angustifolius), landraces of albus lupins (I. albus) and wild types of several other lupin species. Important information on critical seed infection levels and fungicide seed treatment has also been determined.

Carrot Export Growth Depends On Keeping Cavity Spot Under Control, Allan Mckay, Elaine Davison

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Cavity spot is the most serious disease affecting carrot production in Ly Western Australia. With carrots now being the State's most important horticultural export, Agriculture Western Australia has undertaken extensive research to ensure the export market continues to grow.

Clubroot, Rachel Lancaster, Caroline Donald, Ian Porter

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Rachel Lancaster, Caroline Donald and Ian Palmer, outline some control measures for clubroot, one of the most serious diseases of crucifers world wide.

Coming To Grips With Eradu-Patch Of Lupins, Bill Macleod, Mark Sweetingham

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Investigations by Bill MacLoud and Mark Sweetingham have confirmed that Eradu-patch of lupins is caused by apreviously undescribed fungal pathogen,\.

They have developed strategies to minimise the spread of patches but choices are limited for control in lupin crops

Pulses : Profitable New Crops For The Wheatbelt, Kadambot Siddique, Stephen Loss, Ian Pritchard

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Narrow-leafed lupins have beeb produced on sandy acid soils throughout the wheatbelt for more than two decades. However, the wheatbelt contains large areas ofsoilsnot suited to narrow-leafed lupins. For several years reasearchers have been examining alternatives to narrow-leafed lupins for these soils.

Kadambot Siddique, Stephen Loss and Ian Prichard look at production of these new grain legumes, known as pulses.

Cucumber Mosiac Virus In Lupins, Annette Bwye, Roger Jones, Wayne Proudlove

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Cucumber mosaic virus is a threat to lupin crops from Geraldton to Esperance, particularly to those growing in areas receiving more than 400 mm average annual rainfall. The disease markedly decreases grain yield in narrow-leafed and yellow lupins but doesnot infect albus or sandplain lupins. Worldwide , after bean yellow mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus is the second most important virus affecting lupins. Annette Bwye, Roger Jones and Wayne Proudlove outline the symptoms, spread and management of this serious disease.

Merging Conservation With Production In Remnant Bush, Anne Morgan, Alison Fuss

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Exports of cutflowers and foliage from Western Australia are now worth about $17 million a year. A third of this is picked from the bush, either on Crown Land or areas of remnant bush on private property. While the industry's future lies in cultivation, bush picking is likely to remain important for some years. This can provide both extra income for farmers and benefit the environment - as long as care is taken

Developing Improved Varieties Of Subterranean Clover, Phil Nichols, Bill Collins, Dennis Gillespie, Martin Barbetti

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Subterranean clover is widely recognised as the most important pasture legume species in southern Australia, having been sown over about 20 million hectares.

Together with superphosphate and trace elements, it has been a key factor in improving and maintaining soil fertility, and has resulted in dramatic increases in crop, livestock and wool production.

While the value of subterranean clover is well established, it does have some shortcomings.

Many varieties grown today are not sufficiently adapted to the environments and management systems in use. Others lack sufficient pest and disease resistance.

Improved subterranean clovers are being bred with better adaptation and …

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Israeli Weevil Could Help Fight Doublegee, John Scott, Paul Yeoh

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Since its deliberate introduction from South Africa as a salad vegetable in 1830 the doublegee has spread to become a major weed throughout much of Australia.

It is one of the most serious weeds of crops and pastures in Western Australia, smothering other more useful plants while young, and troubling both humans and animals with its sharp spiny seeds when mature.

Using biological control techniques, scientists are now attacking it and related docks in three ways - with an aphid, a weevil and a fungus.

Within a few years it is hoped that while still present, the doublegee will be …

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Doublegee Decline And The Dock Aphid, John Scott, Francoise Berlandier, Kristy Hollis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Since 1990 farmers in the Western Australian wheatbelt have been reporting doublegee plants that appear to be diseased, stunted and producing poorly formed fruit (the spiny casing around the single doublegee seed). Often no obvious cause of this decline in plant health is apparent. Experiments carried out in 1990 showed that an aphid, which feeds hidden in the growing tips of doublegee stems and in young distorted leaves, is the most likely cause. This North American aphid, the dock aphid (Brachycaudus rumexicolens), arrived in WA in 1987. It appears to only feed on docks, doublegees and related plants and is …

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Fungi May Be Another Weapon, Roger Shivas, John Scott

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A fungus has been assessed both in Australia and South Africa since 1989 for its potential to control doublegee.

Under optimal environmental conditions it causes a severe stem blight which ultimately kills the plant. It also infects seeds, and caused up to 30 per cent mortality at a field site near Badgingarra.

Hopes to develop the fungus as a mycoherbicide (fungal killer of plants) have had to be dropped because it produces a potent toxin but it is still contributing to control in the field.

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus In Cereals, Simon Mckirdy, Roger Jones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Worldwide, barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is the most widespread and damaging virus disease of cereals. It infects wheat, barley, oats and grasses and is transmitted by several aphid species. The virus is not seed-borne and to persist from one growing season to the next it must survive in over-summering grasses.

Barley yellow dwarf virus decreases grain yield and also causes shrivelled grain. Yield loss is greatest from infection early in the growing season.

Eradication Of Apple Scab, John Cripps, Ralph Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The detection of apple scab in two orchards at Pemberton and New/ands in December 1989 ended Western Australia's 41-year, scab-free span for apple growers .

Without eradication orchardists would have had to apply up to 20 fungicidal sprays a year, at an annual cost of $1-2 million, to be able to market a high proportion of scab-free fruit. The industry chose eradication as the cheaper alternative, but the location of infected orchards at Pemberton in particular, with its high rainfall, suggested that it would be difficult .

Scab, or black spot, is the most serious fungal disease of apples in …

Australian Genetic Resources Of Trifolium And Ornithopus Species, Richard Snowball, Kevin Foster, Bill Collins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The introduction of improved pasture legumes into the cereal growing areas of southern Australia changed the face of our agricultural systems.

Subterranean clover was the first pasture legume to have a major impact, and the first varieties were available commercially in the 1930s. Since then, many varieties have been released, leading to the most recent release of Denmark, Gou/bum and Leura in 1992.

The development of burr, barrel and murex medics also had an impact on the pasture production of less acid heavy soils. Yellow serradella is still being developed for the more acid sandy soils.

This development of improved …

Stubble Retention And Leaf Disease In Lupin And Cereal Crops, Mark Sweetingham, Robert Loughman, Ron Jarvis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Retention of cereal stubbles can reduce leaf disease in lupins but increase leaf disease in cereals. The extent of cereal disease carry-over in stubbles depends on the locality and whether multiple cropping or crop rotation is practised

New Leaf Rust Helps To Control Blackberry, Jonathon Dodd, Sandy Lloyd

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The release of spores of the blackbeny leaf rust in spring 1991 marked the second attempt in Western Australia at controlling weedy blackberries with a biological agent. The strain of rust now being used is expected to be more effective than the one released in the 1980s.

This article describes the techniques used for rearing and releasing the fungus and illustrates the effects of the rust on blackbeny.

Three New Late-Midseason Subterranean Clovers Released For High Rainfall Pastures, Phil Nichols, Donald Nicholas

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Three new subterranean clovers - Denmark, Gou/bum and Leura - have been released in 1992 by the National Subterranean Clover Improvement Program. These subterranean clovers are black-seeded, have low oestrogen levels and improved disease resistance. Their release offers the potential for substantial improvements in pasture productivity in areas of southern Australia that have long growing seasons.

This article outlines some of the testing procedures and subsequent selection of these varieties and describes their characteristics and potential role in Western Australia.

Paddock Sampling For Management Of Annual Ryegrass Toxicity, Ian Riley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidumJ seedheads containing corynetoxins, a group of bacterially produced antibiotics, are poisonous to livestock. Animals that eat affected ryegrass develop annual ryegrass toxicity (ARGT), suffer convulsive staggers and die within a few days of eating a lethal dose. ARGT is characterised by high death rates, especially where pastures are not known to be affected and where stock-owners are not expecting the problem. Fortunately, there are commercial tests that determine the levels of ARGT organisms in the paddock and the risk of getting the disease. These tests will help farmers plan their cropping and pasture programs for the …

Coping With Brown Spot And Root Rots Of Lupins, Mark Sweetingham

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

There is increasing concern that brown spot and root diseases may limit the long term viability of lupin cultivation in close rotations in the agricultural areas of Western Australia. Research has found several useful strategies to reduce the impact of brown spot and Pleiochaeta root rot so that losses can be kept to a minimum. Rhizoctonia has proved more difficult to combat. Although less widespread than Pleiochaeta, it has caused severe losses and appears to be increasing in incidence, particularly in the northern wheatbelt. Research has vastly expanded our knowledge of the strains of Rhizoctonia present in our soils and …

Breeding Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, John Sylvester Gladstones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The release of Gungurru and Yorrel lupins marks the coming of age of the narrow-leafed lupin as a crop plantt. These are the first cultivars of the species th have substantial resistance to Phomopsis stem blight, which will make the stubbles much safer for grazing stock.

This article describes the new lupins, their background, and how they were bred. It also acknowledges the contributions of colleagues who helped in important ways.

Erosion Potential Of Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, D J. Carter, Paul Findlater

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

During lupin harvesting, up to 20 per cent of the grain remains on the ground. This non-harvested or pilt grain is a valuable feed for sheep during early summer because the pods, leaf and stem generally provide little nutrient in the stubnbles. In addition, the more efficient the weed control, the less valuable are the stubbles.

The disease lupinosis caused by Phomopsis leptostromiformis restricts the amount of grazing from the lupin stubbles, and hence the risk of wind-erosion of stubble paddocks.

However, the introduction of lupin varieties moderately resistant to Phomopsis and with reduced potential to cause lupinosis means that …

Breeding Field Peas : Screening Pea Lines, G H. Walton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The early use of field peas in Western Australia was as a green manure crop or to feed stock be grazing the mature crop. Varieties which produced a large bulk of green material were sown. There was no control over insects or diseases.

In 1985, the Feseral Government recognised that to realize the potential of grain legumes grown throughout Australia, more research was needed.

One of the Grain Legume Research Council's (GLRC) priorities is species evaluation and variety improvement.

Since 1983, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture has screened advanced crossbred lines from the South Australian breeding programme for its …

Diseases Of Native Flowers, Peter Mcr Wood

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The native flora of Australia has evolved in such a way as to render it resistant to many of the fungi and bacteria that commonly infect exotic cultivated flower crops. Many of our native plants have tough sclerophyllous foliage which makes it difficult for pathogenic organisms to gain access, particularly in their natural undisturbed habitats. Root tissue of these plants also tends to be woodier than that of exotic plants, thus making it less accessible as a food source for common rootattacking fungi such as Rhizoctonia and Pythium.

Seed-Bourne Virus Diseases In Annual Pasture Legumes, R A C Jones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Potato Cyst Nematode, J M. Stanton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

For many years, Australia has been the only large land mass in the world in which potato cyst nematode has not been found. However, in 1986, potato cyst nematode was found on four properties at Munster 10km south of Perth, Western Australia.

Potato cyst nematode is a minute worm like organism which attacks the roots of several plant species including potatos, causing very high yield losses. It is a very serious pest of potatoes throughout the world and strict quarantine controls are enforced in countries and potato-growing areas froo of nematode.

Rhizoctonia Patch Of Cereals, G C. Macnish

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Rhizoctonia patch is now widespread within Western Australia, having been recorded on all cereals and on a wide variety of other crops and pasture plants. Although the disease-as its name implies - looks spectacular in the field, the overall reduction in crop yield is probably small. However, its increasing frequency is causing considerable concern as the disease appears to be associated with minimum or reduced tillage systems.

Phomopsis-Resistanct Lupins : Breakthrough Towards The Control Of Lupinosis, W A. Cowling, J. G. Allen, P Mcr. Wood, J. Hamblin

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Attemots to control lupinosis in sheep have been thwarted by the unpredictable occurence of the disease in the field. The complex interaction of the toxin-producing fungus (Phomopsis leptostromiformis) with its host (the lupin plant), together with variable weather and paddock grazing conditions, have made it difficult to predict when stock are in danger of contracting the disease. The risk of lupinosis discourages many farmers from growing lupins, despite the many potential benefits of including them in crop rotations.

A team of Department of Agriculture plant breeders, plant pathologists, and animal scientists set out in the mid 1970s to find resistance …

Research Into Lupin Root Diseases, M W. Sweetingham

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

increased yield from wheat after lupins, obtained without the need for applied nitrogen, has led many farmers to adopt a 1:1 wheat-lupin rotation. One of the advantages of lupins is the cleaning effect they have by reducing wheat diseases such as septoria and yellow leaf spot and root diseases, in particular take-all.

Before the present research projext started, little was known about lupin root diseases, or what effect lupins grown in close rotation with wheat might have on the build-up of root disease of lupins.

Phomopsis Infection Of Lupin Seed, D S. Petterson, P. Mcr. Wood

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Early reports of lupinosis in Western Australia implicated infected stems and leaves of the sandplain or W,A. blue lupin (Lupinus cosentinii) as the main source of toxicity.

After the introduction of low alkaloid varieties of L. augustifolius, lupinosis continued to oddur on stubbles but random testing of seeds showed only low levels of Phomopsis leptostromiformis infection.

However in 1976, scientists at the University of Western Australia who were evaluating the use of an all lupin seed ration for drought feeding sheep encounted lupinosis in one of their trials.Seven per cent of the seed used was found to be infected …

Barley Breeding Update, P A. Portmann

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Barley production in Western Australia has increased over the past few years, peaking at 1.42 million tonnes in 1984. The European Economic Community, however, has flooded world markets for barley and over half of ourbarley was sold for feed to Saudi Arabia last year. Current prices therefore have declined as has the total area sown to barley in this State.

Despite this, the potential to increase barley yields is most promising. The Department of Agriculture has cross-bred lines in advanced stages of field testing which could increase yield by 10 per cent across the agricultural areas.

In the longer term, …