0
Home
News
Directory
E-newsletter
Magazine
Events
Data
AgReport
Subscribe
Scientists getting closer to developing disease-resistant strawberries
Jun. 21, 2016
Scientists with Queensland's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries hope to release a Fusarium-resistant variety of strawberry for commercial use in the next 12 months, after five years of research.
The Fusarium fungus has proved a significant threat to Australia's strawberry industry, which is worth more than $400 million a year.
It causes the plant to wilt and die, can spread with air-borne spores, and survives in the soil for decades.
The department's Michelle Paynter has spent the past five years working to cultivate Fusarium-resistant varieties of strawberries at the Maroochy Research Centre in Nambour.
"Since the phase-out of methyl bromide in 2005, we've seen an increase in strawberry disease worldwide," Ms Paynter said.
"It's happening in California at the moment and we've had problems in Australia as well.
"It infects the plants via the roots and then moves into the crown and vascular tissues, and blocks the uptake of water and nutrients, causing the plant to wilt.
"We have had up to 50 per cent losses, but we are trying to breed resistance into our new lines so that we can limit this damage."
In the research station glasshouse, strawberry plants are inoculated, their roots dipped into a Fusarium mixture.
"If they are susceptible, the plants will wilt and two weeks later the plant will be dead, and the ones that survive, that are looking healthy are resistant," Ms Paynter said.
"Once the plant's infected there's just no cure for it.
"Fusiarium, Macrophomina and Colletotrichum all show similar symptoms in strawberries, so it's really hard to detect which ones they are in the paddock.
"You have to bring them back to the lab and test them."
Ms Paynter said research was critical to the future of the strawberry industry.
"Resistant cultivars are a very sustainable way of control management," she said.
"We have about 22 known isolates of Fusarium in Queensland and there are also isolates in Western Australia that are very virulent. The pathogen can adapt very easily.
"We just want to be at the front of protection so if the situation does get worse and we do get more outbreaks, we're prepared."
Principal scientist Mark Herrington said any new strawberry variety would need to meet many more requirements than disease resistance.
"You want a new strawberry variety that tastes really good," he said.
"It needs to be able to transport well, it needs to be big enough to pick and market — there's about 20 traits that we consider in a strawberry.
"We have to plan five to 10 years ahead to defend the strawberry plants by developing resistances.
"I'm hoping a Fusarium-resistant variety can be commercialised in the next year, but you never know."
Strawberry grower Rick Twist hopes the research can provide solutions for his industry.
"Fusarium is a big problem for the industry, and our farm is one of those affected because it's an older farm," Mr Twist said.
"The day that we get plants that don't accept Fusarium as a disease will be a great thing for us."
Source: By Jennifer Nichols, ABC Rural
More from AgroNews
Change
Hot TopicSubscribe
| Subscribe Email: | * | |
| Name: | ||
| Mobile Number: | ||
Comment
0/1200
NEWSLETTER