CRC for Plant Biosecurity - APN

Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Australian Workshop

VANMEURSA — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 01:16:30 +0000

The second Asia Pacific Network (APN) Workshop on The effects of climate change on pests and diseases in the Asia Pacific was held at the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Victoria, Knoxfield and the University of Western Sydney (UWA), Hawkesbury campus last week. The workshop focussed on Potato Late Blight in India and Bangladesh, which is emerging as a major issue for growers in these countries potentially due to increased drought and flooding cycles. Chilling stories were told of Indian farmers recently suiciding as a result of total crop loss due to this disease. India and Bangladesh have the aggressive mating type of Phytophthora infestans, whereas Australia is one of the few countries that do not have the aggressive strain of the pathogen.

Indian and Bangladesh scientists from BCKV University in Kalyani, Kolkata and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) presented the Late Blight problem as a race against a rapidly evolving pathogen and the apparent futility associated with the multiple fungicide application was highlighted.

Potato is the world’s third most important staple food crop and its production is increasing at 4.5% per annum. In 2005, for the first time developing countries were growing more potatoes than developed nations, with China contributing 20% of the world’s production

The historical datasets (1972-2010) for planting times, late blight initiation and severity were presented for both countries with climatic data sets associated with late blight establishment presented by project agrometeorologists, for the same period. In addition, downscaled climate projections to 2100 will be used in conjunction with published Late Blight models to determine if there will be increased risk in Late Blight incidence under future climates for India, Bangladesh and Australia.

Project Leader Dr Jo Luck (DPI) and project members Dr Dolf DeBoer (DPI) and Dr Robert Spooner-Hart (UWS) arranged for the group to visit Thorpdale and the Hawkesbury potato growing regions in Victoria and NSW to meet Australian growers to learn how late blight is managed here. A spiritual highlight was a side trip to the MCG with a trip on the Manly Ferry completing the cultural program of a highly productive week.

Image Caption: Dr Delowar Hossain (BARI) Professor Giashuddin Miah (BSMR) and Dr M Asaduzzaman (Bangladesh Science Foundation) in Thorpdale potato field

Article written by: Dr Jo Luck

Will climate change affect Potato Late Blight?

VANMEURSA — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:51:50 +0000

As reported in our October 2009 edition of The Leaflet, Dr Jo Luck’s (DPI Victoria) project on climate change has received additional funding from the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change (APN) to undertake additional research in to the impact of climate change on key pests and diseases of major crops in the Asia Pacific region.

During December, Jo held the first workshop for this project at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya University (BCKV), a state agricultural university in Kalyani in the Nadia district of West Bengal State, 62 kilometres north of Kolkata. This preceded a national symposium on ‘Symposium on Climate Change, Plant Protection and Food Security’ which was also held at BCKV, from 17-19 December 2009.

The main objectives of the workshop were to:

assess the research being done on climate change and pests and diseases of important crops in the Asia Pacific Region
agree on a common crop and disease to focus on as a project case study, and
review the agrometeorology and pest modelling tools and historical data sets from India, Bangladesh and Australia as a foundation for this project.

After the formal welcome addresses from key university staff, Jo was invited to introduce the project and discuss its objectives and emphasised the need for a single crop and disease focus for the network to be successful. The APN representative from Bangladesh, Professor G. Miah explained the structure and function the APN and how this project fits into the APN portfolio.

Agrometerologists discussed the climatic variables already affecting Bangladesh, such as severe cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, increasing temperatures increasing precipitation, increasing intensity of floods and droughts and increasing sea levels with rising salinity in soil a major concern for Bangladesh. In India, the rising temperature was considered more limiting and expected to negate the CO2 fertilisation effect despite the higher transpiration efficiencies. The general approach adopted at the workshop was to identify the climatic risks for each country and then determine how current practices and policies can be adapted to reduce these risks.

After hearing presentations from each country on areas of interest and expertise, a break-out session was held to determine which crop and disease could be a common focus for the project, using criteria such as the economic significance of crop, severity of the disease or pest, evidence of changes to distribution or severity, project team capability and level of background data. After some discussion, a consensus was reached that Potato Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) would be the common disease for the network to focus on with Potato Virus Y and Potato Leaf-roll Virus as secondary priorities.

The Australian potato industries are worth in excess of $400 million annually. While late blight does occur in Australia, outbreaks have been sporadic, occurring in some localised areas in the South Eastern States. Australia, however, is one of the few countries that does not have the new aggressive strains of the pathogen and there is concern that these strains may reach Australia, having established as close as PNG. Incursion of new strains into Australia could result in a greater reliance on fungicides and will undoubtedly affect national and international trade. We are interested in determining whether a projected increased frequency of severe weather events will increase the risk of entry of this pathogen or exacerbate outbreaks of the endemic strains in Australia.

Overall, the workshop exceeded expectations in terms of consensus on a single disease focus and the willingness to cooperate towards a common goal. A strong case study will be developed over the next 12 months to demonstrate the effects of late blight on a global food staple, and how the increasing intensity of droughts and floods may alter the severity and distribution of this disease, in the three member countries. This project will link to a larger ACIAR project Management of Potato Late Blight in PNG led by DPI Victoria’s potato late blight expert, Dr Dolf De Boer, through future interactions at APN project workshops.

Image:

APN workshop participants, BCKV, Kalyani.

Article written by Jo Luck

The Leaflet March 2010

VANMEURSA — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:37:51 +0000

Climate change in the Asian Pacific regions

VANMEURSA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:32:41 +0000

Developing countries in the Asia Pacific, especially India and Bangladesh, are likely to face the highest reductions in agricultural production in the world, due to climate change. This will be through direct effects on crop production such as floods and drought and indirect effects through the spread of pests and diseases.

Understanding the effects of increasing temperature, CO2 and severe weather events on pests and diseases of food crops will enable agricultural industries and government in the Asia Pacific to better prepare and adapt to climate change by modifying management practices. For example, timing and location of planting, the use of new varieties and timing and application of pest and disease control methods.

A new Asia Pacific Network for Global Change project led by CRCNPB’s, Dr Jo Luck, will investigate the impact of climate change on key pests and diseases of major crops in the Asia Pacific Region. This project brings together Indian, Bangladesh and Australian policy experts and research scientists, comprising agrometerologists, crop modellers, entomologists and plant pathologists to determine what the key threats to their agriculture crops are under a changing climate. This project demonstrates a global approach to addressing the risks posed by climate change to food security in both developing and developed countries.

Monsoons, flooding and changes to precipitation patterns and humidity will be a focus of this investigation. The major crops targeted will be wheat, rice, canola and pigeon pea with pest and disease such as aphids, caterpillar, rusts, blights, and viruses investigated. Potential changes to the pest and disease population and geographic distribution will be analysed to determine if there are any increased risks to crop production and food security.