Wiping out pests without wiping out vineyards

CRICHTONA — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:02:41 +0000

In an international breakthrough for pest control, Australia scientists have developed a new way to wipe out invading pests of tree crops or vines – without having to destroy the crops.

“The usual way to control a major pest invasion in an orchard or vineyard is to dig up all the trees or vines and burn them,” explains the Chief Executive Officer of the CRC for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB), Dr Simon McKirdy.

“This can cause heartbreak, destroy livelihoods and disrupt a whole industry. In the case of vines that may be 100 years old, the loss is irreplaceable. We decided there had to be a better way.”

A team of CRCNPB researchers led by Dr Mark Sosnowski of the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) has joined hands with their American plant biosecurity colleagues to run an offshore trial in which they have proved it is possible to exterminate a dangerous crop disease – without destroying the farm.

Their chosen target was a fungal disease not yet found in Australia, known as black rot – a devastating disease of vines.

“Our approach was to try out various disease control strategies in the field, under real life conditions,” Dr Sosnowski explains “As black rot does not occur in Australia, we had to do the final tests with the live disease in the US, where it is endemic.”

The researchers started their trials in Australia using a local fungal disease called black spot that behaves similarly to black rot. In the first year they cut the infected vines right back to the trunk and sprayed them, while litter on the ground was cleared and burned. This achieved 90 per cent control of the disease. READ MORE

Black Rot Eradication Trial

VANMEURSA — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:26:23 +0000

Dr Mark Sosnowski was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity and South Australian Research and Development Institution, primarily to conduct a research trial in the USA in collaboration with researchers at Cornell University, New York Agricultural Experiment Station. As part of the project CRC40139 Developing Eradication Strategies the objectives of the travel were to prepare for and conduct a simulated eradication of black rot disease, caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwellii.

During the simulation, vines were selectively removed from a block to leave two-vine plots which were either drastically pruned to eradicate the black rot or pruned normally as controls. The ground beneath vines was raked to remove the majority of any infected debris and then lucerne hay was laid down as mulch to prevent spores from any remaining infecting new foliage.

Control and treatment vines will be monitored for symptoms of black rot and Dr Sosnowski will revisit Cornell University in August 2009 with funding from a scholarship provided by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to train in and document a formal protocol for the diagnosis of black rot. He will also take the opportunity to assess the eradication trial for any symptoms of black rot.

In addition to the eradication trial, arrangements have been set in place to allow for a supervised summer student to conduct an experiment to monitor movement of ascospores in the vineyard block. Sentinel vines (cv. Chardonnay) in pots will be placed within and around the trial site in a rotation during spring to detect any cross-contamination between treatments or external infection.

It is intended that the trial will continue on for a second season in 2010. Continued management and monitoring for symptoms along with reapplying the eradication treatment will also be done if necessary.

Photo caption: Stem lesions

Top photo caption: Mark Sosnowski and the team remove drastically pruned materials from the treated vines.

CRC for Plant Biosecurity - Sosnowski

Wiping out pests without wiping out vineyards

Black Rot Eradication Trial