Program 1 – Monitoring of Net Blotch populations for new virulences of industry significance
Tender ID: 516845
Tender Details
Tender Description
Net Blotch is the most damaging pathogen to barley production in Australia, accounting for over ~$125M of total annual losses and remains a critical concern of barley growers and a high priority target for barley breeders. Improved integrated approaches of genetic resistance, paddock management, and chemical control are critical to a productive future for Australian barley growers. Through an interrelated suite of five R&D programs (Figure 1), GRDC is looking to extend on expertise and knowledge while implementing innovative new technologies to improve cultural management and genetic resistances against net blotch in barely.
Program 1: Monitoring of Net Blotch populations for new virulences of industry significance
NFNB (Pyrenophora teres f. teres) and SFNB (P. teres f. maculata) have a high capacity to adapt to host resistance genes, with the constant potential of new strains arising that can quickly become a significant industry problem. The 4-year investment in Program 1 will look to continue national monitoring of net blotch populations for new virulent strains of industry concern as well as develop and provide resources to other programs of the consortium (Figure 1). Specific activities include:
- Seasonal collecting, pathotyping, and storage of NFNB and SFNB isolates from across the nation.
- Establishment of a regular ‘Barley Net Blotch Industry Report’, with a standardised format, to keep growers and breeder appraised on the monitoring of Net Blotch populations and other project consortium activity.
- Updating of national net blotch differential sets with novel aggressive isolates for use in Programs 2 and 3.
- Screening a combination of Australian commercial barley cultivars, established host differential sets, and accession carrying new sources of host resistance emerging from Program 2, against local and exotic pathotypes through collaborations with national and international disease nurseries.
- Update and refine the NFNB and SFNB host differential sets with resistance sources emerging from Program 2; including (marker-assisted) introgression of promising resistance sources (haplotype blocks) into elite adapted variety(ies) to produce growth ideotypes better suited for screening in Australian conditions (especially at adult stage)†.
† Consideration for co-opting/leveraging of back-crossed resources for broader uses would be favourable. For example, but not limited to, phenotypic evaluation of specific resistance genetic blocks for yield drag; for which partnering with commercial barley breeders for evaluation should be considered.
Program 1 would also look to accelerate the discovery and evaluation of novel Net Blotch resistance sources by establishing and/or refining protocols to screen for NFNB and SFNB at the adult stage within controlled environment facilities (CEF); which should allow for multiple screens per year, within consistent environments most conducive to infection, using precision pathogen application rates, and an ability to test non-regional virulent isolates.
Please note the following:
• Collaboration between research organisations and industry is encouraged. All collaborations should designate a lead organisation as per the Tender Terms and Conditions.
• Co-investment from research partners is highly desired. Please see the budget template for definitions of cash and in-kind contribution.
• Extension activities will look to include sharing of knowledge and resources with other GRDC funded initiative and the broader research community. For example, net blotch isolates to the CCDM (pathogen genetics studies) and AFREN (fungicide resistance studies).
This investment is one of a suite of five R&D programs expected to work as a collaborative consortium which will build on existing expertise and resources from past GRDC investments to generate new expertise and knowledge to tackle Net Blotch in Barley.
Location
New South Wales : Central West : Far North Coast : Far West : Hunter : Illawarra : Mid North Coast : Murray : New England : Orana : Riverina : Southern Highlands : Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland : Gladstone : Mackay Whitsunday Region : Mount Isa & North West Region : Rockhampton : South East Queensland : South West & Darling Downs : The Central West : Townsville : Wide Bay Burnett
Victoria : Barwon South West : Gippsland : Grampians : Hume : Loddon Mallee : Melbourne
South Australia : Adelaide : Eyre & Western : Far North : Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island : Limestone Coast : Murray & Mallee : York & Mid North
Northern Territory : Big Rivers : Central Australia : East Arnhem : Greater Darwin
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania
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