SUGARCANE DISEASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY-CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CRC FOR TROPICAL PLANT PROTECTION
By B.J. CROFT, S.M. BRUMBLEY, K.S. BRAITHWAITE,
THE CO-OPERATIVE Research Centre for Tropical Plant Protection (CRC-TPP) was
established in 1999 with funding from the Australian Government. This centre
brought together nine research organisations, including BSES, University of
Queensland, CSIRO Plant Industry, Charles Darwin University, Australian National
University and Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, to
improve management of diseases and pests of tropical crops. The centre aimed to
use recent developments in plant biotechnology to develop diagnostic tools for rapid
detection of disease and pest outbreaks, and new disease- and pest-resistant varieties.
Sugarcane smut and orange rust emerged as major threats to the Australian sugar
industry in 1998 and 2000, respectively. CRC-TPP investigated the variation in the
fungi that cause these diseases in Australia and overseas, which is vital information
for understanding the diseases and for breeding for resistance. CRC-TPP research
has made significant progress in identifying markers for resistance genes in
sugarcane for brown rust and pachymetra root rot. It also has helped identify genes
in the bacterium responsible for ratoon stunting disease that are critical in allowing it
to cause disease. This information may lead to novel ways of blocking the bacterium
from infecting sugarcane. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have been
used to study the interaction of the Fiji disease virus within the planthopper vector
and plants. This basic information has assisted with development of new methods to
screen varieties for resistance to the virus. CRC-TPP is a leader in identifying
antimicrobial peptides from plants such as macadamia and investigating their use in
sugarcane. These peptides can be used to transform plants to make them resistant to
a wide range of fungi. The sugar industry will reap the benefits of CRC-TPP
research and advances in biotechnology well into in the 21st century.