Investment

To capitalise on growth opportunities in oats, it is important to increase Australia's oat production capacity and stability. Reducing grain yield losses to disease is an important mechanism by which growers can increase production. Septoria avenae blotch (SAB) is a stubble-borne fungal disease of primary concern for oat production throughout Australia. It occurs throughout all cereal growing areas of Australia and is especially problematic in the major oat production state of Western Australia (WA) where almost all oat crops (90%) have some level of Septoria infection . The disease has significant impacts on grain yield/quality and reduces quality of hay. Up to 50% yield loss can occur, and in extreme cases crop lodging. SAB is caused by the fungus Parastagonospora avenaria f.sp.avenaria. While genetic resistance is the most economical, sustainable, and environmentally friendly method for controlling the disease, the best milling commercial lines have disease ratings of moderately susceptible or below. A lack of resistant varieties means growers must rely on cultural practices (e.g. longer crop rotations), which constrain oat production potential, and on chemical control measures, which come with an economic cost to growers. Relying on chemical control alone is also an industry risk given the [eventual] probability of Septoria avenae blotch adapting and developing fungicide resistance.

To help deliver solutions, GRDC is supporting 3 research programs consolidated into an Oat Septoria Research Consortium (OSRC), which will see Australia's leading oat Septoria research groups unite in an effort with industry to deployment new high yielding oat varieties that are genetically resistant to oat Septoria.

Necrotrophic fungal pathogens, like P.avenae that cause SAB, infect, proliferate, and damage crop tissues through the secretion of fungal effector molecules known as 'Necrotrophic Effectors' (NE). These NEs interact with the matching products of so-called 'sensitivity genes / receptors', found in susceptible oat cultivars, to promote disease. By translating expertise and knowledge generated on fungal pathogens of wheat, Curtin/CCDM researchers have identified the first ever fungal effectors of Septoria avenae leaf blotch.

Program 3 of the OSRC will leverage this knowledge and expertise to:

- Expand on the oat Septoria NE set;
- Understand their molecular mode-of-action;
- Identify the susceptibility genes that these NE interact with in the oat host cells;

all towards identifying novel resistant targets that will complement those being identified and developed in Programs 1 and 2 of the OSRC and help towards the development of new oat varieties with effective durable resistance.