Investment

Investment

GRDC Code: UMU2404-010RTX
[OSRC] Program 2 - Further discovery of improved sources of oat Septoria resistance
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 leaf blotch (SLB), causal agent Parastagonospora avenae, 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. Septoria infection can cause up to 50% grain yield loss in susceptible varieties, although 10-15% loss is more common. In susceptible varieties, SLB can also significantly increase screenings, reduce grain weight, and stain grain, leading to grain downgrading and yet further economic losses.
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 SLB 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 from SARDI, Murdoch Uni, DPIRD, and Curtin Uni, unite in an effort with industry to deploy new high yielding oat varieties that are genetically resistant to SLB.

Program 2 - Further discovery of improved sources of Septoria resistance
  1. Continued screening for improved resistance sources beyond those identified to date in UOA2007-001RTX and the POP-Septoria project, will be undertaken.
    • The international oat pangenome (GRDC investment UMU2003-002RTX) and other international genetic resources will be leveraged to identify unexplored oat lineages among the global germplasm. This will enable a 'targeted' mining approach that will better assure a comprehensive exploration of the natural genetic diversity for potential novel sources of Septoria resistance (MR/MS level or higher).
    • Wild resources, mutant, and mapping population available through the different research organisations will also be explored.
  2. Genomic identification of resistance genes. This will include traditional Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and in parallel new Machine Learning approaches that could improve identification, combination, and deployment of minor resistance genes.
  3. Refinement of phenotyping method to provide an addition level of disease rating resolution which may help further differentiate between resistance sources and allude to unique/specific mode-of-actions which could assist breeders to make more informed decisions about which combinations of resistant genes to deploy.
Project start date:
15/05/2024
Project end date:
31/10/2028
Crop type:
  • Oats, (Cereal)
Organisation
Murdoch University
Region:
North, South, West
Project status
status icon Active

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