This investment is improving the melon industry’s capability to reduce the impacts of soilborne fungal diseases through improved knowledge and access to better management practices. The goal is to reduce crop losses by adopting improved and effective soilborne disease mitigation and management strategies.

The research will ensure the Australian melon industry is well-informed with accurate and current data on the pathogens present, their relative importance, geographical distribution, the sources of the pathogens and the conditions that promote disease development.

The research team is evaluating current management practices with a focus on understanding the diversity of fungal pathogens affecting Australian melon crops, where these pathogens survive in the absence of crop hosts and how to reduce this source, abiotic triggers for disease expression to better predict or circumvent these disease outbreaks, the potential emergence of fungicide resistance to some pathogens and new crop genetics for pathogen resistance/tolerance.

The research team work closely with melon growers, seed companies, nursery suppliers and chemical companies to review pathogen spread pathways from seed to field production and identify critical points for intervention to reduce or eliminate pathogen spread.