Tactical Management and Surveillance of, Verticillium, Fusarium and Reoccurring Wilts

The wilt diseases, Fusarium and Verticillium, have significant impact on Australian cotton production. The newly discovered wilt pathogen causing Reoccurring wilt is an emerging disease of concern. Viral diseases are a significant constraint to cotton production in many parts of the world and pose significant biosecurity threats to Australian cotton. With increasing areas of cotton production in Northern Australia, there is a risk of exotic or endemic diseases becoming established via incursion pathways or new interactions with surrounding environments. Aims of this project: To understand key factors driving pathogen inoculum levels and management practices that manipulate beneficial soil microbes in the rhizosphere of cotton plants that reduce disease incidence. To develop rapid diagnostic tools for important pathogens in Australian cotton.  Conduct seasonal disease surveillance for important endemic diseases and exotic threats in high priority regions in Northern Australia.   Conduct targeted disease surveys in cotton growing regions of Queensland that support disease suppression research. Identify alternate hosts of Verticillium and develop management tactics. To understand the influence of nutrition and irrigation on Verticillium development. Determine if the Fusarium wilt pathogen has evolved to become more virulent. To build on current knowledge of a new biotic threat to cotton production, Reoccurring wit. To review the economic impact of Fusarium and Verticillium wilts on the cotton industry.   Research findings will provide the Australian cotton industry with tools to increase productivity and profitability on cotton farms and particularly the key focus areas of protection from biotic threats. Measures of success will be to ensure the cotton industry is prepared for a biosecurity incursion related to viruses or SLW and to increase the understanding of the impact of pests and diseases.