QCAR Joins Forces With AgForce, AgEtal To Combat Biggest Threat To Sugarcane Yields

Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli are words sugarcane farmers worldwide would like to see eradicated; they are the scientific name for the bacterium responsible for ratoon stunting disease (RSD).
The bacterium’s potential to wreak havoc is the driving force behind Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR)’s venture to investigate the latest in technologies to combat the disease.  
Recently this involved a cohort travelling west of cane country to the city of Toowoomba consisting of QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, Board Chairman and Burdekin farmer Christian Lago, Herbert District Manager Lawrence Di Bella, Board Member and Burdekin farmer Dean Sgroi, and QCAR Herbert Member Michael Penna (also an AgForce Cane Board member).  
The team first visited AgForce’s office to discuss the management of weeds, pests and disease across grain and grazing industries before heading to AgEtal.  
Mr Di Bella, who, when not wearing his QCAR boots, is a Senior Agricultural Technical Officer and founder of Tropical Agricultural Services (TAS) with decades of research experience behind him, said AgEtal is a privately owned and totally independent agricultural seed, pest and disease testing company.
“It provides a wide range of specialist agricultural support and technical services across Australia,” he said.
“While there we toured AgEtal’s laboratory facilities and reviewed its latest research project that uses LAMP diagnostic methods to screen plants for RSD.”
Mr Di Bella said AgEtal had contracted TAS to undertake the field research component of the project and he would present results from the study at the ASSCT Conference in May.
“The new LAMP method allows farmers and agronomists to easily test sugarcane for infection at a significantly lower cost compared to qPCR methods and results are available within an hour of taking samples,” he said.
“We anticipate the LAMP test, when it is rolled out in coming months, will become a vital tool to managing RSD on farms.”
Next, the QCAR and AgForce crew travelled to the Lockyer Valley to meet with a world-leading expert in RSD and disease diagnostics, Associate Professor Anthony Young, at the University of Queensland in Gatton.
“Dr Young developed the LSB qPCR diagnostic method currently used by industry to detect RSD,” Mr Di Bella said.
“He has a keen interest in the evolutionary relationships that underpin symbioses, particularly those involved in plant diseases, and collaborates with international experts on research looking into how bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and viruses affect a range of plants.”
Finally, the team travelled to Brisbane to visit Sugar Research Australia’s (SRA) new labs in Acacia Ridge.
“They’re home to SRA’s tissue culture facilities, biosecurity labs (that include samples of RSD), molecular genetics research and more,” Mr Di Bella said, adding the facility would be adapted in the years to come to enable researchers to drive the sugarcane industry forward.
“Detection is only one method in the management toolkit to combat RSD.
“It is vital to plant disease-free material, practice good crop hygiene, and monitor crops using RSD detection technologies to control the disease.  
“This is why the agricultural industry must investigate novel approaches to better manage the disease, a direction QCAR is pleased to support in our commitment to create sustainable and profitable industry outcomes for our members.”

QCAR Herbert District Member and AgForce Cane Board Member Michael Penna, QCAR Board Member and Burdekin farmer Dean Sgroi, QCAR Board Chairman and Burdekin farmer Christian Lago, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, AgEtal owner and manager Ken Cunliffe, and QCAR Herbert District Manager Lawrence Di Bella at AgEtal in Toowoomba. Photos supplied

QCAR Herbert District Member and AgForce Cane Board Member Michael Penna, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, Dr Heidi du Clou and QCAR Chairman Christian inside Sugar Research Australia’s new labs at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane

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