Title: Honours scholarship opportunity - Victorian Department of Primary Industries
Project Title: How extensive is host resistance in the Tutsan (Melampsora hypericorum) relationship in Victoria. The aim of the study is to document the level of resistance of field populations of Tutsan to Tutsan Rust. Background: Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) is a noxious shrub that is problematic in higher rainfall districts of Victoria. Dense infestations of Tutsan compete with pasture grasses and reduce the carrying capacity of agricultural land, particularly semi-improved pastures. The plant is toxic and is responsible for the poisoning of sheep and cattle. Tutsan is also highly invasive in native vegetation and can disrupt areas managed for conservation purposes. As Tutsan is shade tolerant, invasions penetrate into bushland with intact overhead canopies. The plant is native to Europe and northern Africa. In 1991, the Tutsan rust fungus (Melampsora hypericorum) was first detected at Apollo Bay. The fungus was well established and occurred over approximately 400 square kilometers. Plants were heavily infected and the rust caused complete defoliation in areas of lower elevation. Over 20 years, the rust has decimated Tutsan in the Otways and and Strezlecki Ranges and has spread throughout Victoria. The rust has been present in New Zealand since the 1950s and it is likely the Australian population originated from this source. More recent observations and study by Casonato (1999) using RAPD markers indicate genetic variability in both Tutsan and Tutsan rust in Australia. Anecdotal observations suggest Tutsan populations may be increasing in some areas of Victoria and there is concern that races of Tutsan that are resistant to rust populations are increasing. The refinement of molecular markers useful for identification of populations of Tutsan that are resistant or tolerant of rust are required. A suitable protocol then needs to be applied across a broad range of Tutsan accessions collected across Victoria and southern NSW. Cross inoculation trials would confirm the presence and extent of variation in resistance within Australian populations of Tutsan and virulence in the rust.
A scholarship is available from the Department of Primary Industries, in conjunction with the Department of Sustainability and Environment, via the Victorian Bushfire Recovery Fund for a suitable student to undertake an Honours degree to examine the questions and issues raised. The successful applicant will be required to be enrolled RMIT University.
Project Leader: Dr Robin Adair (BRD)
Required: One student to be enrolled in Honours level course at RMIT
When: Starting February 2011, ending December 2011
