Title: Eucalypt and native flower killer is a nightmare scenario
[Weekly Times 12 May 2010 p3, By Leslie White A DEADLY plant rust that has the potential to decimate eucalypt plantations and native forests has been found in Australia. The rust could also damage the native flower industry and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has no idea how it got here. Myrtle Rust, which kills and destroys the foliage of eucalypts, native flowering plants, melaleuca (ti-tree) and other plants in the myrtle family has been detected at a NSW nursery. Elders research and development manager Dr Marie Connett, who has worked in the US, New Zealand and Australia, said the disease "would be quite devastating" to forestry plantations and native bush.
"It is a nightmare scenario, not just to plantations but to other species which are key parts of the Australian ecosystem," Dr Connett said. "A number of species have been tested for resistance to myrtle rust by the US Department of Agriculture none of the species tested, including fruit and ornamental trees, have had any resistance." A national management group has met to discuss the incursion and agreed it was "not technically feasible" to eradicate the rust.
The Global Invasive Species Database said the rust had caused serious damage in eucalyptus plantations in South and Central America, the Caribbean and North America with significant economic impacts".
The Weekly Times has seen correspondence from the Government of Western Australia, saying information about the incursion "could be used to invoke restrictions on the trade of wood and timber products from Australia’’.
Industry and Investment NSW director plant biosecurity Dr Satendra Kumar, a member of the national management group, said he suspected the rust had been in the nursery "at least three or four months".
"There’s nothing to indicate it was (imported) on plants, so that’s a bit of a mystery," Dr Kumar said.
The rust had infected a bottlebrush, a wattle tree and a turpentine. Although it did not kill the bottlebrush, it had made the plant unsaleable’’, he said.
Rust had not been detected on nearby plants but, as it was transported by spores, it was highly mobile, Dr Kumar said.
In a written statement to The Weekly Times DAFF admitted the origin of the rust was not known.
Given that it’s the first detection of this rust in Australia, it’s hard to ascertain its likely impact or behaviour under our conditions,’’ the statement said.
Article: WeedsNews426 (permalink) Categories: :WeedsNews:biosecurity, :WeedsNews:trade, :WeedsNews:forestry Date: 12 May 2010; 11:19:59 AM AEST