GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN COLLECTIONS OF THE SUGARCANE ORANGE RUST FUNGUS

摘要

ORANGE RUST, caused by Puccinia kuehnii, was once considered a minor pathogen in the Australian sugar industry. In 2000, it devastated the once top variety Q124, causing the industry over $150 million in yield losses. The epidemic had a huge impact on sugar farming communities, particularly in the Mackay region where Q124 made up 87% of the area under cultivation. The industry resorted to controlling the disease with fungicides because of the lack of sufficient resistant planting material. BSES pathologists and plant breeders are compiling ratings for Australian sugarcane varieties and are deploying resistant varieties to replace Q124. However, very little is known about the genetic and pathogenic diversity of the fungus in Australia. It is believed that a new race developed in Australia or entered Australia from overseas.