CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 | 2022

The Centre for Crop and Disease Management laboratories and offices are located at Curtin University in Western Australia.

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 02

CENTRE OBJECTIVES 04

OUR PEOPLE 06

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 08Theme A – Fungicide Resistance Management and Disease Impacts 08

Theme B – Cereal Diseases 10

Theme C – Canola and Pulse Diseases 12

Foundation Projects 14

ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION 16

CONTENTS

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

The Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) is a leading Australian research centre committed to reducing the economic impact of crop disease in the Australian Grains Industry. We are proud to say that since our establishment in 2014, our research has paved the way for key changes in how growers, breeders, agronomists and life science companies adapt and manage crops for stronger outputs and better outcomes.

Co-supported by Curtin University and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), our influence also continues to grow on a global scale, with important collaborations both nationally and internationally as our people work to deliver research with on-the-ground impact.

Initially funded until 2019, our research successes have resulted in additional GRDC funding through to June 2022.

As we continue this next exciting phase of our journey, our goal is to deliver research excellence in crop disease management, in a way that is more readily adaptable to meeting changing industry needs and flexible in its implementation.

Our future-focus will also ensure that we value and support our current crop of research scientists, as well as develop and guide the next generation through progressive career development and strong leadership foundations.

This plan provides a clear roadmap for the ongoing success of our centre, one driven by innovation and on-the-ground impact.

Professor Mark GibberdCentre Director

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

We have a team of scientists who are innovative in their thinking and who passionately believe in what they do.

Through laboratory-based research, and the development of integrated farm management strategies, we are working to deliver real benefits to Australia’s vital grains industry.

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03Strategic plan 2019-2022

CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

As the Centre for Crop and Disease Management advances towards 2022 we continue to position ourselves as a leading agricultural research centre with a focus on helping to reduce the multi-million dollar threat of foliar fungal pathogens to the Australian Grains Industry.

Our objectives are clear:

Creation of enduring profitability to the Australian Grains

Industry by the delivery of adoptable innovative research

outputs.

Develop and support a co-innovation model with key

industry participants and collaborators

to build and sustain relevant research

capability and deliver impact.

Deliver human capacity with relevant skills

to meet the requirements of

the partners.

CENTRE OBJECTIVES

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Research Theme B:

Cereal Diseases

FOUNDATION PROJECTS

Bioinformatics

Physiological Impacts of Disease

Genomics of co-infection

Improving return on Agribusiness investment

Communication

Research Theme C:

Canola and Pulse Diseases

Research Theme A:

Fungicide Resistance Management and Disease

Impacts

Our centre structure is aimed at ensuring better research flexibility, resulting in greater industry impact. We are achieving this by focusing on three core Research Themes and five Foundation Projects.

A B C

05Strategic plan 2019-2022

CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Elyce Iagallo and Pao Theen See researching yellow spot in wheat as part of our Cereal Diseases work.

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Gender equality is core to our centre values and goals. The CCDM, through Curtin, supports the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) charter and we are committed to encouraging and enabling the career progression of our talented women in STEM.

Our structure is central to the ongoing success of our team, allowing greater ability to move between projects and offering a stronger pipeline for career progression and succession planning.

We are also proud of the role we play in cementing the future success of Australia’s agricultural research industry, as we actively develop a group of emerging, talented scientists.

We are committed to creating opportunities for all our dedicated staff to develop their professional and personal leadership skills, to broaden their networks, connect with industry, embrace new technologies and take on new challenges in an ever-changing research landscape.

To ensure ongoing excellence in agricultural research and engagement, the CCDM continues to build on its already respected and talented workforce of more than 60+ researchers, field technicians and professional support staff.

Established in 2014 with just 35 academic and professional support staff we have been proactive in our capacity-building and are now home to a large team of leading scientists in crop disease research, many of whom have joined us from around the globe.

OUR PEOPLE

DYNAMIC SUPPORTIVE PROGRESSIVE27 Academic staff

30 Professional staffStrong investment in

professional development

Defined training programs for all levels

Gender inclusive workplace

Female 35 FTEMale 19 FTE

Looking forward, we will continue to build, develop, nurture and inspire our team.

WE ARE PROUD OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR DEDICATED TEAM

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

Fungicide use in Australian broad acre cropping has risen sharply over the last 15-20 years. Its effectiveness in increasing productivity has thrust fungicide applications to the forefront of farm management practices.

If fungicides used to treat crop diseases are ineffective, the impact on industry can be significant. As usage increases, so too does the risk of higher incidence of fungicide resistance.

CCDM is at the forefront of research screening and detecting fungicide resistance. Our work focuses on gaining a better understanding of what causes resistance, the development of diagnostic tools to detect it more efficiently and effectively, and the development of informed fungicide management practices.

RESEARCH THEME A

FUNGICIDE RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT AND DISEASE IMPACTS

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Our ultimate aim is to uncover the science that ensures the greatest chance of strong economic return for Australian grower investment in fungicide applications and practices.

Fungicide Resistance Management and Disease Impacts Theme Leader, Dr Fran Lopez-Ruiz.

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• Expanded knowledge of the mechanisms underlying fungicide resistance in key pathogens of threat to Australian agriculture, and development of science-based strategies to combat resistance by June 2022.

• Improved ability for near-real time identification of resistance and advice based on best management practices for disease avoidance by June 2022.

• Improved fungicide management by the identification of fungicide resistance status of major pathogens to major fungicides used in Australian grain cropping by June 2020.

• Preservation of current and new active ingredients through resistance management by June 2020.

Our overall goal is to optimise the economic return on grower investment in fungicide and genetic resources, through chemical resistance management, and the capacity to predict and manage disease impact on production.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

OUTCOMES FOR

RESEARCHERS

OUTCOMES FOR AGRONOMISTS/LIFE

SCIENCE COMPANIES

OUTCOMES FOR

GROWERS

Detecting fungicide resistance in net form and spot form net blotch in barley – just some of the many pathogens in CCDM’s sights.

Spot form net blotch (barley).

We continue to build a range of new technologies to enable quicker, more effective disease detection.Net form net blotch (barley).

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

Yield and economic losses of wheat and barley remain a significant issue for the Australian grains industry. As part of efforts to counteract this, CCDM researchers will continue to conduct pre-breeding research to help breeders develop disease-resistant varieties as an effective, long-term solution to crop disease control.

Researchers with expertise in molecular genetics are targeting a range of costly and complex diseases including:

In wheat:• Yellow spot (YS)• Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB)

In barley:• Net blotch (spot form and

net form)• Powdery mildew

RESEARCH THEME B

CEREAL DISEASES

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Our researchers will continue to use biochemical, genetic and ‘omic’ approaches targeting both the pathogen and the plant, with less emphasis on effector biology and increased emphasis on identifying and characterising plant-resistance, including using metabolomics to identify key pathogenicity factors.

Since fungal diseases rarely occur in isolation, Theme B will also explore the interaction of pathogens during co-infection and the resulting host responses.

Cereal Diseases Theme Leader, Dr Caroline Moffat.

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Our overall goal is to substantially improve gross profits and yield stability for Australian grain growers through the adoption and use of resistant varieties.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES – WHEAT AND BARLEY

• Improved research efficiency via access to tools and knowledge around new sources of resistance to the damaging pathogens SNB and YS from June 2020, to powdery mildew from June 2019 and to net and spot forms of net blotch in barley from June 2021.

• Access to world leading expertise on pathogen/plant interactions including genetics, genomics and population diversity.

• Wheat breeders and breeding entities routinely using existing or new tools and knowledge for the removal of effector sensitivity and/or implementation of QTLs associated with resistance in segregating and fixed elite lines annually from June 2022.

• Barley breeders and breeding entities routinely using existing or new tools and knowledge for the incorporation of new sources of resistance to powdery mildew (by June 2020) and net and spot forms of net blotch (from June 2021 for net form/June 2022 for spot form) in crossing strategies with elite lines for the development of new resistant varieties.

• Breeders and breeding entities working in partnership with CCDM to identify new sources of genetic resistance.

• Enable growers to become more profitable by cost-effectively managing SNB and YS in wheat, and blotches and powdery mildew diseases in barley, through the adoption of improved germplasm.

OUTCOMES FOR

RESEARCHERS

OUTCOMES FOR AGRONOMISTS/LIFE

SCIENCE COMPANIES

OUTCOMES FOR

GROWERS

Researchers are targeting a range of diseases including yellow spot.

We’re developing solutions to build septoria nodorum blotch resistance in wheat.

CCDM is developing new tools for tackling powdery mildew.

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

When it comes to pulses the challenge ahead is to help build grower and industry confidence in their role as viable Australian crops by identifying and developing varieties with greater resistance and higher yield stability.

In CCDM’s sights is ascochyta blight, a major disease impacting yield stability and gross profits in pulses in Australia and around the globe. The continued delivery of high yielding, disease resistant varieties remains a priority, as does identifying new genetic sources of resistance, where CCDM focuses on chickpea and lentils.

A highly profitable Australian crop that continues to increase in popularity is canola, where the biggest challenge is warding off disease. The CCDM‘s focus is to identify and characterise genetic resistance to the damaging pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, where the uptake of identified partial stem rot resistance into breeding programs will allow the determination of heritability and release of future varieties with enhanced resistance to this disease.

As part of its armoury, CCDM is developing genetic methodologies to better understand sclerotinia disease and continues to develop important international collaborations to screen germplasm from around the globe to help generate resistance in Australian breeding lines.

RESEARCH THEME C

CANOLA AND PULSE DISEASES

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Canola and Pulse Diseases Theme Leader Dr Lars Kamphuis and Research Fellow Dr Mark Derbyshire inoculating sclerotinia on canola stems.

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Our overall goal is to help growers become more profitable by cost-effectively using emerging sources of genetic resistance and sustainable use of fungicides to manage sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) in canola and ascochyta blight in pulses, as well as improve overall yield stability and profits through greater adoption of canola and pulses into rotation systems.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES – CANOLA AND PULSES

• Access to robust phenotyping methodology to enable germplasm/variety screening, identification and characterisation of new sources of genetic resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in canola and ascochyta blight in pulses.

• Access to world leading expertise on sclerotinia/plant interactions and ascohyta/plant interactions, including genetics, genomics and population diversity.

• Access to tools and knowledge around new sources of resistance to SSR and ascochyta blight for the development of new resistant varieties.

• Delivery of effector-driven breeding strategies for SSR resistance in canola (and pulses) by 2022, and ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea and lentils by 2022.

• Increase grower profitability through the incorporation of the emerging sources of genetic resistance to SSR in new varieties by 2027 and to ascochyta blight in chickpeas and lentils.

• Develop a disease resistance rating system to assist growers to more cost-effectively manage SSR by 2022.

• Develop and implement a nationally coordinated plan to monitor and address virulence and aggressiveness of ascochyta blight disease in chickpeas and lentils.

OUTCOMES FOR

RESEARCHERS

OUTCOMES FOR AGRONOMISTS/LIFE

SCIENCE COMPANIES

OUTCOMES FOR

GROWERS

Sclerotinia stem rot on canola.Ascochyta blight on chickpeas.Using green fluorescence to follow course of infection in lentils. Image: Johannes Debler.

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DISEASE

GENOMICS OF CO-INFECTION

In support of the three key Research Themes, five Foundation Projects have also been established to underpin the strategic growth and development of the CCDM. These include:

Bioinformatics at work - genome assembly known as a ‘contig’ sequenced as part of a wheat study.Image: Darcy Jones.

We’re working to minimise the impact of co-infection in wheat.

Our team uses X-ray fluorescence microscopy at the Australian synchrotron to better understand plant defence mechanisms.

FOUNDATION PROJECTS –

This project will see CCDM take a lead role in improving understanding of the molecular mechanism behind fungal co-infection of wheat and effector regulation, in turn developing new knowledge that will aid current CCDM activities aimed at the formulation of effective plant protection strategies around disease resistance breeding and epidemiology.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEOur overall aim is to minimise the impact of co-infection by yellow spot (YS) and septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) in wheat by accurately selecting effective sources of host resistance. We will work with breeders and advisors to identify optimal combination of resistance sources to minimise the impact of a major disease complex and in turn offer better in-paddock options for growers.

This project will improve our understanding of the physiological impacts of fungal pathogens on crop performance. We’re using state-of-the-art technologies for in-depth investigation of disease impact on primary assimilation of leaves. This will enable better understanding of the dynamics of leaf assimilation pre and post fungicide treatment and the impact of tissue recovery on yield potential.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEImproved understanding of plant physiological responses to disease will help examine the impact of early and mid-season infection on leaf function and the dynamics of recovery pre and post fungicide application. This knowledge will improve the accuracy and speed of research and pre-breeding efforts.

BIOINFORMATICSThe understanding and effectiveness of crop disease research is greatly enhanced through the ability to conduct large-scale computational analysis of the whole-genome sequences of fungal pathogens. This is where the CCDM’s specialist bioinformatics team comes in. Expert analysis can help predict genes responsible for the production of effectors – or molecules – which disarm plant defences and increase disease risk; and empower researchers to develop more targeted approaches to effector discovery.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEContinued use of specialised bioinformatics resources to fast-track genetic analysis, and help develop more effective diagnostic tools to combat fungal disease.

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IMPROVING THE RETURN ON AGRIBUSINESS

INVESTMENT

We’re focused on making industry more profitable.

Economic management of crop disease impact plays a crucial role in supporting the effectiveness of CCDM’s research outcomes and solutions.To enable growers and agronomists to make effective, profit-wise, disease management decisions, the CCDM continues to design and develop economic tools and resources to support integrated and sustainable approaches to crop production.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEImprove the return on investment in crop protection by providing relevant economic modelling to assist industry make effective and profitable farm management decisions.

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CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Strategic plan 2019-2022

COMMUNICATION

Video shoot in the CCDM lab.

Communication and engagement with growers and industry is an important focus for the CCDM.

CCDM’s communication team is focused on ensuring research outputs hit their mark through the successful sharing of discoveries, knowledge and vital information to grains industry members, and the broader community.As the scale of research continues to grow, so do the extension, communication and training requirements of the CCDM with plans for increased partnerships with end users to ensure an informed, collaborative and effective approach to controlling crop diseases.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEEffectively communicate research outcomes, develop training tools and provide targeted extension programs to support the strategic goal of a 50% reduction in the use of in-crop prophylactic disease control measures by 2035.

Infiltrating at field days.

Expo stand.

The CCDM continues to strengthen our collaborations to ensure we remain an attractive research partner at the forefront of crop disease research.

We will share our expertise, as well as value-add to the work of key collaborators, with the common goal of reducing the economic impact of crop disease in the Australian Grains Industry through four key linkages:

As a national influencer in crop disease research we collaborate with growers, agronomists, life science companies and the broader agricultural industry to set the pace in crop disease management, at all times living and promoting the research and innovation values of our key bilateral partners – Curtin University and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION

Greater global positioning through active linkages and collaboration with similar

international groups and research institutes to share knowledge, techniques, facilities and skills

National exposure to industry via focused cohort models of engagement with

growers and agronomists

Our research is linked with a co-innovation model for

involvement with breeders and life science companies

Linkage and support for Australian researchers

and pathologists

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CCDM research assistant Kalai Marathamuthu at work in our state-of-the-art laboratories.

CENTRE FOR CROP AND DISEASE MANAGEMENTEmail ccdm@curtin.edu.auTelephone +61 8 9266 4818 / 5109

Building 304, Curtin UniversityKent Street, BentleyWestern Australia, 6102

@theccdm

ccdm.com.au