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New Frontiers in Plant Pathology for Asia and Oceania
Caroline MohammedTasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania
Australasian Plant Pathology Society President 2009‐2011
4th Asian Conference of Plant Pathology and the 18th Biennial Australasian Plant Pathology
Conference
Why do pathologists need to go anywhere?
• 1960 to 1995 the world food production doubled while the world population more than doubled from 2.5 billion to 5.6 billion.
• Present world population is 6.7 billion and expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050.
• Agricultural production needs to increase 2.3% a year just to meet global food demand. At present we increase it by 1.5% a year.
André Drenth, 2009: Newcastle 17th Biennial APPS Conference. The relevance of plant pathology in food production
To increase food production
By decreasing the impact of pathogens on food production……
• From sudden, dramatic losses causing crop failure and famine – e.g. the ‘Irish potato famine’, rice blight epidemics
• From recurring losses which threaten food security• When forests and the natural environment are threatened or destroyed
• When diseases, or the associated pathogens, hamper market access, or threaten our biosecurity
Greg Johnson: Australasian Plant Pathology, 2010, 39, 1–22
So what might stop us reaching new frontiers?
Dark Days of Science ‐ Julian Cribb Posted Tuesday, 12 April 2011Author of The Coming Famine: the global food crisis and what we can do to avoid it
In Australia • the sudden, unexplained departure of the Chief Scientist• only four CRCs were funded in the last round, when it is usually
a dozen or so• job cuts and industrial unrest at CSIRO stemming from lack of
funds• a call by the Productivity Commission for a 25% cut in
agricultural research funding at a time of rising global food insecurity
• the growing tendency of the coalition parties to appease non‐scientific and non‐evidence based opinion in the community, which bodes ill for rational decision making and science generally in the event of a change of government.
1. Lack of funding and politics
110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E 150°E 160°E50°S
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Global Climate Models
DynamicalDownscalingprocess
Climate Futures Tasmania
2. Climate Change
Climate projectionsmean temperature (6 models)
A2 +2.9˚C (global +3.4˚C)
B1 +1.6˚C (global +1.8˚C)
Growing Degree Days (10°C) GFDLCM 2.1 SRES A2
Burnie
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(―) 1975(―) 2085(‐‐‐) min and max
Kindred
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Deloraine
Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar May 0
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Coal Valley
Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar May 0
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Tasmanian PotatoesJul June
GDD
Climate projectionsmean rainfall (6 models)
1980‐1999 to 2090‐2099 SRES A2
Queensland Fruit Fly(Bactrocera tryoni)
suitable
marginal
transient >1 gen
transient <1 gen
1961‐90 2071‐2100
Risk of fruit fly establishing in TasmaniaCLIMEX and CSIRO Mk3.5 SRES A2
3. Biosecurity
Caroline Mohammed: Briefing April 2006 to Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council
Messages from pioneers – what to do and not to do…..
– 1971‐1973 R. H. Taylor ‐ Plant pathology in the era of relevant research – 1973‐1974 G. S. Purss ‐ A personal philosophy for research in plant pathology – 1974‐1975 L.L. Stubbs ‐ The need for greater awareness of the importance of plant
diseases – 1975‐1976 G. Evans ‐ The role and responsibility of the plant pathologist in plant
quarantine – 1976‐1978 R.C. Close ‐ Education for the profession of plant pathology – 1989‐1991 R.H. Brown ‐ A perspective on plant protection research in the private
sector – 1995‐1997 J.F. Brown ‐ Reflections of a traditional plant pathologist – 1997‐1999 J.W. Randles ‐ The ‘pathosphere’, paradigms and enigmatic pathogens – 1999‐2001 D.I. Guest ‐ 2001: an Australasian Science Odyssey – 2001‐2003 L. Burgess ‐ Biosecurity, Trade and Plant Pathology – 2003‐2005 R. Falloon ‐ The plant pathology contribution: collaboration for practical
solutions – 2005‐2007 R Magarey ‐ APPS: Stepping into the future. How far can we go? – 2007‐2009 G. Johnson ‐ "Shield the Young Harvest from Devouring Blight” Getting the
message out
2001• Future plant pathologists?
• Beware the claims of biotechnology.
• Regional linkages are important to combat complex issues e.g. biosecurity and climate change.
David Guest: Australasian Plant Pathology, 2001, 30, 291–294Australasian Plant Pathology, 2009, 38, 315–317
2005
• Our discipline is a science with ‘applied’ practical end points. Effective and appropriate control of plant diseases remains the objective of our research.
• We need a holistic collaborative approach.
Richard Falloon: Australasian Plant Pathology, 2005, 34, 427–432
2007• History of APPS • 1969‐2011; 60‐500 members• Incremental steps towards being a professional organisation
• Vision – 10 year plan• This vision better defines the role of APPS in educational and regional activities such as linkages with other societies
Gordon Purss Australasian Plant Pathology, 1994, 23, 122–128.Robert Magerey: Australasian Plant Pathology, 2007, 36, 503–509.
2009• Communication is a critical issue – getting the message out!
• Progress in research in the 21st century capitalises on sourcing the knowledge and opinions of others– Use of CABI Compendia (crop protection, etc.) resulted in annual median time savings of between 37 and 54 days per user, representing a national saving of between AUS$940 000 and AUS$1.38 million per year.
• R and D Plant Pathology Framework for action ‐ the priorities for science and know‐how, to assess, the political and sociological gaps and to list potential actions and benefits accruing
Greg Johnson: Australasian Plant Pathology, 2010, 39, 1–22
2011What do we have in our wagons to help us cross our
frontiers?
Quite a few newish tools …… all the “omics”, bioinformatics
Perhaps though we are missing the bigger picture?
Phil Keane: Lessons learned from the Tropics, Australasian Plant Pathology, 2010, 39, 192–201
• Small farmers in the tropics often say they lack the resources to apply the methods scientists are promoting
• With the emergence of serious pest, disease and fertility problems, they cannot afford to do the work required to put their farms on a trajectory of sustained profitable production
• They do not get paid enough to compensate for labour
• Industrialised, energy‐hungry, soil‐destroying, farmer‐destroying and ultimately unsustainable agricultural system that are inexorably replacing more sustainable systems that have been in place for a long time
Time for lateral thinking into action!
• Succession through education – CRC Plant National Biosecurity
• Effective communications ‐ Internet, Facebook, Twitter, PestNet
• Vision, Planning and Frameworks ‐ e.g. National Plant Health Strategy
– Trans‐disciplinary, – Research into policy, – Novel frameworks for assessing economic flows and social networks in
order to prioritise the development of plant protection strategies in small farming communities.
Most importantly……• Linkages and collaboration
• This conference is a joint conference ‐ ACPP and APPS
• In 2001 the APPS became a founding member of the Asian Association of Societies for Plant Pathology (AASPP)
• Collaboration gives voice
Thankyou
From the first female President of APPS!