From this winter, the Beatsheet will start expanding to incorporate information on broadacre crop diseases (including alerts, identification and management).
Recent alerts have been issued to watch for the diseases below:
- Ascochyta blight – reported in chickpeas in the eastern Downs
- Cereal rust – reported from southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
- Bean yellow mosaic virus – detected in faba beans in the eastern Downs. Some plants also have unusual necrosis symptoms (see image below) and DAF pathologists are working on determining the cause.
Ascochyta blight symptoms in chickpea
Look out for rust pustules on leaves and stems
Typical bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) symptoms (chlorotic mosaic on upper leaves) in a faba bean crop from the eastern Downs.
Unusual necrosis symptoms (mixed with BYMV infection) along stems and petioles and some deformation of leaf growth that have also been seen in faba bean crops on eastern Downs.
Who to contact regarding further information on disease diagnosis:
Monitor chickpea crops closely for Aschochyta blight symptoms symptoms. Contact DAF plant pathologist, Lisa Kelly at [email protected] or 0477 747 040.
Monitor cereal crops closely and submit rust samples for pathotype testing. Contact DAF cereal pathologist, Lisle Snyman at [email protected].
If you see concerning symptoms in faba bean crops, contact plant pathologist Murray Sharman ([email protected], 0467 721 400) or Lisa Kelly (details above).
Further information on these diseases
- GRDC update papers:
- The-economics-of-managing-ascochyta-in-chickpea-when-disease-occurs-at-different-growth-stages-and-implications-for-spray-timing
- Wheat rust developments – new stripe rust pathotypes with implications for wheat (common and durum) and triticale; pathotypes of leaf rust and virulence for resistance gene Lr24.
- GRDC’s Faba bean GrowNote
- GRDC media release on the NSW BYMV outbreak
- Groundcover article: Disease check urged before planting 2021 chickpea
- Ascochyta information on Pulse Australia’s website
- Managing viruses in pulse crops (NSW DPI)
- Temperate pulse viruses: BYMV (Agriculture Victoria)
The University of Sydney monitors cereal rust pathotypes throughout Australia. View their 2021-22 interactive rust survey map.