Western Australia
August 18, 2014
Department of Agriculture and Food research officer Dr Vincent Lanoiselet assesses the resistance of rice varieties to rice blast disease.
The potential for a viable rice industry in Western Australia is being bolstered by a collaborative national research project on rice blast disease.
The project involves scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, the University of Western Australia and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and is funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).
Project leader Vincent Lanoiselet from the department of Agriculture and Food and Dr Xiangling Fang from the University of Western Australia presented their current rice blast research results at the 2014 rice industry research and development workshop held recently at the Yanco Agricultural Institute, New South Wales.
Dr Lanoiselet’s research is being profiled by the department to coincide with national Science Week, an annual celebration of science and technology which provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of local scientists.
“Rice blast disease stopped the rice industry in its tracks in the Ord River Irrigation Area of Western Australia four years ago,” Dr Lanoiselet said.
“The aim of the research is to help develop an economically viable rice industry in WA by implementing a rice blast screening program and developing rice blast-resistant cultivars adapted to Australian conditions.”
Dr Lanoiselet said the development of rice blast-resistant varieties was progressing well from 25 rice germplasms containing single blast-resistance genes imported from the Temperate Rice Research Consortium and the International Rice Research Institute.
“Of the imported varieties, 24 were released from the department’s Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) in South Perth in April and May 2014,” he said.
“Another line containing blast-resistance gene Pi40, which has shown broad-spectrum blast resistance, has also been released from PEQ and all lines are currently being multiplied in Western Australia.
“Seeds were also sent to the rice breeding program in NSW where most lines have been crossed two to three times.”
Dr Lanoiselet said work on the screening component of the research project had identified a high level of genetic diversity among rice blast isolates in northern Australia, with five strains of the disease identified.
“Testing indicated some strains are more aggressive than others, with rice varieties ranging from susceptible to resistant to the disease,” he said.
“While still in the early stages of the project, we’re making good progress to understand which races are present in northern Australia and how rice varieties react to them.
The research is expected to eventually lead to the development of resistant rice cultivars adapted to Australian conditions.
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