Plant-virus detection research
AgricultureVictoria in Horsham is in the trial stages of developing an Australian-first method to improve plant-virus detection.
At the conclusion of this research project, Horsham’s Grains Innovation Park will be the first facility in Australia to apply high throughput genome sequencing methods for Post Entry Quarantine, PEQ, for grain.
Since 2018, Agriculture Victoria research scientist Solomon Maina has been working towards developing this method to screen grain for exotic viruses that threaten Australian biosecurity.
Dr Maina said the project aimed to apply new methodology to prevent the entry of new pathogens that might cause significant damage and economic losses to the Australian grains industry if they became established, and possibly went undetected using traditional testing.
“The new methods would enable researchers to detect multiple viruses which have high genetic variability genome structures at once, with no prior information of the pathogen,” he said.
“In comparison with traditional methods, for example, the current use of antibodies which is limited to antisera availability might not detect viruses with high genome variations.
“Plus, the researcher would need to initially suspect an infection in order to test for a specific virus in a crop.”
Expectations are that a PEQ facility
in Horsham will adopt the methods. Similar frameworks are already in place on different crops in the United States and parts of Europe as part of geneticcertification programs.
However, Australia framework for grain.
Plant viruses and diseases are a major cause of agricultural crop losses and can have a substantial economic impact. is leading the
They can weaken the growth of cultivated crops, cause yield loss and reduce the quality, marketability and competitiveness of grain products.
In Australia, estimations are that cereals, oilseeds and pulses account for more than $1-billion gross value of farm production, with the majority being exported.
The preliminary results at Grains Innovation Park have proved promising, revealing simultaneous detection of multiple exotic and endemic viruses of pulses currently available at Horsham PEQ.
Further studies are underway to improve and strengthen the methods.
Grains Research and Development Corporation and Agriculture Victoria are co-investors in the project.