Preparedness for biosecurity threats is fundamental in the Sugar Research Australia (SRA) value proposition to the Australian sugarcane industry.
Varietal resistance is preferred for pathogen control due to low grower adoption cost as well as the scale and reliability of control. Eradication of gumming disease, near eradication of Fiji leaf gall, control of orange rust, and minimised losses from smut are successful examples of deploying genetic resistance to manage biosecurity threats.
Indonesia is host to insects, bacteria, fungi, phytoplasmas, nematodes, oomycetes, and viruses that are listed in the industry biosecurity threat summary tables. The risk ratings for these threats range from very low to extreme. There are also a significant number of pests and pathogens with unknown risk and unknown potential economic impact to the Australian industry because they have not been scientifically characterised.
Six current SRA varieties which represent around 65% of crop production have been licensed for commercial production in Indonesia. Propagations and crops are being established across the diverse range of environments in the archipelago under a production-based royalty. The license terms require reporting to SRA on the reaction of the varieties to pest and diseases in both propagations and commercial production settings.
Sensitivity to a range of biosecurity threats will be monitored including those which are not technically possible in dedicated screening trials. The information will form a baseline risk profile for the current Australian crop. The six varieties have been used extensively as parents in the breeding program so the information will also provide insight into potential biosecurity weaknesses (and strengths) in the breeding pipeline.
A commercial approach to producing information on varietal reactions to exotic pests is economically sustainable and provides benefits to international partners and the domestic industry.