Poster Presentation Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference 2025

Common foliar diseases of crops in Champasak Province, Southern Laos (#134)

Montana Hickey 1 , Bevan Weir 2 , Jordan Bailey 3 , Virgilio Balmas 4 , Andrew Daly 5 , Tara Garrard 6 , Cathryn Todd 6 , Jay Anderson 7 , Somlit Vilavong 8 , Viengvilay Vorlachith 8 , Sophia Callaghan 1 , Lester Burgess 9
  1. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australian Government, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. International Centre for Microorganisms from Plants (ICMP), Auckland, New Zealand
  3. Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW, Australia
  4. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
  5. Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI), Menangle, NSW, Australia
  6. South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
  7. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
  8. Champasak Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, Pakse, Champasak Province, Laos
  9. Sydney Institute of Agriculture, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The authors are members of a group of plant pathology mentors from five countries who have been helping with surveys of plant diseases in Champasak province in southern Laos at the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO), Pakse, since 2012. Over 55 horticultural crops including vegetable crops such as cabbages, tomatoes and chilli, fruit crops such as citrus, durian and bananas, as well as black pepper, coffee and tea have been surveyed. These crops represent valuable exports to neighbouring countries and Europe. Our past focus has been mainly on diagnosing diseases caused by soil-borne fungal and bacterial pathogens. A priority of the program has been to publish ‘First Reports’ of diseases to support checklist development. We have deposited cultures of fungal and bacterial pathogens under permit in the International Collection of Microorganisms from Plants (ICMP) in New Zealand. In addition, we have deposited pressed and dried specimens under permit with the NSW Plant Pathology and Mycology Herbarium, DPIRD. In February 2025 we surveyed the above crops more intensively for common foliar diseases, and deposited cultures in ICMP and pressed specimens with the NSW Plant Pathology and Mycology Herbarium, DPIRD, all under Permit. Our poster contains a summary of our findings and illustrations of some of the foliar diseases.

  • I would like to participate in the poster speed presentation: Yes