Wednesday, 28th May Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference 2025

Homeodomain (HD) locus as a strain-specific diagnostic for Ceratobasidium theobromae, causal agent of vascular-streak dieback of cocoa - Jacob Downs
Identifying Seedborne Mycobiota in the Revitalised Australian Sesame Industry - Dante L. Adorada
Assessment of grey mould contamination of wine grapes based on ergosterol analysis and detection of Botrytis antigens - Christopher C Steel
Deciphering the intrinsic and extrinsic factors for husk rot disease epidemiology in macadamia - Shukti Rani Chowdhury
Investigating high-resolution proximal imaging and artificial intelligence for Hull rot detection in almonds - Tonya Wiechel
Biosecurity Queensland plant pathogen surveillance - David Lane
Sensitivity of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni from almond to four copper products - Tonya J Wiechel
Monitoring fungicide resistance in Australian vineyards - Ismail Ahmed Ismail
The current situation of controlling Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in Guangxi's banana industry, China - Jiaman Sun
Diversity of Colletotrichum species infecting Australian native plants: insights from state culture collections - Aindreeya Alcova
Viability PCR reagent: a novel tool for rapid quantitation of viable and intact microorganisms by qPCR - Brigitta Saul
Reevaluation of pepper (Capsicum spp.) germplasm for resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) - Hyeonseok Oh
Fungicide resistance screening of a Botrytis cinerea population from Australian vineyards and development of qPCR-based assays to detect resistance associated mutations in field samples. - Ismail Ismail
Bolstering the microbial army to combat stubble-borne disease in retained stubble farming. - Leela Rizal
Comparing qPCR and isolation methods to assess Eutypa lata infection in grapevine wounds - Tarita Furlan
Evaluation of UAV RGB imagery for high throughput phenotyping of cereal leaf blotches - A case study with yellow leaf spot of wheat - Janardhan Vignarajan
Can RNA interference control fungal disease in crops? - Mark F Fisher
Potential of weather-based prediction model for managing Botryosphaeria branch dieback in macadamia - Theophilus A Mensah
Emergence of downy mildew in cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and its impact on seed production in New Zealand - Rui Zhao
Effects of Macrophomina phaseolina on the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi: Insights into disease resistance in sorghum - Manjeet .
Impact of soil pH modification on disease suppression and health of oil palm: evaluating the role of liming in mitigating Ganoderma infection in a nursery study - Cu Ean Ong
Genetic diversity and population structure of field isolates of Ganoderma boninense Pat. from Indonesia. - Hadi Hendra
The Role of Seed Potato Certification in Disease Control - Mia Novakovic
Use of Nature as sweetpotato virus symptoms.  - Priyaashna Kumar
Investigating the impact of foliar phosphite (Foschek®) and Du-Wett® application on the water relations of kauri (Agathis australis) - Matthew Arnet
The effects of drought management practices on the soil food web in South Australian Broadacre cropping - Katherine Linsell
Developing Karnal bunt surveillance systems for Australia - Kiflu KT Tesfamicael
Detection of Xylella fastidiosa in New Zealand indigenous plant collections held overseas by metagenomics - Sandra B. Visnovsky
The role of fusarium acuminatum associated with vetch (vicia sativa) in western australia - Kithsiri W Jayasena
In vitro effects of plant extracts and biocontrol agents on Phytophthora citrophthora and P. nicotianae, the causal agents of citrus brown rot - Teresa Prof Coutinho
Exploring plant-pathogen interactions through a micro lens: Identifying microRNAs expressed during fungal infection - Chapa Manawaduge
Evaluation of the efficacy of Tithonia diversifolia and Ageratum conyzoides liquid extracts on the growth and phytopathology of eggplant. Title of my presentation for the conference - Alice Virginie Dr TCHIAZE IFOUE
Aerial spore dispersal patterns of grapevine trunk disease fungi in Australian vineyards - Tarita Furlan
Common foliar diseases of crops in Champasak Province, Southern Laos - Montana Hickey
Targeting agricultural threats: advanced molecular detection for managing critical plant pathogens  - Brigitta Saul
Boosting agricultural economy and laboratory efficiency: molecular diagnostics solutions for Phytoplasma disease management  - Brigitta Saul
Elucidating the distribution of Cryptovalsa ampelina in Australian vineyards - Tarita Furlan
Development of a CRISPR-Cas Based Diagnostic Assay for Xanthomonas campestris campestris in Brassica Crops - Fridtjof Snijders
Detached bunch technique for investigating the fungal microbiome in pre-harvest grapes - Cathryn Todd
RNA biopesticides for next generation protection of crops and native plants - Anne Sawyer
Powdery Mildew records from Timor Leste. - Luisa De Fatima Soares Moniz
Exploring the potential of RNA Interference (RNAi) for controlling Phytophthora cinnamomi in avocado - Luciasih Agustini
Sustainable approaches for managing potato early die. - Phillip S Wharton
The pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum isolates in ginger. - Andrea Matthews
Biological control of Sudden Decline Syndrome caused by Fusarium solani on Date Palm in the UAE using Endophytic Actinobacteria - Khaled A El-Tarabily
Trichoderma longibrachiatum MR33, as an environmentally friendly fungicide, mitigated the damping-off disease induced by Pythium aphanidermatum in tomato plants. - Khaled A El-Tarabily
Structured biographical and collection data for plant pathologists - Bevan S Weir
 SURVEY OF ROOT ROT OF GUAR CROP IN SINDH - Dr.Ishrat Jahan
Identifying the fungal associates of Tea shot hole borer, Euwallaceae perbrevis, in NSW - Conrad Trollip
Morphological characteristics of Sclerotinia isolates from lentil and canola in South Australia - Marzena Krysinska-Kaczmarek
Development of RNA biopesticides for controlling rust pathogens of cereal crops - Chris Mann
Timing of infection and incidence of walnut blight, caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis, in a semi-arid climate - Ke Wang
Screening of kikuyu yellows and black spot resistance in kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus) cultivars - Jia Ling Vivien Tan

Dr Jean Ristaino

• Tracking Ireland’s Potato Killer, Phytophthora infestans,  Using Historical Mycological Herbarium and Archival Collections - Jean Ristaino

Spotlight Speaker
Dr Nicole Thompson

• Tomato brown rugose fruit virus detection and emergency response in South Australia - Nicole Thompson
• Smart surveillance for detecting mutations in fungicide target genes of Septoria tritici - Saidi Achari
• A successful incident response isn’t always about eradication: response to the detection of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 in kiwifruit in Western Australia - Monique Sakalidis
• Muddy tyres and biosecurity pathways: Working alongside Indigenous rangers to protect forest health on K’gari - Tracey V Steinrucken
• New surveillance systems for the detection of airborne Austropuccinia psidii in Australia’s Botanic Gardens - Rohan Kimber

• Drivers of Ascochyta rabiei inoculum persistence and carryover in Australian chickpea production systems - Zakeel Mohamed Cassim
• Effective Suppression of Potato Virus Y Through Ongoing Surveillance in Seed Potato Certification - Nigel Crump
• Chocolate Spot Management in South-Eastern Australia - Joshua Fanning
• Looking over the grain grower’s fence: Effective management practices for Rhizoctonia solani AG8 - Daniel Huberli
• Improvements in the management of ratoon stunting disease of Australian sugarcane - Anthony J Young
• Fusarium avenaceum reduces yield of lentil and faba bean in southern Australia: quantifying the losses, detecting disease inoculum and identifying management options.     - Blake Gontar

• Ulvans as novel tools for control of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) on kiwifruit and P. syringae pv. tomato (Pto) on tomato. - Joel L. Vanneste
• Control of stem-rot disease of dwarf bean with a fungal volatile organic compound - Wadia Kandula
• Mechanical dissection and functional assessment of exogenous RNAi by active small RNA sequencing - Chris Brosnan
• The effect of composting on the survival of Neonectria ditissima and other horticultural pathogens - Lizelle Vorster
• MicroRNA-Mediated Resistance Mechanisms in Chickpea Against Fusarium Wilt - Gopal Kalwan

• Development of bacterial spot symptoms on almond leaves after inoculation with Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni using five methods - Virajinee N.D. Bulathsinhalage
• Discovery of novel phytotoxins from the wheat tan spot fungal pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis - Pao Theen See
• Constructing an Avr gene atlas for the wheat stem rust fungus to monitor virulence evolution - Camilla Langands-Perry
• Lettuce necrotic yellows virus subgroup II dispersed more rapidly than subgroup I – Could host molecular response differences explain this?   - Colleen M Higgins
• Investigating infection of pyrethrum by Didymella tanaceti using fluorescently labelled strains - Violeta Carrillo

Our keynote speakers will give 5-minute spotlight presentations on their career paths and 
share the unexpected skills that proved essential along the way.

Speakers

Dr Bevan Weir
Dr Mathews Paret 
Dr Susie Collins
Dr Cathie Aime

Dr Yong-Hwan Lee

• Systems biology initiatives for fungal plant pathogens: Comparative genomics and bioinformatics platform of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae - Yong-Hwan Lee

Spotlight Speaker
AJ Perkins

• The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity - Peter Solomon
• Enhancing plant biosecurity surveillance and diagnostics capacity and capability through expertise networks - Salome Wilson
• WTF?! Where’s the funding for plant pathology research? - Anthony J Young

• Phenotypic Stability in Quantitative Resistance to Blackleg Crown Canker: Exploring the Roles of Canola Genetics, Pathotype, and Environment - Luke G Barrett
• Adapted wheat and barley lines with disease resistance to multiple pathogens the cimmyt australia germplasm evaluation program - Julie Nicol
• Multi-omic analysis of Net Blotch disease in barley: insights into pathogen genome expansion and discovery of barley genes using an improved annotation pipeline - Fatima Naim
• Towards Durable Resistance: Neutralising Oat Sensitivity Loci to Reduce the Impact of Septoria Avenae Blotch in Australian Oat Varieties  - Kealan G Hassett
• Identification and deployment of resistance genes for leaf and neck blast in rice - Van Schepler-Luu

Spotlight Speaker
Dr Jean Ristaino

• Predicting Future Phytophthora Outbreaks: New tools to identify emerging lineages and track spread - Jean Ristaino
• The emergence of rice blast disease (Magnaporthe oryzae) in New South Wales - Ben Ovenden
• Calosphaeria pulchella detected for the first time in cherry orchards in New Zealand - Virginia Marroni
• Multiple Rhizobiaceae Causing Crown-Gall-Like Symptoms in Australian Wine Grapevines - Toni A Chapman
• Estimating the risk of an incursion by the grape pathogen, Guignardia bidwellii, using Bayesian networks - Kerry R Everett
• Challenges associated with the risk assessment of mango malformation disease in Australia - Susheela Katukuri

• Developing integrated management strategies for ascochyta blight in chickpeas in victoria - Dharushana Thanabalasingam
• Exploring the potential to manage Phytophthora cinnamomi-infested sites by introducing resistant plant species - Shanika Harshani
• Pest READI: Co-designing digital tools for integrated pest and disease management in horticulture - Tracey Steinrucken
• Safeguarding giants: research and innovation in kauri protection and disease management - Nari Williams
• Smart surveillance and beyond: digital mapping for fire blight detection and management in modern apple orchards - Nari Williams