Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
The introduction and proliferation of exotic stipoid grasses over the past 100 years seriously threatens agricultural productivity and the integrity of Australia's indigenous flora and fauna, particularly its grasslands (McLaren et al., 1998). The full effect on biodiversity by the spread of these grasses is unknown but likely to be major (Hocking, 1998). Conventional control techniques have not stopped the invasion adequately, so it is a priority to find control options to achieve an effective management strategy. A biological control project against Nassella trichotoma and N. neesiana was initiated in 1999 in Argentina. We report on the most recent findings on two pathogens, Puccinia nassellae and Uromyces cf pencanus, selected on the basis of previous results (Anderson et al., 2004), as potential biological control agents against N. neesiana, a South American species that can dominate both pasture and native grasslands in Australia.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Potential Biological Control Agents for Nassella neesiana (Poaceae) Invading Australian Native Grasslands
The introduction and proliferation of exotic stipoid grasses over the past 100 years seriously threatens agricultural productivity and the integrity of Australia's indigenous flora and fauna, particularly its grasslands (McLaren et al., 1998). The full effect on biodiversity by the spread of these grasses is unknown but likely to be major (Hocking, 1998). Conventional control techniques have not stopped the invasion adequately, so it is a priority to find control options to achieve an effective management strategy. A biological control project against Nassella trichotoma and N. neesiana was initiated in 1999 in Argentina. We report on the most recent findings on two pathogens, Puccinia nassellae and Uromyces cf pencanus, selected on the basis of previous results (Anderson et al., 2004), as potential biological control agents against N. neesiana, a South American species that can dominate both pasture and native grasslands in Australia.
