Aug 30, 2024 | News
The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water funded an extension to the ‘Safe Custody for Native Guava‘ project for the 2023/24 financial year, with the following results:
- Continued monitoring of the already-dispersed Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) collection, with all plants in excellent health and fruit production at 3 of 5 locations.
- A total of 91 plants from 34 unique genetic lineages of Native Guava have now been dispersed to partner gardens.
- A total of 16 plants from 8 genetic lineages of Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamia rubescens) were dispersed to 5 gardens including new partner Booderee Botanic Gardens.
- Continued integration of germplasm collection, dispersal and monitoring activities between QLD and NSW, including collection of genetic material from healthy R. psidioides appearing in response to drying climate.
- Continued and improved EpiCollect app training and monitoring of the ex situ collections at all partner locations enabling spatial aggregation of flowering, fruiting and health data.
- Collection of Native Guava and Scrub Turpentine fruit being sent to Botanic Gardens of Sydney for storage and viability testing.
- Genetic material collected from healthy Rhodamia maideniana and Rhodamia whiteana plants observed in the field and sent for additional genetic analysis.
- Ongoing monthly meetings of the Myrtle Rust Consortium where members networked and shared information, discussed issues and lessons, gave presentations and reported on germplasm collection, propagation, planting, research findings and maintenance of the ex situ collections. It also facilitated the submission of collaborative grant applications.
- Collaboration with UNSW and the BGANZ Collections and Records Management group (BCARM) on a quarterly series of informal virtual get togethers, the “Myrtle Rust Management for Practitioners – open series” which commenced in February 2024, focusing on practical aspects of managing and maintaining a conservation collection of Myrtle Rust susceptible species.
- Updating of the ANPC’s Myrtle Rust Hub.
- Updating of the Myrtle Rust ID and collection methods brochure.
- Development of an outreach partner garden flyer explaining the project, for the general public when visiting the ex situ collections and which can be used for guided walks.
- Flyer explaining ReCER resistance screening trial was developed and installed at ABG Mt Annan
- Preparation to publish a paper on the establishment of emergency conservation collections and subsequent dispersal of safe meta collections which is, to our knowledge, undocumented in publicly accessible literature.
The planting of the collections in-ground has been extremely successful with only 3 deaths reported from the 107 distributed plants, with these replaced. All deaths were accidental/human induced, one due to watering failure, one was broken during transit and a third damaged by grazing after fence damage.
EpiCollect monitoring over the course of the project determined that control of Myrtle Rust infection was very successful but frequent application of fungicide was required in the high infection zones. Monthly monitoring reported 77 instances of planted Native Guava plants flowering (the majority of which occurred in Summer 2023) and 128 instances of fruit production (the majority of which were in Summer and Autumn 2023). 22 of these fruits were mature. A total of 6 Scrub Turpentine fruit were recorded (2 in Summer and 4 in Autumn 2024) and 1 instance of flowering was recorded. The production and collection of mature fruit will be critical to the conservation of both these species.
ANPC Project Manager Chantelle Doyle coordinated this project.
Read this Botanic Gardens of Sydney blog piece written by Chantelle to find out more about how ‘genetics is helping to save plant species decimated by myrtle rust’ dated 28 July 2023.
Thank you to all our partner organisations for their generous support and commitment to this project:
Main image: Native Guava plants at Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens. Credit: Chantelle Doyle
Native Guava plants growing at the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan before dispersal. Credits: Veronica Viler (L) and Nathan Emery
Aug 26, 2024 | Events Category
The third session of the Myrtle Rust Management for Practitioners – Open Series on 29 August 2024 will be on “Monitoring and Collecting from Wild Populations of Myrtle Rust Susceptible Species“.
Craig Stehn from NSW DCCEEW will share his experience in surveying, monitoring and collecting from wild populations of Myrtle Rust impacted species.
This series is exclusively focused on practical aspects of managing and maintaining a conservation collection of Myrtle Rust susceptible species and has an open forum structure. The series is open to any practitioners across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand managing collections impacted by Myrtle Rust including local council nurseries.
It’s free to register and a great platform for knowledge exchange in a relaxed environment.
Click here to register (free) for this session.
Dec 22, 2023 | Events Category
There is a need for horticulturists and practitioners managing Myrtle Rust susceptible collections to collaborate, share ideas and workshop problems.
To address this the ANPC, UNSW and the BGANZ Collections and Records Management group (BCARM) are collaborating to co-ordinate a quarterly series of informal virtual get togethers, commencing in February 2024.
This series will be exclusively focused on practical aspects of managing and maintaining a conservation collection of Myrtle Rust susceptible species and will have an open forum structure. The series will be open to any practitioners across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand managing collections impacted by Myrtle Rust including local council nurseries.
As part of customising the content and schedule we are seeking your feedback in this short survey.
The first session “Fundamentals of managing a Myrtle Rust sensitive collection” will be held on 22 February 2024 at 2pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
REGISTER HERE!
For more information about Myrtle Rust visit the dedicated ANPC resource page.
We hope to see you there.
Nov 3, 2023 | News
The extended Myrtle Rust Project funded by NSW Department of Planning and Environment is progressing well. Coordinated by ANPC Project Manager Chantelle Doyle since June 2023, the project has so far achieved the following:
- Dispersal of 10 additional Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) plants and lineages to 3 partner gardens to supplement the existing ex situ
- Dispersal of 13 Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens) plants and lineages to 3 partner gardens.
- New partner Booderee Botanic Gardens has joined the project group.
- Five collaborative partner meetings have been held, with much discussion on managing the collections, along with informative presentations from key researchers at Botanic Gardens of Sydney: Dr Manueal Cascini outlining the status of genetic analysis Rhodamnia maideniana and Dr Jason Bragg on Myrtle Rust resistance in Rhodamnia rubescens.
- Continued collation of dispersal data.
- Epicollect monitoring of the ex situ collections is ongoing and has been streamlined for ease of use. All gardens can now access the raw data and export for their personal records (training undertaken by DPE’s Craig Stehn)
- Additional collection of germplasm and genetic material from healthy psidioides appearing in response to drying climate.
- Additional collection of genetic material from healthy maideniana and R. whiteana plants observed in the field being sent to Dr Manuela Cascini for additional genetic analysis.
- Collection of Rhodamnia and Rhodomyrtus fruit being sent to Dr Karen Sommerville for storage and viability testing.
- Planning future co-facilitated ANPC/BCARM practitioner meetings for managing Myrtle Rust impacted collections.
- An outreach flyer has been developed outlining the project background and aims, for the general public when visiting the ex situ collections and which can be used for guided walks.
- Botanic Gardens of Sydney blog on how ‘genetics is helping to save plant species decimated by myrtle rust’ dated 28 July 2023.
See more here:
https://www.anpc.asn.au/news/myrtle-rust-project-extension/
Jul 26, 2023 | Events Category, News
Myrtle Rust threatens an estimated 350 Australian plants, killing new growth, buds and flowers, meaning severely impacted species can no longer reproduce. Worst affected species will disappear from the wild. Myrtle Rust is having such a devastating impact on some native plants, that scientists, community groups and First Nations groups in Australia and New Zealand are working together to devise an Australasian response. In June 2023 over 100 experts from around the globe met in Sydney to share knowledge in the inaugural Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference, supported by the Australian Network for Plant Conservation.
Download the Summary of Proceedings of the Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference here [PDF link]
Attendees were buoyed by the breadth of work and dedication to preventing Myrtle Rust extinctions. They were simultaneously unanimous in the sentiment that stronger leadership, greater coordination, and long-term funding were the crucial missing elements. Priority next steps include improved sharing of resources and of research and its outcomes, and refining priority species and actions for conservation efforts to maximise the involvement of researchers, communities and land managers.
Several key themes emerged from the 50 presentations given during the conference, giving rise to potential simultaneous directions to tackle Myrtle Rust incursions and extinctions:
International guest speaker Dr Richard Sniezko from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, presenting on developing disease resistance tree populations for restoration. Credit: Dan Turner
The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water funded an extension to the ‘Safe Custody for Native Guava‘ project for the 2023/24 financial year, with the following results:
