Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7632 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 195 ­ – Rice R&D 2016 Vincent Lanoiselet Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia T HERE have been outbreaks of rice blast, caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, in northern Australia, including northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia but the pathogen remains exotic to south-eastern Australia where most of Australia’s rice is produced. However, there is potential for rice blast to threaten rice in south-eastern Australia in the future. There are incentives for growing rice in northern Australia, as it can help drought- proof the rice industry during dry seasons in south-eastern Australia, and it has demonstrated potential as cattle folder for northern livestock industries. While rice blast is a significant concern to the Australian rice industry, it is a challenge to contend with if production of rice is to resume in northern Australia. The use of resistant rice varieties is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to manage rice blast. However before this project, there was a lack of information about the resistance of rice varieties to blast disease in Australia, which limited the options for managing rice blast through resistant varieties. In addition, the fungus M. oryzae evolves rapidly and many races of the pathogen have been reported across the globe. Identifying and mapping the distribution of rice blast races across Australia is an essential step in developing strategies for deploying existing resistant rice cultivars and for breeding new ones. This project investigated the prevalence of rice blast races in northern Australia and determined the disease response of 25 international rice lines, with targeted resistance genes, to local rice blast races. Also, the disease response of 19 Australian and international varieties to local rice blast races was determined to help future breeding of resistant Australian varieties. Rice blast is one of the most destructive diseases of rice worldwide. Its future management is critical for the northern and southern rice industries in Australia. QUICK TAKE l  Developing rice varieties with resistance to rice blast is considered the most cost- effective and environmentally- friendly way for the industry to address potential risk. l  Rice blast isolates collected from northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia were characterised into five races. l  Among 25 international lines of known resistance, five genes showed broad- spectrum resistance to all five Australian races of blast. l  19 Australian and international rice varieties were tested to identify resistant varieties for candidates in the Australian rice breeding program. l Disease symptoms of rice blast on leaves of rice plants. INSET: Collapse of rice plants caused by the blast disease in a field of northern Queensland in May 2014. MANAGING RICE BLAST IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE FUTURE