A sample of stripe rust has been received from Grenfell (southern New South West) on the variety Wylah. Hot spots were evident in the field. The crop was sown on "a fluke storm" in late April.

A second report of suspected stripe rust from a trial site at Cowra has been received this morning and the sample is being sent for confirmation. The variety is EGA Gregory, and was sown in early April.

Although early crops are relatively rare in the east in 2005, these sightings should give cause to monitor carefully those crops that have established well. Late plantings will predominate in the east and, depending on the levels of rust development in early planted fields, may come under pressure in late winter - early spring. However, with just two confirmed stripe rust samples over the past three weeks (Tarcutta and Grenfell; both in southern New South West), it is far too early to predict epidemic development.

There have been no stripe rust reports from Western Australia, despite a good start to the season.

UPDATE

July 8, 2005

Several points to report since the cereal rust update issued last week.

1) Suspected stripe rust sighting in EGA Gregory at Cowra.

We have been able to confirm that the report of stripe rust at Cowra is correct, but that the cultivar in question is Rosella, not EGA Gregory as was initially suspected. Cultivar EGA Gregory is rated Resistant to stripe rust, and there is no evidence to date that this response has changed in any way.

2) Leaf rust in Marombi

We have confirmed reports of leaf rust in two crops of Marombi wheat on the Liverpool Plains region in NSW.

3) Leaf rust in Mackellar

Greenhouse tests of an isolate of leaf rust collected off Mackellar wheat from Bairnsdale (East Gippsland, Victoria) late in 2004 have indicated the pathotype present is new. The tests have indicated that the new pathotype is not a simple mutational derivative of an existing pathotype, but rather appears to represent an exotic incursion. The origin of this new pathotype is  not known. It is virulent for the resistance genes Lr1, Lr2a, Lr13, Lr14a, Lr16, Lr17b, Lr20, and Lr26. We would appreciate it if anyone who is aware of crops of Mackellar could inspect these crops carefully for the presence of leaf rust and forward a sample to us if any is detected so that we can determine if this pathotype has recurred this year, and if so, to monitor its occurrence.

Source:
Professor Robert F. Park
GRDC Chair of Cereal Rust Research
University of Sydney
Plant Breeding Institute Cobbitty