Australia
October 1, 2009
Two Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) reports launched today put the annual cost of cereal diseases at an estimated $1.165 billion – $913 million for wheat and $252m for barley.
James Clark, GRDC northern panel chair launched the reports at the Australasian Plant Pathology Society (APPS) conference in Newcastle today.
“Wheat diseases cause an estimated current average annual loss of $913 million, or $76.64 per hectare, to the Australian wheat industry,” Mr Clark says.
“This loss is 19.5 per cent of the average annual value of the wheat crop over the past decade.
“The top five wheat diseases across Australia include stripe rust, yellow spot, cereal cyst nematode, stem rust and crown rot.”
Mr Clark says the wheat report details results Gordon Murray and John Brennan’s third study on the economic impacts of wheat diseases and is the first report since 1998.
The barley report is the first detailed study on barley disease losses and provides a
benchmark to track and compare future changes.
“Barley diseases cause an estimated current average annual loss of $252 million, or $66.49 per hectare, to the Australian barley industry,” he says.
“This amounts to 19.5 per cent of the average annual value of the barley crop for 10 years.
“Nationally, five diseases dominate these losses including net blotch-spot form, powdery mildew, cereal cyst nematode, Pratylenchus neglectus and leaf rust.”
Mr Clark says the study had expert input from pathologists nationally and incorporates wheat variety disease resistance and delivery information supplied by AWB Limited.
GRDC has released the reports following acceptance of peer-reviewed papers in the APPS Journal of Australasian Plant Pathology.
Mr Clark says the wheat report details shifts in pathogen impacts in wheat over the last two decades.
He says current control measures have tempered losses and if left uncontrolled stripe rust alone would cost the wheat industry an estimated $994m a year.
“These reports contain detailed information on the present costs of diseases and the potential costs if current control measures are not maintained.
“Awareness of those costs will allow decision-makers to allocate the research and development resources to most effective use, while farmers will also be in a position to make better-informed choices about the type and levels of controls to apply in their district.”
The report outlines the differences between potential and present losses and reflects the value of current control measures.
“These show the considerable achievement of research, development and implementation of disease controls,” Mr Clark says.
Mr Clark says the reports are one of many sources of information that GRDC takes into account when prioritising research needs and making decisions about its research investment.
He says GRDC consults directly with research partners, and with growers and the Research Advisory Committees (RACs) via its panel system.
The reports detail disease prevalence and contain production data for each region.
To download the reports, visit www.grdc.com.au/diseasescostswheat and www.grdc.com.au/diseasescostsbarley or for a hard copy, contact Ground Cover Direct on 1800 110 044.
