Downy mildew woes for Industry

[waterboy 2.0]

A systemic mildew that's causing entire paddock losses in poppy crops across Tasmania has sparked an industry-wide response.

ABC Rural

By Alex Blucher

Updated

Wed at 6:08pmWed 5 Nov 2014, 6:08pm

Photo: Damage to poppy crops from systemic mildew is becoming more widespread in Tasmania (Supplied)

Map: Burnie 7320

A fungal disease, a systemic form of downy mildew, is causing entire paddock losses in poppy growing regions across Tasmania.

Downy mildew stunts plant growth, yellows the leaves and has spores that can travel hundreds of kilometres in the air.

Poppy Growers Tasmania president Glynn Williams says that while mildew has been in Tasmania for over a decade, it's behaving differently this season.

Audio: Mildew wiping out poppy crops in Tasmania sparks co-ordinated industry-wide rapid response (ABC Rural)

"It seems to be popping up in places where it might not be expected to be."

The presence of the disease has sparked a co-ordinated, industry-wide response.

The Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, companies Tasmanian Alkaloids, GlaxoSmithKline, TPI Enterprises, the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, and Poppy Growers Tasmania met in Launceston yesterday to deal with the issue.

The island state grows almost half the world's supply of opium poppies, but commercial crops are being grown in Victoria for the first time this season.

Tasmanian company TPI Enterprises has been trialling growing poppies in the Northern Territory.

ABC Rural has spoken to growers in poppy regions across Tasmania who are facing writedowns for at least a third of their crops.

Growers are saying that some crop varieties could be writeoffs and commonly used fungicides have proved ineffective in preventing the mildew, because of its systemic nature.

Previously to 2013 and 2014, the mildew is thought to have been non-systemic in nature.

There's concern that the fungicides that are being used are not effective to treat systemic mildew, which is in the vascular tissue.

But Mr Williams says it's too early to say exactly how the mildew is breeding.

"There is a massive amount of research underway by the companies and that's where it was pleasing to see such co-ordination to get an action plan underway.

"Right now, there are thousands of dollars being spent on a daily basis to test and assess a whole range of programs to tackle it," he said.

"If it can travel hundreds of kilometres, you can't assume that any place is safe."

Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff says it's a concern to have a strain of downy mildew not responding to normal control measures.

Jeremy Rockliff has praised the industry response to the problem in the poppy industry and hopes the urgent research initiative will resolve the issue.

Audio: Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff is concerned at the strain of downy mildew which is not responding to normal control measures. (ABC Rural)

The Minister says the incidence of the downy mildew does not strengthen the case for poppies to be grown interstate as well as Tasmania.

"It's not confirmed officially, but I've been told poppy crops in Victoria are also suffering from downy mildew," Mr Rockliff says.

Managing Director of poppy processor TPI Enterprises Jarrod Ritchie says the mildew is not affecting the first commercial poppy crops being grown in Victoria.

Jarrod Ritchie says it's good to see an industry wide approach to the fight against the downy mildew, and it's too early to predict losses in this year's poppy crop.

Audio: Managing Director of TPI Enterprises Jarrod Ritchie says the poppy mildew affecting Tasmanian crops is not affecting the first commercial Victorian poppy crops (ABC Rural)

"Up to a quarter of some crops could be affected, but it's too soon to put a figure on losses this year," Mr Ritchie says.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Jan Davis has also expressed concern at the outbreak of the downy mildew.

Audio: Jan Davis the CEO of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association says the mildew problems with the poppy industry is a big concern (ABC Rural)

Jan Davis says the approach from the industry is the best way to combat the problem, but says the poppy industry should be part of biosecurity charter.

*I'd be a prick to say they probably did it to themselves and forced a mutation...... under the prescribed agronomy.. ..they have and still do pour a fair bit and spectrum of chems at this crop.......downy has always been a threat to poppies

EDIT - hang on GlaxoSmithKiline come to rescue:

Poppy News

Mildew Strategy Succeeds

GSK has devised a successful strategy for preventative control of downy mildew. Crop yields are equivalent to those achieved with more expensive fungicide treatments.

This strategy provides:

Effective Disease control at GREATLY REDUCED COST

See your GSK Field Officer for full details.

https://www.gsk.com.au/about-us_poppy-production_poppynews.aspx

Edited November 6, 2014 by waterboy

[FancyPants]

Denis Naphthine's glasses are getting all steamy and sweaty. I now see what that big stupid grin is about.

[shortly]

Probably a greenie terrorist plot hey

Recon your right WB, one can not put any resource that big out into nature without something finding a way to exploit it regardless of our attempts to keep it all for ourselves.

[Dreamwalker.]

unusual climate conditions prevailing?

[gtarman]

^ climate could have played a role, certainly, but it's hard to say without data or clear evidence. But nothing ocurrs in a vacuum, and almost everything in the natural world does occur in a climate, which is indisputably changing.

Although I'd say that widespread use of fungicides, herbicides, pesticides etc is a culprit of greater blame. When you use all that shit wholesale and indescriminately and without an understanding of how ecosystems and adaptation work something like this is bound to happen sooner or later IMO. Nature abhors a vacuum after all, and the chemically supported monocultures we try to create in mainstream agriculture are nothing if not a vacuum.

[waterboy 2.0]

climate is definitely a factor in this strain of downy taking hold through it being nearly (if not) ideal for widespread pathogenesis.

I've driven past some crops that are failing pretty bad.....

I am still keeping my bet on a new mutant strain well the standard arsenal is not working now. ("oh fck" goes farmer bob). Could be the perfect storm between this variety of downy and the production strains grown.

I'd be hitting that shit with 10%milk (full fat)/90% water and seaweed solution cocktail, sprayed on real late in the day......daily.....if I was a licensed primary producer......

Edited November 7, 2014 by waterboy

[Distracted]

Reminds me of this song!

 

[Heretic]

Problems become extreme within monocultures...