PROC-9177422: Program 1 – National Ascochyta blight (AB) and Botrytis grey mould (BGM) population monitoring

Summary

Pulse crops, including chickpea, lentil, and faba bean, are vital to Australian farming systems, yet remain highly vulnerable to Ascochyta blight (AB) and Botrytis grey mould (BGM). These diseases cause over $61 million in annual losses, with impacts increasing due to evolving pathogen populations, changing climatic conditions, and intensified production systems. This investment will strengthen Australia’s capacity to manage AB and BGM through three integrated programs: (1) National Ascochyta and Botrytis population monitoring; (2) Delivering improved AB and BGM resistance in chickpea, lentil and faba bean, and (3) Integrated Disease Management. This investment will safeguard productivity, enhance grower profitability, reduce reliance on fungicides, lower input costs, and future-proofs Australia’s chickpea, faba bean and lentil industries against evolving AB and BGM threats. GRDC seeks applications for Program 1 that will establish a comprehensive understanding of Ascochyta and Botrytis species diversity, distribution and aggressiveness of isolates over time. Program 1 will focus on monitoring the distribution of pathotypes to inform breeding programs (Program 1) and IDM strategy development (Program 3).