Challenge To date control measures to mitigate cucurbit stem diseases such as Gummy Stem Blight (causal agent Didymella bryoniae) are largely ineffective, or offer only partial protection, resulting in considerable wastage and a considerable delay in production.
Solution The project aims to test and pilot fast detection procedures with the aim of giving growers a suite of options to test for the presence of the pathogen prior to disease being evident. The project also aims to test a range of commercially available control measures and create management recommendations. Finally, the project will investigate novel means of controlling the pathogen through targeted repression of key disease developmental pathways (i.e. non-GMO repression of effector proteins) and manipulation of the plant’s natural resistance pathways. Outcomes of the project will support sustainable production of this valuable crop for our industry partners, and open new pathways of investigation that will enable breakthroughs in pathogen control that could be cross-applicable to other important cucurbit diseases in the larger vegetable production sector.
Impact The outcomes of this project will support more sustainable and efficient production of Qukes® cucumbers by equipping growers with effective tools for early detection and targeted disease control. The findings will also create opportunities for innovation in pathogen management and could have broader applications for controlling other cucurbit diseases in Australia’s vegetable industry.
