Myrtle Rust

[melbrackstone]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-04/m ... us/7431342

Seems that it's killing plants all over the east coast now.

[Rory]

Yep. It is a horrible, vicious disease. It is impossible to get rid of it if the spores are in your bush land area.

Until they can either eradicate it or can grow species immune to it, then my permanent solution is to grow trees resistant to it. I think the only way forward for the Myrtacea family is to start investing in a genetically engineered resistance otherwise our unique flora/fauna is in deep trouble. At least start them off in the lab, so if they do start to become extinct we can eventually bring them back and be immune.

Eucalyptus certainly do get affected / killed, but its the Mels and Cals that stand no chance initially.

[evan]

Yeah, it's a pretty terrible disease. Relatively unknown to most people, but, regarded by scientists as the biggest ecological disaster we are currently facing. Saddest thing is there is literally nothing we can do to stop it, apart from trying to stop the spread of it. Even something like trying to breed resistance into species of Myrtaceae wouldn't help with such a large ecological extinction like this.

And we can blame the government for this one as well. If they had acted quick enough and listened to the concern of scientists, we would have stopped it before it even spread.

[wattynine]

Blame who you like, now we deal with the effect and the overall outcome.
Myrtle rust attacked NQ only two years ago, there are combatants but they are not particularly ecological friendly or non toxic. And we still don't get rid of it.
this one is here to stay

[evan]

No offence wattynine, but in this instance the government was directly to blame for this happening.

http://invasives.org.au/files/2014/07/f ... meline.pdf

Side note for above: while all of this was happening the nurseries that were initially infected were allowed to continue trading. Including sales of the infected stock.

[Joel]

What would you have had the government do, Evan? What reasonable results could they have achieved? There would have been tens of millions of spores released into the atmosphere by the time the government got involved. Prevention was the most viable option and somebody (probably a nursery) did not follow quarantine procedures. It's time for some serious research into the longer term impacts of MR in Australia. Then comes the development of strategies to minimise those impacts.

It's an extremely difficult but important process and it will take time. I know that methods including ex-situ cultivation of rare species and breeding resistance is being investigated. As is prioritising seed collection from rare Myrtaceae for various Australian seed banks who also partner with seed banks elsewhere around the world.

It is an ongoing issue and the questions of how we best manage it will be constantly revisited for the foreseeable future.

[evan]

They took 7 days before they implemented any form of preventative measures. Not sure if you know your epidemiology of the disease.

The first symptoms become visible within 3−5 days of initial infection. The new pustules can mature to release spores in 10–12 days.

That's a minimum of 13 days between showing symptoms and being able to release spores.

For all we know it could have already reached maturity by the time we found it, but the simple fact that it took 7 days for any action to be taken astonishes me. In those 7 days we could of had the chance to possibly eradicate it if it hadn't sporulated yet.

Perhaps if the government acted quicker in this instance, listened to scientists, instead of taking the decision to a government led committee, the final outcome may have been different for this scenario.

Sure we can keep seeds and breed resistance for individual varieties. But how about the ecosystem? Resistance for plants in ecosystems won't work, plus the countless number of animal species that will undoubtedly go extinct due to it. Even scientists know that we can't do anything to solve the problem, all we can do is hope to try and manage it's spread.

[shibui]

this and other exotic diseases comes down to some individual flouting our quarantine laws.
It is almost certain that the 23 April ID was NOT the source of the outbreak. They just happened to identify that their stock was infected with something and were responsible enough to report it. The real outbreak would have started in someone's backyard nearby and would have been well established by the time any responsible person was aware of it and way beyond any eradication measures no matter how quick or effective.

Similar outbreaks of further pests and diseases will continue to happen while individuals, including ausbonsai members, continue to import seed and plant material illegally.

[Rory]

There would have been tens of millions of spores released into the atmosphere by the time the government got involved.

this and other exotic diseases comes down to some individual flouting our quarantine laws.
It is almost certain that the 23 April ID was NOT the source of the outbreak. They just happened to identify that their stock was infected with something and were responsible enough to report it.

Believe me Evan, you can have myrtle rust in your backyard for months without realizing it. The moment one spore entered our shores it was all over.
When you say the government didn't act fast enough, it is just not possible to stop it. Someone could have brought the disease in on the heel of their shoe on a plane, or on the clothes in their suitcase etc, etc, etc. It is like SARS, the swine flu etc, eventually it will spread everywhere. You have to develop a contingency plan for once the prevention plans eventually fail and will fail.

A prevention plan like our quarantine laws are only decreasing the chances of allowing pests / diseases etc into our country. It is impossible to foolproof Australia's borders. In reality, 'our border' is simply a notion we like to use to calm our paranoia. Similar to saying if we close the door of our house, it will prevent us from getting sick.

[EdwardH]

M.R. is a scourge on our native plants however do not loose heart. Most plants do not have an automatic death sentence. Sure some species are very susceptible however the majority survive the outbreak and continue to grow though slower than normal.
In regards to blaming the govt.. that is just foolish. Be honest, the govt does not keep track of every individual or visitor in the country - nor can it. Individual people are responsible for either knowingly doing the wrong thing or simply being unaware that they are doing the wrong thing. The blame game solves nothing nor does it present any solutions!
Hopefully the CSIRO can find a critter that feeds on the spores or pustules thereby slowing the spread and impact of M.R.

[Rory]

Hopefully the CSIRO can find a critter that feeds on the spores or pustules thereby slowing the spread and impact of M.R.

Perhaps we can introduce a new pest to tackle the Myrtle Rust.

It worked out well in QLD with the cane toad.

I hear what some are saying, but it isn't going to do anything. I think some of the comments on here might be different if those had actually experienced Myrtle Rust first hand. For example, on a nice sunny day when the spores come out to play , I'd like to hear their thoughts after they themselves have seen what happens. You don't even have to 'bump' the host to release a giant invisible vapor of spores - the gentle wind will do that for you. So I'm sorry to say, but no there is no pest in the universe that could feed on the spores. I think trying to eradicate it is going to be like trying to eradicate mould. Have you ever picked up a carpet that has mould spores through it, if you bump the carpet, a faint green ghostbusterish cloud eminates from it.

When you think about it, the central coast in NSW was the first outbreak, 'that was known'. Now, is that not a coincidence that we have one of the highest rates of asthma in Australia here, and high humidity, low basin areas of moisture, a huge mould problem in most of the houses here. That tells me, that the disease was probably in areas long before the central coast of NSW, but once it arrived here in this perfect soup of conditions for the disease, it just went gangbusters. The chances that the disease was just co-incidentally introduced at the best possible set of conditions for the disease to spread in Australia is too much of a coincidence I think. I would say it simply spread a lot quicker here because the conditions are perfect for it to thrive here.

It is most probably already in WA, but the majority of the climate of WA is probably not favourable for a faster spread. Give it time.

[treeman]

I would like to offer a different perspective.
Firstly, with all the international travel going on at this stage in history, it is inevitable that this rust and other diseases will find their way here as spores on clothing etc. So trying to blame a particular group of individuals is really a waste of time and of no consequence in the long term.
Secondly, looking at the bigger picture, this planet has had episodes of extinction for much longer than the piddling amount of time humans have been walking around on it. Extinction is a part of the natural system and humans are at the moment also part of it. The fact is that only in their minds are humans or their environment any more important than bacteria. Sooner or later humans will also become extinct. Extinction is going on right now and always will. It is a mistake to see the environment as being static. The only static thing is change. In time as Australia drifts north, most of the indigenous flora will either disappear or evolve to adapt to a warmer and wetter (or drier or colder) climate.
The planet will go on regardless and there is nothing humans can do to change it. In the end, whether this change is fast or slow, large or small does not make the slightest difference as far as the planet Earth is concerned.
As long as there is rainfall and reasonably stable temperatures, there will always be flora of some sort and there will always be fauna to exploit it. That is how the planet has always worked. Myrtle rust is not new, it has probably existed as long as the myrtle family has.
Trying to desperately hang on the status quo because of romantic or nostalgic reasons is only a human trait. The environment does not care about humans, it just is, and it will continue to be whatever natural circumstances allow it to be. Trying to ''keep'' our environment close to us and unchanged or controlled is only putting off the inevitable and probably only in our minds. Of course any life form including humans wants to continue to exist but really, what difference does it make whether it does or not? My point - enjoy what you have now, realize that it is temporary and relax.

[Rory]

I would like to offer a different perspective.
Firstly, with all the international travel going on at this stage in history, it is inevitable that this rust and other diseases will find their way here as spores on clothing etc. So trying to blame a particular group of individuals is really a waste of time and of no consequence in the long term.
Secondly, looking at the bigger picture, this planet has had episodes of extinction for much longer than the piddling amount of time humans have been walking around on it. Extinction is a part of the natural system and humans are at the moment also part of it. The fact is that only in their minds are humans or their environment any more important than bacteria. Sooner or later humans will also become extinct. Extinction is going on right now and always will. It is a mistake to see the environment as being static. The only static thing is change. In time as Australia drifts north, most of the indigenous flora will either disappear or evolve to adapt to a warmer and wetter (or drier or colder) climate.
The planet will go on regardless and there is nothing humans can do to change it. In the end, whether this change is fast or slow, large or small does not make the slightest difference as far as the planet Earth is concerned.
As long as there is rainfall and reasonably stable temperatures, there will always be flora of some sort and there will always be fauna to exploit it. That is how the planet has always worked. Myrtle rust is not new, it has probably existed as long as the myrtle family has.
Trying to desperately hang on the status quo because of romantic or nostalgic reasons is only a human trait. The environment does not care about humans, it just is, and it will continue to be whatever natural circumstances allow it to be. Trying to ''keep'' our environment close to us and unchanged or controlled is only putting off the inevitable and probably only in our minds. Of course any life form including humans wants to continue to exist but really, what difference does it make whether it does or not? My point - enjoy what you have now, realize that it is temporary and relax.

Very well said. That is by definition...Evolution whether you like it or not.

However, I am an eternal optimist and believe in the not too distant future we will manufacture 1000's of space station colonies that we will be able to fly around the universe and populate other areas, like giant floating mini worlds. Thus we will solve the problem of possible extinction.

[shibui]

that we will be able to fly around the universe and populate other areas, like giant floating mini worlds. Thus we will solve the problem of possible extinction.

That should read 'solve the problem of OUR possible extinction' I think Rory. Wherever we go we will almost certainly displace indigenous life forms, large and small. That's always been the way on this planet and I see no reason why we'd change just because we went a bit further. Whenever any life form moves to a new area it either displaces some or all of the local forms that occupy the same niche or it fails to colonise.

Even if accidental introduction is inevitable Treeman, I can't see why we should hasten the process with random, unauthorised import of banned species.

[EdwardH]

Perhaps we can introduce a new pest to tackle the Myrtle Rust.

Actually everything in nature lives in balance until people get involved (and try to control everything).
That's the way the good Lord created it.
At one time much of eastern Australia was covered in prickly pear plants (another introduced species) until a grub was introduced that exclusively fed on the plant. Result? Prickly plant plague ended. There are still prickly plants to be seen but no longer in plague proportions. I'm sure that there are quite a few critters that eat the spores or pustules which would reduce the impact of the fungus or whatever it is.

It worked out well in QLD with the cane toad

Introducing cane toads was a big mistake but it doesn't mean that there isn't a solution to the MR problem. For the record there IS a solution to the cane toad problem. A few years ago scientists discovered that cane toad poison repels fish etc but attracts cane toad tad poles. When a small amount of the poison was placed in a large bucket/container, the tadpoles swam into it. Scoop up the container with tadpoles and next to no young in that area that year. Done on a large scale this would dramatically reduce the cane toad scourge. The solution is now just waiting to be implemented.