Myrtle Rust

[melbrackstone]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... cYWEYQv-K0

From a friend on facebook

Geoff Williams
Recently spent time in the field with consulting botanist Bob Makinson discussing threats to the critically endangered plants Rhodamnia rubescens and Rhodomyrtus psidioides caused by the invasive pathogen 'Myrtle rust', and how protocols might be developed to 'bank' genetic material. Both species, and others, are likely to go extinct in the wild unless urgent action is undertaken. Myrtle rust is now established in Australia along the east coast from southern New South Wales to Cape York in the far north. Currently over 350 species of Australian Myrtaceae are hosts to the pathogen, and this number is expected to rise. Numerous rainforest species, in particular, are threatened. Imagine Australia's landscapes devoid of so many of our iconic plants, not to mention the animals dependent on them for food and shelter.

[Redsonic]

Yep, it's a real problem. Endemic in my area, and it seems that there is a huge variability in susceptibility even within species. The Golden Penda in my yard, for instance, is heavily affected (& will need to be removed), but some out on the street are doing OK.
Fingers crossed this is a genetic variability and we can see some natural resistance evolve over time. The company Ozbreed is already selling strains of Myrtaceae it claims are resistant to Myrtle Rust. Here is a link to the Ozbreed webpage which shows which cultivars/varieties they believe show resistance: https://www.ozbreed.com.au/testing-plan ... esistance/
I used this table when I recently chose some native hedging plants for the garden. So far, so good.
In my (limited) experience, Austromyrtus & Tristaniopsis are particularly susceptible while Eucalyptus curtisii and most Melaleuca seem quite resistant.

[melbrackstone]

fingers crossed there can be some resistance build up.... certainly it needs the sort of resistance that the govt is showing to dealing with it...