Novel Mitigation Techniques

Key Goal: Investigate natural plant and community resistance to myrtle rust

The most successful and socially acceptable ways to protect our trees from myrtle rust will utilise natural ecosystem properties. To this end we will investigate natural resistance against MR in two ways.

Genetic resistance

Mānuka is an important species in Aotearoa ecosystems – often being the first to establish in a newly developing forest and frequently used in restoration projects. It also forms the basis of New Zealand’s multi-million-dollar mānuka honey industry.

Because of these properties it makes an ideal model host to study the natural genetic resistance our native flora might have to myrtle rust.

Our team will use genetic techniques to understand the interaction between plant and pathogen, as well as researching which mānuka gene lines are more resistant to myrtle rust.

Community resilience

Microorganisms (predominantly fungi) living in and around trees might be able to help them fight off the myrtle rust pathogen. Our team will study these organisms, with a particular focus on those living in the leaves.

Selected organisms will be studied with the long-term goal being to understand how plant defence is enhanced, and to develop a microbial product which could be applied to plants to give them a hand in the fight against myrtle rust.

This work will have a focus on working with Māori partners, linking strongly to Kaitiakitanga & Māori-led solutions.

Leader:
Grant Smith, Plant and Food Research