Centre for Crop and Disease Management

02/06/2026

Farm dams can experience leaks or total failure for several reasons.

Dry conditions present a window to look at repair options, but not all dams are going to be suitable for restoration.

Want to learn about what to consider when repairing a dam? Read on: https://go.vic.gov.au/49rJcLU

25/05/2026

Demand for Australian oats in plant-based foods is increasing. GRDC has invested in the Oat Grain Quality Consortium to help meet this demand.

GRDC Genetic Technologies Manager (Oats and Sorghum) Dr Michael Groszmann says the OGQC is a national research effort to help growers make the most of emerging oat opportunities.

“To compete globally, our oat industry must deliver consistent, high-quality grain and provide detailed information on key quality traits such as flavour, aroma, beta-glucan, protein and oil content, so buyers can choose Australian oats with confidence."

Read more ▶️ https://bit.ly/4dCgEQX

Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Adelaide University
InterGrain Cereal Breeding
Essantis
Grains Australia

📷 Grains Australia

22/05/2026

Heavy rain in March has increased disease pressure for grape growers heading into this season, particularly botrytis, black mould and downy mildew.

✅ Early planning can protect your crop, market access and long-term sustainability.

More frequent chemical use may be needed—but it can also increase residue risks and impact market access if limits are exceeded.

💡 Plan ahead to reduce risk:

👀 monitor disease closely

🤔 review and adjust spray programs

♻️ rotate chemical groups

📖 follow label directions and withholding periods,

Tools like the Australian Table Grape Association app can help guide decisions: https://bit.ly/4tLoDkI Australian Table Grape Association

22/05/2026

How double knock strategies are evolving as herbicide resistance increases, outlining practical research-backed options to protect yields, manage annual ryegrass and sustain effective w**d control on Australian grain farms

21/05/2026

🌱 Lupin Sclerotinia screening at Northam
Field trials are underway at the DPIRD Northam site, targeting one of the key disease risks for lupin growers—Sclerotinia.

This season’s trial includes:
• 200 lupin lines
• 6 replicates per line
• 1,200 plots in total

By screening a wide range of genetic material under field conditions, we’re working to identify lines with improved tolerance to Sclerotinia—helping strengthen variety options for growers.

These trials are designed to reflect real paddock scenarios, giving more confidence in how different lines will perform under disease pressure.

The outcomes will support:
🌾 Better variety selection
🌾 Improved risk management in higher rainfall seasons
🌾 More resilient lupin production systems

A lot goes into trials at this scale, but it’s all aimed at delivering practical results growers can use in the field.

Grains Research and Development Corporation, Curtin University, Curtin Molecular and Life Sciences

20/05/2026

Victorian grain growers: the 2026 Cereal and Pulse Disease Guides are now available.

Get the latest resistance ratings and management advice to help protect your crops this season. Early planning, smart variety choice and close monitoring can make all the difference.

Links to both guides available in the comments ⬇️

19/05/2026

🌱 Seeding BGM trials at Northam
CCDM has completed seeding for Botrytis Grey Mould (BGM) trials at the DPIRD Northam site, with plots established under bird netting to ensure reliable establishment.

We’re testing a range of plot types to better reflect paddock conditions, including:
• Hill plots (3–4 seeds, spaced 22 × 33 cm)
• Micro-plots (short twin rows, 1 m long)
• Small plots (1.8 m, 6 rows)

These trials bring together diverse chickpea and lentil lines to identify genetic differences in BGM resistance - key for improving variety performance in higher-risk seasons.

Planted over 8–9 May, the site will be irrigated until winter rains arrive. With canopy density playing a major role in BGM, each genotype is replicated six times to ensure robust, field-relevant results.

Inoculation is planned for July–August, with disease ratings to follow - helping build a clearer picture of which lines can better withstand BGM and support more confident disease management decisions for growers.

Curtin Molecular and Life Sciences, Grains Research and Development Corporation , Curtin University

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

🦠 Coinfections in wheat: when diseases join forces
What happens when yellow leaf spot and septoria nodorum blotch infect the same plant?

Our latest CCDM spotlight shows how these pathogens can interact — shifting disease severity, changing behaviour, and making control more complex in the field.

🌾 What’s the takeaway for growers and advisors?
Understanding coinfections can help inform disease management decisions — from variety selection to fungicide strategies — to better protect yield under mixed disease pressure.

🔗 Read more: https://buff.ly/HiVHnvA

Curtin Molecular and Life Sciences, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Curtin University

15/05/2026

🌱 In the field with CCDM’s Canola & Pulses Group
On Day 2 of seeding at Northam (6 May), our team established large-scale Ascochyta blight trials at the DPIRD site—designed to help growers stay ahead of disease.

This season’s work includes:
- A lentil diversity panel
- Chickpea populations (including wild × domesticated crosses)

Around 10,000 hill plots were sown, each spaced to allow clear disease assessment and reliable comparisons between lines. Lentils were planted twice so we can test responses to different ascochyta strains. With good early moisture and clay-loam soils, we’re aiming to build strong canopy growth ahead of planned inoculation in July–August.

What this means for growers:
- Identifying varieties with improved resistance to ascochyta
- Better understanding of how different strains impact crops
- Supporting more reliable lentil and chickpea production in WA conditions

Disease will be assessed a few weeks after inoculation, focusing on leaf damage, stem infection and plant loss in more susceptible lines.
This work is a key step towards more resilient pulse varieties and improved disease management in the paddock.

Curtin Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Grains Research and Development Corporation