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CSIRO bouncing back from wheat virus destruction
23 Jul 2004
CSIRO believes it is recovering from the outbreak of wheat streak mosaic virus that forced the destruction of 40,000 plants last year. CSIRO Plant Industries said the outbreak cost almost $2.5 million plus delays in potentially vital wheat research. Thousands of plants, including those being used to create salt-tolerant and drought-resistant varieties of wheat, were destroyed.
After the destruction, however, it was found the virus had been in Australia for at least 15 years. But unlike in other countries, the virus doesn't seem to have had a major impact on wheat crops here. Apart from wheat plants, barley, various grasses and corn were also destroyed. CSIRO's research is now largely back on track, although some areas are at least a season behind. Resources are also going into studying wheat streak mosaic virus.
Australia's chief plant protection officer Graeme Hamilton said it's now clear the virus had been around for some time but wasn't a factor to most farmers. He said there was nothing he would change in the way officials had responded to the virus discovery.
Tradingroom.com.au, 22/7/04.
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