R[0]="2070"; T[0]="Sea trials for Atlantic salmon gill disease vaccine"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20070823"; Dt[0]="Thursday 23 August 2007"; Acats[0]="a33a34"; B1[0]="      A vaccine developed to boost the profitability of Tasmania's A$230 million Atlantic salmon industry will be tested at a marine farm south "; B2[0]="of Hobart during spring and summer... "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      A vaccine developed to boost the profitability of Tasmania's A$230 million Atlantic salmon industry will be tested at a marine farm south "; S2[0]=" of Hobart during spring and summer.
      The vaccine targets amoebic gill disease (AGD), a health problem that costs the Tasmanian industry some "; S3[0]=" A$20 million a year in treatment and lost productivity, and is a major constraint to industry expansion.
      'AGD is caused by amoebae "; S4[0]=" that attach to the gills of Atlantic salmon,' says CSIRO scientist, Dr Mathew Cook.
      'The affected fish are safe to eat, but "; S5[0]=" lose condition and must be regularly bathed in fresh water to detach the amoebae.' The sea trial is the third phase of an industry-backed vaccine "; S6[0]=" research project led by CSIRO through the Food Futures Flagship and funded by the Aquafin and Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) and the Fisheries "; S7[0]=" Research and Development Corporation.
      'An effective vaccine would improve fish welfare through summer, reduce or eliminate the need for fresh-water bathing, and "; S8[0]=" potentially improve salmon growth rates, making Tasmanian salmon more cost-competitive in the global market,' Mr Bender says.
      Initiated in June 2002 by "; S9[0]=" Aquafin CRC, the first phase of the project identified genes in the infective amoeba likely to trigger an immune response in the fish.
    "; S10[0]="   Those genes were then used to produce a vaccine.
      In the second phase, laboratory trials conducted in collaboration with the University "; S11[0]=" of Tasmania indicated the vaccine provided a 40 per cent increase in protection against AGD.
      In the sea trial, to begin in "; S12[0]=" late August, three thousand Atlantic salmon will be grown by Huon Aquaculture Company at its Hideaway Bay marine farm in the Huon estuary.
    "; S13[0]="   The salmon were bred by Salmon Enterprises of Tasmania at Wayatinah in the state's Central Highlands and have been electronically tagged for identification.
  "; S14[0]="     Half of the salmon have been vaccinated, and the other half treated with a 'control' injection not containing the vaccine.
      "; S15[0]=" All will be regularly assessed for the presence of gill amoebae during spring and summer.
      Huon Aquaculture Company director, Peter Bender, says "; S16[0]=" the vaccine offers a positive management tool to address one of the industry's major health challenges.
      'An effective vaccine would improve fish "; S17[0]=" welfare through summer, reduce or eliminate the need for fresh-water bathing, and potentially improve salmon growth rates, making Tasmanian salmon more cost-competitive in the global "; S18[0]=" market,' Mr Bender says.
      Dr Cook says the project is unique in attempting to vaccinate against an external parasite in fish.
  "; S19[0]="     He says the focus going forward lies in translating the laboratory results into the field where the infection is very different.
    "; S20[0]="   'In the laboratory, AGD is an acute infection, but in the field it's more chronic,' he says.
      'So we may just "; S21[0]=" have a vaccine that protects against an acute challenge.
      Our real measure of success will be the level of reduction in fresh-water "; S22[0]=" bathing.'.. "; R[1]="2019"; T[1]="Resistant wheat weapon in Victorian cereal rust strategies"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20070331"; Dt[1]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[1]="a22a33"; B1[1]="      Key points: Growers should choose the most rust resistant wheat varieties for their region; Monitor for rust through the season and follow "; B2[1]="through with fungicide applications if required.. "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      Key points: Growers should choose the most rust resistant wheat varieties for their region; Monitor for rust through the season and follow "; S2[1]=" through with fungicide applications if required.
      Growers should be choosing the most rust resistant wheat varieties suitable for their region as part "; S3[1]=" of their cereal rust management plan, according to Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) senior plant pathologist Dr Grant Hollaway.
      Dr Hollaway "; S4[1]=" said growers should use the DPI's Cereal Disease Guide 2007 when selecting wheat varieties for their region.
      The guide is available at "; S5[1]=" www.dpi.vic.gov.au - type Cereal Disease Guide 2007 in the search box.
      'Careful variety selection is integral to a growers rust management plan,' "; S6[1]=" he said.
      'The cereal disease guide will assist with selecting varieties with good rust resistance.
      Once varieties are chosen, "; S7[1]=" growers should follow their cereal rust management plan throughout the year.' Dr Hollaway said the war against cereal rust was ongoing, despite Victorian growers having "; S8[1]=" a respite from the problem last year due to dry conditions.
      'Just because we didn't see any stripe rust last season, that "; S9[1]=" doesn't mean we won't see it this year,' he said.
      'We didn't see any stripe rust during 2002, but in 2003 it "; S10[1]=" was widespread in Victoria.
      This could happen again in 2007.' Dr Hollaway said if seed dressings were a part of a grower's "; S11[1]=" cereal rust strategy, in-crop monitoring would assist growers with decisions about fungicide applications later in the year.
      'Whether or not you use "; S12[1]=" seed dressing treatments, growers will still need to monitor crops throughout the seasons, and apply fungicides as required later on in the year,' he said.
"; S13[1]="       'If growers do not use seed dressings, they should be prepared for an application of fungicides earlier in the season.' Dr Hollaway "; S14[1]=" reminded growers that close crop monitoring would assist with early detection and management of cereal rusts.
      'Growers need to be vigilant with "; S15[1]=" monitoring cereal rusts on farm,' he said.
      'Although we didn't have a rust problem last year, we need to be managing the "; S16[1]=" rust problem this year and be prepared for a possible spring rust epidemic.' The fight against cereal rust is a major priority for the grains "; S17[1]=" industry, and is supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)... "; R[2]="2018"; T[2]="Don't let cereal rust catch you unprepared in SA"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20070331"; Dt[2]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[2]="a22a33"; B1[2]="      Key points: Growers should be well underway with cereal rust management strategy; In-crop monitoring vital in combating cereal rust throughout the year.... "; B2[2]=" "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      Key points: Growers should be well underway with cereal rust management strategy; In-crop monitoring vital in combating cereal rust throughout the year.
"; S2[2]="       South Australian growers will need to monitor cereal crops very closely this season for effective rust management, according to SA Research and "; S3[2]=" Development Institute plant pathologist Dr Hugh Wallwork.
      Dr Wallwork said cereal rusts remained a serious threat to cropping despite the previous dry "; S4[2]=" season, and frequent monitoring of crops for symptoms was required so that growers could act quickly to protect yields.
      'Be vigilant with "; S5[2]=" in-crop monitoring for cereal rusts,' he said.
      'If rust spores are detected, growers should inform local advisors and myself as rust outbreaks "; S6[2]=" can escalate very rapidly and your information can b used to help others.' Dr Wallwork said many growers had by now chosen their wheat varieties "; S7[2]=" for this season and were well into their action plan for cereal rust management.
      'Growers should avoid sowing the most susceptible varieties "; S8[2]=" for cereal rust, and having flexibility with wheat varieties where possible is an advantage,' he said.
      Dr Wallwork said seed or in-furrow "; S9[2]=" treatments should were useful in controlling stripe rusts early on in the season, particularly if there are volunteers.
      'Seed and fertiliser-applied treatments "; S10[2]=" are a useful tool in early stripe rust control, but their use will depend on the grower's region and economic considerations,' he said.
    "; S11[2]="   'Where there's been volunteer growth and early rains, these treatment are useful additions to the arsenal for stripe rust management.' Dr Wallwork reminded growers "; S12[2]=" that close crop monitoring would assist with early detection and management of cereal rusts.
      Growers are encouraged to provide Dr Wallwork with "; S13[2]=" their email address and sign up to his Crop Watch electronic newsletter, which provides timely information on current and emerging disease issues in SA broadacre "; S14[2]=" cropping.
      Growers can find up-to-date information about the resistance of wheat varieties by visiting www.pir.sa.gov.au/cvdg.
      The GRDC also recommends "; S15[2]=" that with regard to the recent discovery of a stripe rust pathotype with virulence for the Yr17 resistance gene in some wheat varieties, growers should "; S16[2]=" check with their agronomist or seed supplier for up-to-date information prior to planting.
      The fight against cereal rust is a major priority "; S17[2]=" for the grains industry, and is supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)... "; R[3]="2012"; T[3]="Rebate for cattle producers to test for disease"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20070331"; Dt[3]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[3]="a27a33"; B1[3]="      Cattle producers in the agricultural areas of the State now have access to a rebate for veterinary investigations of scouring and wasting "; B2[3]="in their adult cattle... "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      Cattle producers in the agricultural areas of the State now have access to a rebate for veterinary investigations of scouring and wasting "; S2[3]=" in their adult cattle.
      As part of the investigations, tests will be done to exclude bovine Johne's disease (BJD).
    "; S3[3]="   Department of Agriculture and Food director of animal biosecurity Dr Ashley Mercy said the results of these investigations and tests would provide additional "; S4[3]=" evidence to demonstrate BJD free status for Western Australia.
      The $200 rebate, being funded by the Cattle Council of Australia (CCA), "; S5[3]=" can be used by producers towards the cost of a private veterinarian visiting their property to collect samples from adult cattle with symptoms including diarrhoea "; S6[3]=" and wasting.
      An extra $150 rebate is available if a post mortem is required.
      In addition, the Department "; S7[3]=" of Agriculture and Food's Animal Health Laboratories will be providing free testing of the samples for producers, totalling about $1000 per animal.
      "; S8[3]=" This testing cost will be covered by the Cattle Industry Compensation Fund.
      Dr Mercy said, as a result of a reported "; S9[3]=" case of BJD last year, Western Australia needed to provide evidence of negative test results in order to maintain its disease-free zone status.
    "; S10[3]="   'Producers in the agricultural areas are encouraged to take advantage of this rebate for investigating diarrhoea and wasting in their cattle so the "; S11[3]=" results can be used as part of the demonstrated evidence,' he said.
      'Symptoms that cattle producers should be looking for in "; S12[3]=" adult cattle include diarrhoea lasting more than three weeks and loss of weight over that period despite adequate nutrition.
      'Producers who "; S13[3]=" have cattle with these symptoms should contact a private veterinarian who will advise if they are eligible for a rebate on the testing.' Western "; S14[3]=" Australia's CCA representatives Tim D'Arcy and Mike Norton said the BJD Free Zone status was important for the WA cattle industry and they encouraged cattle "; S15[3]=" producers to take up the rebate incentive.
      The details of the veterinary rebate scheme will be posted to cattle producers in "; S16[3]=" the wheatbelt and southern regions within the next few weeks.
      Producers from Geraldton down to Esperance are eligible to apply for "; S17[3]=" the rebate.
      The rebate does not apply to producers in the pastoral regions, as the seasonal conditions in these areas make the "; S18[3]=" occurrence of BJD highly unlikely... "; R[4]="2007"; T[4]="Farmers warned of mite with increasing pesticide resistance"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20070331"; Dt[4]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[4]="a22a24a33a86"; B1[4]="      One of Australia's most devastating crop and pasture pests is showing signs of resistance to pesticide.... "; B2[4]=" "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      One of Australia's most devastating crop and pasture pests is showing signs of resistance to pesticide.
      The discovery in "; S2[4]=" Western Australia is a world-first, with farmers now being told to consider alternative control methods for the red-legged earth mite.
      Dr Paul "; S3[4]=" Umina, from the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaption Research at Melbourne University, says resistance was first suspected in the late 1990s, but there is "; S4[4]=" now no doubt.
      'One particular case we had a farmer in Western Australia who had a canola crop that was emerging in "; S5[4]=" Autumn in 2006,' Dr Umina said.
      'He sprayed this crop four separate times with a mixture of synthetic pyrethroids and was not "; S6[4]=" able to control that red-legged earth mite population.
      'So the levels of resistance that we are talking about are certainly high enough "; S7[4]=" that we're not getting adequate control in the field.'.. "; R[5]="2006"; T[5]="Apple growers continue legal fight against imports"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20070331"; Dt[5]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[5]="a18a33"; B1[5]="      Apple growers will mount yet another legal challenge to the Federal Government's decision to allow apple imports from New Zealand.... "; B2[5]=" "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      Apple growers will mount yet another legal challenge to the Federal Government's decision to allow apple imports from New Zealand.
    "; S2[5]="   The national director of Quarantine yesterday signed off on Biosecurity Australia's decision to approve imports.
      Growers are concerned about the risk "; S3[5]=" of the disease fireblight and say if the Minister for Agriculture does not override the decision, they will take their case to the courts.
  "; S4[5]="     John Corboy from the Apple and Pear Growers Fireblight Taskforce says the fight is far from over.
      'This is year "; S5[5]=" eight at the moment and I've had six grandchildren in the time that this one's happened so it's been a very long time,' he sad.
"; S6[5]="       'If something was threatening your livelihood and your family's well-being I dare say you'd have a lot of trouble coming to a "; S7[5]=" point where enough was enough in protecting it.'.. "; R[6]="1970"; T[6]="$4.2 million OJD loan waived"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20070308"; Dt[6]="Thursday 8 March 2007"; Acats[6]="a25a33"; B1[6]="      The State Government has announced it will waive the $4.2 million loan for Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) management it provided the State's "; B2[6]="sheep producers... "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      The State Government has announced it will waive the $4.2 million loan for Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) management it provided the State's "; S2[6]=" sheep producers.
      It has announced it intends to waive the loan it afforded industry in 2003 to help manage and control the "; S3[6]=" sheep wasting disease OJD in the State's flock under the National Ovine Johne's Control Program.
      In further good news, excellent progress has "; S4[6]=" been made in collecting funds under the State's OJD Transaction Contribution Scheme which meant finalisation of payments to producers owed money under the grants assistance "; S5[6]=" scheme is in sight.
      This is a separate issue to the loan provided by the State Government to help producers meet their "; S6[6]=" obligations to the national program.
      The OJD Transaction Contribution Scheme is used to finalise grant payments to farmers for on-farm Property Disease "; S7[6]=" Management Plans.
      From the $2.4 million that was owed to affected producers at the start of the scheme in October 2005, only "; S8[6]=" 52 producers remain to be paid out in full.
      The Rural Assistance Authority now predicts that if further claim backs on the "; S9[6]=" contributions are not made by producers, then all outstanding payments to producers could be finalised by 30 June this year.
      The means "; S10[6]=" that by the time the anticipated new national OJD arrangements are finalised, NSW will be able to draw a line under old State-based arrangements, allowing "; S11[6]=" the industry to move forward with the other States... "; R[7]="1924"; T[7]="Rust diseases - a threat to global food security"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20070222"; Dt[7]="Thursday 22 February 2007"; Acats[7]="a22a33"; B1[7]="      Chronic food shortages caused by cereal rusts have happened in the past - and today international agricultural agencies are on the alert "; B2[7]="again because of a new threat in Eastern Africa, a rust known as Ug99... "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      Chronic food shortages caused by cereal rusts have happened in the past - and today international agricultural agencies are on the alert "; S2[7]=" again because of a new threat in Eastern Africa, a rust known as Ug99.
      A virulent disease of wheat, Ug99 has the "; S3[7]=" potential to wipe out a quarter of the world's wheat crop.
      Next week, some of Australia's and the world's foremost experts in "; S4[7]=" the field of rust diseases will be in Sydney to attend a symposium on the topic - 'Rust Diseases: Threats to Global Food Security in "; S5[7]=" the Context of Climate Change.' The symposium has been organised by the NSW Centre for Plant and Animal Biosecurity, an alliance between the NSW Department "; S6[7]=" of Primary Industries and the University of Sydney.
      High on the agenda is the threat to global food security from Ug99, which "; S7[7]=" last month was reported to have jumped from eastern Africa and is now infecting wheat in Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula.
      Countries "; S8[7]=" in the predicted pathway of Ug99 grow more than 65 million hectares of wheat a year.
      NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) "; S9[7]=" Principal Research Scientist, Dr Colin Wellings said: 'There is international concern that this new stem rust could destroy vast quantities of wheat and threaten food "; S10[7]=" security at a time that world wheat stocks are at a historic low.
      'The potential for the disease to move into Central "; S11[7]=" Asia is enormous and alarming.' Speakers at the symposium include the facilitator of the Global Rust Initiative (GRI), Dr Richard Ward, who is based at "; S12[7]=" the international plant breeding centre CIMMYT in Mexico.
      GRI was set up in 2005 in response to recurring epidemics of Ug99 in "; S13[7]=" Kenya and Ethiopia.
      (In the early 1950s, a major stem rust epidemic in North America destroyed up to 40 per cent of "; S14[7]=" that continent's spring wheat crop.) Dr Ward says that 'the potential for a serious international epidemic of stem rust based on Ug99 has galvanized considerable "; S15[7]=" global concern to secure wheat yield protection through breeding for rust resistance.' In NSW, wheat growers are on alert because of the discovery of a "; S16[7]=" new stripe rust which disarms a resistance gene that has been bred into some popular varieties of wheat.
      Dr Wellings believes that "; S17[7]=" growers have two to three years before the new stripe rust becomes problematic for wheat varieties carrying the Yr17 resistance gene.
      'If "; S18[7]=" this proves to be the case, then there should be time for farmers to change the varieties they are planting.' Dr Wellings said that for "; S19[7]=" nearly a century, DPI and University of Sydney scientists have been working to find new genes which confer resistance and breed them into Australian cereal "; S20[7]=" varieties.
      He said that in 1973 a stem rust outbreak caused 'historic and massive losses' in crops in northern NSW and Queensland.
"; S21[7]="       This galvanised government and industry to take a national approach to work towards being prepared for new incursions.
      The "; S22[7]=" Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for National Plant Biosecurity is a major sponsor of the symposium... "; R[8]="1869"; T[8]="Aust poultry not at risk despite UK bird flu outbreak: consultant"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20070207"; Dt[8]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[8]="a30a33"; B1[8]="      A 10 kilometre surveillance zone has been set up around the site of the UK's first H5N1 bird flu outbreak.... "; B2[8]=" "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      A 10 kilometre surveillance zone has been set up around the site of the UK's first H5N1 bird flu outbreak.
    "; S2[8]="   Investigations are continuing into how the shedded turkeys at a farm in Suffolk contracted the virus, but all of the 160,000 turkeys on the "; S3[8]=" property are being destroyed.
      Veterinary consultant to the Australian Poultry Industry Dr Peter Scott says similarities between British and local poultry practices "; S4[8]=" do not mean that Australian poultry are also at risk.
      'We're in a fortunate situation in Australia,' he said.
      "; S5[8]=" 'We are an island and some years ago through evolutionary type pathways, the typical waterfowl that carry avian influenza, particularly the H5N1 virus, the anthraforms, "; S6[8]=" we're very fortunate they don't migrate down to Australia, they migrate to Indonesia but they don't come down any further.'.. "; R[9]="1837"; T[9]="Cotton disease under attack"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20070129"; Dt[9]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[9]="a15a33"; B1[9]="      A novel method to better manage black root rot in cotton will see NSW Department of Primary Industries' scientists at the Australian "; B2[9]="Cotton Research Institute near Narrabri test the potential of onions and marigolds as biofumigation crops... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      A novel method to better manage black root rot in cotton will see NSW Department of Primary Industries' scientists at the Australian "; S2[9]=" Cotton Research Institute near Narrabri test the potential of onions and marigolds as biofumigation crops.
      It is hoped that onion or marigold "; S3[9]=" crops may reduce the survival of the fungus in the soil, reducing the risk for following cotton crops.
      The new method is "; S4[9]=" part of a three-pronged approach by NSW Department of Primary Industries to develop an improved disease management strategy aimed at reducing the economic impact of "; S5[9]=" the early season disease.
      With previous work showing a correlation between the incidence and severity of disease with certain soil properties, researchers "; S6[9]=" will also focus on what physical, biological or chemical aspects of the soil may actually suppress or support black root rot.
      In "; S7[9]=" addition, the research will determine whether BionŽ, a synthetic chemical applied to the seed, can be used to slow down the build-up of the pathogen "; S8[9]=" in the soil from initially low levels.
      The application method and direct effect on the cotton plant is also being investigated.
  "; S9[9]="     Black root rot is caused by the soil borne fungus Thielaviopsis basicola, which has a wide host range and is responsible for economic "; S10[9]=" losses in many agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide.
      The fungus infects the roots of cotton plants at the seedling stage causing slow "; S11[9]=" early season growth, particularly when climatic conditions are cool and moist.
      This slow start results in delayed maturity of the cotton plant, "; S12[9]=" with high yield losses possible.
      Because the fungus reproduces prolifically on the roots, each successive cotton crop deposits large numbers of spores "; S13[9]=" in the soil, increasing the incidence and severity of the disease as cotton cropping continues.
      NSW DPI plant pathologist David Nehl has "; S14[9]=" been actively involved in monitoring the spread of black root rot in cotton over the past 10 years and is also researching the effects of "; S15[9]=" early planting dates on the severity of the disease in cotton to provide advice to growers on how to successfully avoid the disease.
    "; S16[9]="   In order to boost the research effort, Dr Susanna Driessen from Western Australia was recruited last year to tackle a new project which aims "; S17[9]=" to better understand the suppressive nature of some soils against the disease.
      Dr Driessen said the challenge would be to develop an "; S18[9]=" improved disease management strategy for this intractable disease.
      'Currently, there are no fungicides registered or effective against the pathogen, with farm hygiene "; S19[9]=" the only way to slow the spread between farms and within field on individual farms,' she said.
      'If the research shows that "; S20[9]=" some soils can suppress the disease, then the aim is to evaluate whether these soil properties can be transferred to other conducive soils as a "; S21[9]=" direct control measure.
      'Alternatively, they may be used as a predication of disease potential, which would then enable growers to make informed "; S22[9]=" disease management decisions based on their soil type.' Funding for the new black root rot research at Narrabri has come from the Cotton Research and "; S23[9]=" Development Corporation and forms part of a co-ordinated effort through the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC to reduce the impact of black root rot on cotton "; S24[9]=" production... "; R[10]="1816"; T[10]="Latest stripe rust warning - what it means for NSW growers"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20070123"; Dt[10]="Tuesday 23 January 2007"; Acats[10]="a22a33"; B1[10]="      The new Yr17 attacking pathotype of stripe rust discovered by the Plant Breeding Institute at the University of Sydney is unlikely to "; B2[10]="present a major problem for farmers in central and northern NSW this year, according to NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI)... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      The new Yr17 attacking pathotype of stripe rust discovered by the Plant Breeding Institute at the University of Sydney is unlikely to "; S2[10]=" present a major problem for farmers in central and northern NSW this year, according to NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
      Until "; S3[10]=" now the Yr17 gene has been a major defence against stripe rust in many popular wheat varieties grown in NSW, including Ellison, Marombi, Sunbri, Sunlin, "; S4[10]=" Sunstate, Sunvale and Ventura.
      'Growers should not be discouraged from growing these potentially vulnerable varieties of wheat this season, as there are "; S5[10]=" a large number of unknowns that need to be considered,' NSW DPI senior plant pathologist Dr Steven Simpfendorfer said.
      'For the new "; S6[10]=" pathotype to present a problem this year it needs to survive over summer on volunteer wheat plants in the restricted areas where it has been "; S7[10]=" found.
      However, the adaptability of the new Yr17 pathotype and its survival in 2007 cannot be predicted.
      'If there "; S8[10]=" is any good news from this drought it's that it has significantly reduced the opportunity for over-summer survival of all rusts.' The new pathotype arose "; S9[10]=" as a mutation of the 'WA pathotype', which is well adapted, widely distributed and responsible for the stripe rust epidemics that have plagued growers since "; S10[10]=" 2003.
      But this new pathotype has additional virulence to the Yr17 gene, which means growers can no longer rely on this gene "; S11[10]=" to combat stripe rust, according to Dr Simpfendorfer.
      'The simple message is Yr17 varieties will need to be carefully monitored during the "; S12[10]=" 2007 growing season,' he said.
      'Seed or in-furrow fungicide applications with these varieties are not recommended as there are too many unknowns.
"; S13[10]="       The money would be better saved for a timely in-crop fungicide application, if that is warranted later in the season.' Of the "; S14[10]=" 150 stripe rust samples submitted to the Plant Breeding Institute Cereal Rust Laboratory at the University of Sydney in 2006, only two samples from Coleambally "; S15[10]=" in southern NSW and Horsham in Victoria were the new Yr17 pathotype.
      Dr Simpfendorfer said the new pathotype would need to build-up "; S16[10]=" on susceptible wheat crops in southern NSW and Victoria then blow north to present a significant risk to central and northern NSW wheat crops in "; S17[10]=" 2007.
      'Even if this did occur, it is likely to start from a very low base, which means it is more likely "; S18[10]=" to occur late in the season in northern crops when they are well advanced which would limit the impact on yield loss.
      "; S19[10]=" In southern NSW, if the new pathotype establishes, it is more likely to affect crops at earlier growth stages.
      'Listed varieties which "; S20[10]=" contain Yr17, now under threat from the newly discovered pathotype, may also contain other minor resistance genes and adult plant resistance genes.
      "; S21[10]=" 'All Yr17 varieties currently have a high level of resistance to the 'WA pathotype' and while their ratings will drop under attack from the new "; S22[10]=" Yr17 pathotype, some may still have adequate resistance while others may fall enough to require fungicide management.' The recent discovery highlights the importance of submitting "; S23[10]=" rust samples to the Australian Cereal Rust Survey throughout the season.
      As this case has shown, rust monitoring can often provide an "; S24[10]=" early warning of the impact which can give a one to two year warning to industry to allow some capacity for response through variety choice "; S25[10]=" or fungicide preparedness... "; R[11]="1721"; T[11]="Frost damage raises 'disease' concerns"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20061130"; Dt[11]="Thursday 30 November 2006"; Acats[11]="a33a79"; B1[11]="      Last week's rare November frost raised concerns about an unusual disorder in grain sorghum crops.... "; B2[11]=" "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      Last week's rare November frost raised concerns about an unusual disorder in grain sorghum crops.
      Department of Primary Industries "; S2[11]=" and Fisheries principal plant pathologist in Toowoomba, Malcolm Ryley, said he had received young grain sorghum plants to check for possible disease-causing organisms.
    "; S3[11]="   Dr Ryley said that apart from some minor root infection, the plants had no disease, but were affected by the light frosts in much "; S4[11]=" of the southern Queensland grain belt and northern NSW.
      He said the damage was worsened by the cold winds that followed.
  "; S5[11]="     Dr Ryley said some upper leaves of the plant samples showed distinct bleached to light-brown stripes.
      Other leaves had general "; S6[11]=" 'burnt' patches, without the striping.
      'In most cases the damage was confined to the top one-third of plant leaves,' he said.
"; S7[11]="       Dr Ryley said the plant samples came mostly from low-lying parts of paddocks, again pointing to frost damage.
      "; S8[11]=" When plant stems were cut, there was no damage to developing leaves or other internal parts of plants.
      He said the "; S9[11]=" plant damage he saw would grow out and was unlikely to reduce yield, but concerned growers should contact their agronomist to assess their individual situations.
"; S10[11]="       'There may be some issues with pollen viability in damaged plants that are at the flag leaf stage, but I feel "; S11[11]=" it's unlikely to be an issue in less mature plants,' he said.
      The plant disease concerns resulted from the rarity of frost "; S12[11]=" damage to grain sorghum in November, Dr Ryley said.
      DPI&F senior industry development officer Greg Salmond said government and private agronomists "; S13[11]=" were working together to assess the frost damage and provide growers with options that suited their circumstances.
      Mr Salmond said that generally "; S14[11]=" there had been less damage than expected, although some individual crops in low-lying areas were severely affected.
      He said the hardest hit "; S15[11]=" area was the southern Downs.
      Maize and dolichos generally sustained more damage than grain sorghum.
      'In many cases crops "; S16[11]=" will recover from the damage.
      Some growers may consider slashing or replanting in extreme cases.
      'We recommend that "; S17[11]=" growers inspect their paddocks and seek professional advice if they have concerns,' Mr Salmond said... "; R[12]="1718"; T[12]="Better crown rot resistance not far off"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20061130"; Dt[12]="Thursday 30 November 2006"; Acats[12]="a22a33a93"; B1[12]="      A genetic solution to a disease that has troubled wheat growers for half a century may not be that far off.... "; B2[12]=" "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      A genetic solution to a disease that has troubled wheat growers for half a century may not be that far off.
  "; S2[12]="     Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries plant pathologist Damian Herde said wheat with greater crown rot resistance than any currently available would be "; S3[12]=" provided to breeding companies in as little time as three years.
      Dr Herde said it should then be possible to raise resistance "; S4[12]=" levels in successive varieties, although total resistance might not be achieved.
      He said the breakthrough in the Grains Research and Development Corporation-supported "; S5[12]=" research had come from the crown rot team's intensive screening of tens of thousands of plants a year in glasshouse and field trials.
    "; S6[12]="   As a result, the contenders had been whittled to six populations, all of which had strong crown rot resistance.
      'The good "; S7[12]=" news is that one has an advanced line related to EGA Wylie as a parent, which means enhanced resistance in a commercial variety could be "; S8[12]=" available much sooner than using resistance found in wild relatives,' Dr Herde said.
      'The best of the current commercial varieties, EGA Wylie "; S9[12]=" and Sunco, have a crown rot resistance rating of 6.
      'The resistant material we are working with is an easy 7, with "; S10[12]=" resistance levels of 8 possible in successive varieties, 9 being the highest,' Dr Herde said.
      He said crown rot was first formally "; S11[12]=" recorded in Australian wheat in 1966 and had defied the efforts of plant pathologists and breeders for a varietal solution.
      This was "; S12[12]=" because of the complexity of the resistant genes and inheritance issues.
      'The great challenge had been to combine increased crown rot resistance "; S13[12]=" with agronomic characteristics that suit both those who grow and use the crop.
      'The good thing, though, is that crown rot resistance "; S14[12]=" is durable, meaning that a break-down of the resistance is unlikely,' Dr Herde said He said disease management through rotating wheat with chickpeas, grain sorghum "; S15[12]=" or millets, and using partially resistant varieties, was the industry mainstay to limit the effects of crown rot.
      'This will change with "; S16[12]=" the release of more-resistant varieties in years to come,' Dr Herde said.
      He said crown rot was a major issue in the "; S17[12]=" northern grain belt, cutting yields by up to 60-80 per cent in severe cases but more commonly by 20-30 per cent.
      'It "; S18[12]=" also has grain quality and downgrading implications through the production of small grain.
      'Durum, the semolina and pasta wheat, is unfortunately highly "; S19[12]=" susceptible to crown rot, as are some barley varieties,' Dr Herde said.
      He said crown rot was caused by Fusarium fungi that "; S20[12]=" built up in the soil in the absence of crop rotation, with disease symptoms becoming worse with a dry finish to the season.
    "; S21[12]="   The incidence of the disease had increased with the widespread adoption of the soil and moisture saving practice of reduced tillage, which provided ideal "; S22[12]=" conditions for it to survive on crop residues... "; R[13]="1711"; T[13]="Quarantine protocols imposed on NZ avocados"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20061130"; Dt[13]="Thursday 30 November 2006"; Acats[13]="a08a17a33"; B1[13]="      Biosecurity Australia has imposed new quarantine protocols on avocados imported from New Zealand.... "; B2[13]=" "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      Biosecurity Australia has imposed new quarantine protocols on avocados imported from New Zealand.
      The disease avocado scab has been "; S2[13]=" found in New Zealand and is not known to be in Australia.
      The new rules will require fruit to be sprayed before "; S3[13]=" harvest and dipped in copper after harvest.
      Hugh Moore from NZ Avocado Growers says 90 per cent of the crop comes to "; S4[13]=" Australia in a market worth $30 million and he is rejecting any suggestion that fruit imports should be banned.
      'The spraying mechanisms "; S5[13]=" do work and that's in their own science,' he said.
      'It's quite clear it does work and I would say that's slightly "; S6[13]=" protectionism, in fact, I think the Australian grower wants to remember that we've grown the segment of their market, the business at retail has certainly "; S7[13]=" been growing to the benefits of both parties.'.. "; R[14]="1607"; T[14]="Encouraging results from bovine Johne's disease testing"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20061103"; Dt[14]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[14]="a25a33"; B1[14]="      Tests for bovine Johne's disease in nine trace herds in Western Australia have all produced negative results.... "; B2[14]=" "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      Tests for bovine Johne's disease in nine trace herds in Western Australia have all produced negative results.
      Director "; S2[14]=" of Animal Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) Ashley Mercy said the tests cover more than half of the 15 "; S3[14]=" herds sampled as part of investigations of BJD in a beef herd near Albany.
      'Since BJD was confirmed in the herd "; S4[14]=" in July this year, DAFWA has traced all known movements of cattle on and off the infected property,' Dr Mercy said.
      "; S5[14]=" 'The infected property and ten trace herds are currently under quarantine restrictions.
      'The investigation of herds that neighbour the infected property, "; S6[14]=" and herds that are known to have received cattle from the property, will take about three months to complete,' Dr Mercy said.
      "; S7[14]=" 'Investigations in the infected herd suggest the disease may have been present in the herd from the mid-1990s or earlier.
      "; S8[14]=" All cattle on the infected property are being sent for slaughter with the owner receiving compensation from the Cattle Industry Compensation Fund.
      "; S9[14]=" Risk animals on suspect properties are also being sent for slaughter with compensation.
      WA is a Bovine Johne's Disease (BJD) Free "; S10[14]=" Zone.
      Maintaining that status requires the eradication of any known disease, and surveillance to demonstrate that BJD is no longer present.
  "; S11[14]="     'The best surveillance is cattle owners checking their herds for persistent weight loss and diarrhoea in adult cattle,' Dr Mercy said... "; R[15]="1590"; T[15]="Farm hoping for canker-free future"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20061103"; Dt[15]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[15]="a18a33"; B1[15]="      Orchardists at Emerald in central Queensland are in the final stages of preparing for what is being called the most complex tree "; B2[15]="planting operation in Australia's history... "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      Orchardists at Emerald in central Queensland are in the final stages of preparing for what is being called the most complex tree "; S2[15]=" planting operation in Australia's history.
      A total of 193,000 citrus trees had to be destroyed at 2PH farms after canker was discovered "; S3[15]=" in the region in 2004.
      Under a replacement project 5,000 trees will be planted every day for four months.
      "; S4[15]=" Manager Craig Pressler is hoping for a canker-free future.
      'Otherwise we wouldn't be going back into this with the level of investment "; S5[15]=" that we are.
      We are totally believing that it's gone,' he said... "; R[16]="1532"; T[16]="Beware of buying sheep diseases"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20061017"; Dt[16]="Tuesday 17 October 2006"; Acats[16]="a25a33"; B1[16]="      A resurgence of brucellosis disease in sheep is being linked to the purchase of infected animals according to Department of Agriculture and "; B2[16]="Food Animal Biosecurity Director Ashley Mercy... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      A resurgence of brucellosis disease in sheep is being linked to the purchase of infected animals according to Department of Agriculture and "; S2[16]=" Food Animal Biosecurity Director Ashley Mercy.
      Dr Mercy said key biosecurity measures including the purchase of sheep with a Sheep Health Statement "; S3[16]=" would minimise the risk of introducing costly pests and diseases.
      'The department's Animal Health Laboratories (AHL) has confirmed 11 per cent of "; S4[16]=" blood samples collected from 6724 sheep have tested positive for the Brucells ovis bacteria over the past four months,' Dr Mercy said.
      "; S5[16]=" 'Cases of B.
      ovis infections have been detected in flocks in Esperance, Katanning, Quairading, Dangin, Dongara, Boyup Brook, Grass Patch and Bolgart.
"; S6[16]="       'With the exception of two properties, all infections have occurred on farms that are not part of the Brucellosis Accreditation Program.' Dr "; S7[16]=" Mercy said brucellosis was present in all states of Australia, and producers were advised to carry-out biosecurity checks before purchasing any sheep.
      "; S8[16]=" 'Brucellosis can be introduced to a flock by an infected ram.
      The disease affects all breeds of sheep causing infertility in rams, "; S9[16]=" abortion in ewes and in some cases, death of lambs soon after birth,' he said.
      'By asking vendors for a Sheep Health "; S10[16]=" Statement, producers will be able to assess the risk of buying in pests and diseases including brucellosis, resistant worms, lice and footrot.' Brucellosis can result "; S11[16]=" in considerable economic loss due to increased culling of rams, reduced marking percentages, extended lambing seasons and ill thrifty new born lambs.
      "; S12[16]=" The disease can also limit where producers are able to market their sheep.
      Export rams must be free of brucellosis.
    "; S13[16]="   Dr Mercy said the Sheep Ovine Brucellosis Accreditation Scheme in WA was a voluntary program run in association with individual owners, breed societies, veterinary "; S14[16]=" practitioners and the department.
      He said member flocks had regular testing and adhered to good biosecurity and isolation of introduced stock.
  "; S15[16]="     Producers wishing to buy rams should ask breeders if the rams have been tested or are from an ovine brucellosis accredited flock, and "; S16[16]=" engage a veterinarian to inspect the rams before they are introduced... "; R[17]="1474"; T[17]="WSM Virus Detections Pose Seed Questions"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20061002"; Dt[17]="Monday 2 October 2006"; Acats[17]="a22a33"; B1[17]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food says Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) in-crop surveys have resulted in detections over a wide area "; B2[17]="of the wheat belt... "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food says Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) in-crop surveys have resulted in detections over a wide area "; S2[17]=" of the wheat belt.
      Principal plant virologist Roger Jones said WSMV had been found this spring from Esperance and Katanning districts "; S3[17]=" in the south, Merredin and adjoining districts in the east and near Dongara in the north.
      WSMV is spread by means "; S4[17]=" of infected wheat seed and a vector mite, the Wheat Curl Mite (Aceria tosichella).
      It was first detected in autumn self-sown wheat "; S5[17]=" and became apparent this season in wheat crops in WA for the first time.
      The symptoms appear as pale and green streaking "; S6[17]=" on the leaves with yellowing of leaf tips and stunted and tufted growth.
      The streaking is usually most obvious on older leaves "; S7[17]=" towards their basal halvesd.
      Dr Jones said that in most cases only scattered individual plants were showing the symptoms amidst a "; S8[17]=" paddock of healthy wheat.
      'In at least one instance there is 100% infection resulting in crop failure' he said.
      "; S9[17]=" 'Excellent co-operation from agronomists and consultants has provided numerous samples as part of a WA Wheatbelt WSMV survey and the disease has now been detected "; S10[17]=" over a large area.
      Locations with positive detections to date include Dongara, Wongan Hills, Goomalling, Quairading, Kellerberrin, Koorda, Trayning, Burracoppin, Moorine Rock, "; S11[17]=" Merredin, Hyden, Narembeen, Karlgarin, Corrigin, Nyabing, Lake King and the Esperance area (Gibson, Scadden, Yerritup),' Dr Jones said.
      'Agronomists also report "; S12[17]=" seeing the characteristic symptoms in crops from which no samples have been tested, particularly in the Merredin area,' he said.
      The Department "; S13[17]=" of Agriculture and Food provides diagnostic services through AGWEST Plant Laboratories, and growers who suspect they may be seeing WSMV can send fresh samples for "; S14[17]=" identification (chargeable).
      Dr Jones said research indicated that dispersion through infected wheat seed stocks may account for the wide distribution of "; S15[17]=" WSMV found in the 2006 growing season.
      'It is important that seed from WSMV affected crops should not be retained for "; S16[17]=" sowing.
      Healthy seed is essential for WSMV management.
      Farmers in affected areas should preferably source seed from low risk "; S17[17]=" areas,' he said.
      Dr Jones said a testing service for seed samples would be available for seed harvested in 2006.
  "; S18[17]="     'A seed test will help growers to evaluate the risk of establishing the disease from seed and sowing infected seed can be "; S19[17]=" avoided if tests show a positive result,' he said.
      Dr Jones said that a substantial 'green bridge' of volunteer cereals and "; S20[17]=" grasses before the growing season favoured mite vectored infection of subsequent wheat crops.
      'This is also the experience in New South "; S21[17]=" Wales where more that 20,000 hectares are badly affected with WSMV this year.' Dr Jones said the only known control options against WSMV were "; S22[17]=" to control the 'green bridge', to sow healthy seed stocks of wheat, and to avoid early sowing when mild autumn temperatures favour the wheat curl "; S23[17]=" mite vector.
      'Unfortunately, there is no effective miticide to spray against the vector, and there are no WSMV-resistant wheat varieties available.' "; S24[17]=" Dr Jones said... "; R[18]="1467"; T[18]="Sheep farmers warned to be wary of foot rot surveys"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20061002"; Dt[18]="Monday 2 October 2006"; Acats[18]="a25a33"; B1[18]="      Sheep farmers are being told to be wary of sheep foot rot surveys circulated by the Department of Agriculture.... "; B2[18]=" "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      Sheep farmers are being told to be wary of sheep foot rot surveys circulated by the Department of Agriculture.
      "; S2[18]=" The Western Australian Farmers Federation says the surveys seek to persuade farmers to choose an option to monitor instances of the bacterial infection.
    "; S3[18]="   The federation says the department is trying to get out of its responsibility to eradicate foot rot in Western Australia after it indicated it "; S4[18]=" had abandoned plans to wipeout the condition in favour of better controlling the disease.
      The president of the wool section of the "; S5[18]=" federation, Max Watts, says having foot rot on one property inevitably affects neighbouring farmers.
      'It's OK for the people who want to "; S6[18]=" trade in sheep and don't mind putting up with the issues of the foot rot, but the neighbours are being forced to take other extra "; S7[18]=" costs imposed on them,' he said.
      'I don't think it's very fair on the rest of the industry.' The Department of Agriculture "; S8[18]=" says it is not trying to sway the outcome of the surveys.
      The deputy director-general of biosecurity and research, Rob Delane, says "; S9[18]=" results from the surveys will help the department find the best way to deal with foot rot in the state.
      'Clearly WA "; S10[18]=" Farmers has a preference for one option and that's their right to take that position and promote it,' he said.
      'We're not "; S11[18]=" doing that ...
      we look forward, as I'm sure the foot rot eradication campaign advisory committee does, to seeing the results of "; S12[18]=" the producer feedback.' The surveys are due back to the Department of Agriculture today... "; R[19]="1438"; T[19]="Oat rust breakthrough extends viability"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20060927"; Dt[19]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[19]="a24a33"; B1[19]="      When this Genie is let out of the bag and into the paddock it will be good news for Queensland cattle producers.... "; B2[19]=" "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      When this Genie is let out of the bag and into the paddock it will be good news for Queensland cattle producers.
"; S2[19]="       Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries oat plant breeding specialist Bruce Winter said the high yielding experimental forage oat QA2 was to "; S3[19]=" be named Genie and small amounts of seed would be available for growers in 2007.
      Mr Winter told cattle and hay producers "; S4[19]=" attending a forage oats trial farm walk at Biloela Research Station on September 7 that the development of two new experimental lines QA2 and QA3 "; S5[19]=" represented a major step forward for forage oat croppers from Central Queensland through to the Darling Downs and the Maranoa.
      'QA2 is "; S6[19]=" a very late maturing variety that consistently yields 10 to 15 per cent above the commercial average and its leaf rust resistance should extend its "; S7[19]=" productive life well beyond current varieties,' Mr Winter said.
      Mr Winter said the DPI&F oat breeding program had funding support "; S8[19]=" from Heritage Seeds and Meat and Livestock Australia and a commercial seed release arrangement with Heritage Seeds.
      'Our breeding program is now "; S9[19]=" producing cultivars with multiple leaf rust resistant genes that have the potential to greatly extend the productive life of new releases before they succumb to "; S10[19]=" evolving races of leaf rust.
      'Another new approach is to incorporate genes for partial leaf rust resistance.
      This form "; S11[19]=" of resistance is more durable and restricts the spread of the disease within the crop, a technique used for the first time in the development "; S12[19]=" of QA2.
      'Our selection program is targeting late maturity varieties which can be sown in April and will not flower until September "; S13[19]=" in Central Queensland.
      Even when subjected to multiple grazing rotations, these plants retain their vigour to take advantage of late spring rains.
"; S14[19]="       'The breeding program is also investigating forage quality traits such as protein content, sugar content and digestibility which have a significant influence "; S15[19]=" on cattle liveweight gains,' Mr Winter said.
      The rain grown Biloela oat trials were planted on 13 April at 40 kg/ha to "; S16[19]=" target a population of one million plants/hectare supported by an application of 40 kg/ha of urea (nitrogen) and 40 kg/ha of Starter Z at planting.
"; S17[19]="       Mr Winter subjected trial plots to forage cuts on 28 June (76 days post planting) and 26 July (28 days regrowth) to "; S18[19]=" assess yield and compare the experimental and commercial oats with the forage wheat variety, Petrel, and the forage barley, Dictator.
      'Grazing management "; S19[19]=" of these new lines was important and to ensure vigorous regrowth, the oat plants should not be grazed below 12 cm,' he said.
    "; S20[19]="   Petrel, an awnless late maturity forage wheat, was slow to establish and regrow.
      Its yield was 80 per cent of the "; S21[19]=" commercial oats and could not be strongly recommended.
      Dictator, a six-row awnless black barley, had good early production with a 10 per "; S22[19]=" cent yield advantage but did not recover well from the first cut because of its quick maturity.
      Goovigen district dairy farmer Robert "; S23[19]=" Jordison said he planted the late maturity commercial oat varieties, Nugene and Taipan, in April this year.
      Mr Jordison said he was "; S24[19]=" about to graze the raingrown oats for the third time.
      Although they were deemed rust susceptible varieties, he said had not seen "; S25[19]=" any leaf rust in the past five years, no doubt a legacy of the dry winter seasons.
      However, leaf rust remained a "; S26[19]=" threat in wetter seasons.
      Callide cattle and grain producer Gil Schmidt said he planted oats in April and had been continuously grazing "; S27[19]=" 60 steers destined for the Jap ox market on 25 ha.
      Mr Schmidt said it was the best oat crop he had "; S28[19]=" grown in 20 years and he expected to finish the steers without grain assistance by mid-October if it did not get too hot... "; R[20]="1435"; T[20]="Footrot survey deadline next week"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20060927"; Dt[20]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[20]="a25a33"; B1[20]="      The State's sheep producers have until 30 September to nominate their preferred option for dealing with virulent footrot in Western Australia.... "; B2[20]=" "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      The State's sheep producers have until 30 September to nominate their preferred option for dealing with virulent footrot in Western Australia.
  "; S2[20]="     The survey, initiated by the Footrot Eradication Campaign Advisory Committee (FECAC), was sent to more than 11,000 sheep producers to seek their input "; S3[20]=" on the future direction of the Footrot Eradication Program.
      FECAC chairman Chris Richardson said there had been a good response so far "; S4[20]=" with about 1300 responses received.
      'Input from producers is imperative in deciding the best way forward for dealing with virulent footrot,' Mr "; S5[20]=" Richardson said.
      'Although FECAC has representatives from farmer groups including WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, the committee also wants feedback "; S6[20]=" from as many of WA's sheep owners as possible.' Mr Richardson said producers were asked to consider three options: 1.
      enhance the "; S7[20]=" current program to achieve a high level of control by 2020.
      This option would require a producer payment of up to 20 "; S8[20]=" cents per head on sheep sales.
      2.
      implement a lower-cost footrot control program to help preserve the substantial gains "; S9[20]=" made by the existing program to date, requiring a producer contribution of up to six cents per head on sheep sales.
      3 "; S10[20]=" deregulation where individual producers manage footrot under the guidance of an industry-driven framework.
      The survey must be returned by 30 September to "; S11[20]=" the Department of Agriculture and Food, 444 Albany Highway, Albany WA 6330 or fax 9892 8496 or 9841 2707... "; R[21]="1387"; T[21]="Scoring points for ovine Johne's disease"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20060918"; Dt[21]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[21]="a27a33"; B1[21]="      Abattoir inspections are being offered to help WA sheep producers assure interstate buyers that the purchased sheep are clear of ovine Johne's "; B2[21]="disease (OJD)... "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      Abattoir inspections are being offered to help WA sheep producers assure interstate buyers that the purchased sheep are clear of ovine Johne's "; S2[21]=" disease (OJD).
      Department of Agriculture and Food Animal Biosecurity Director Ashley Mercy said all sheep being moved too the Eastern States must "; S3[21]=" be accompanied by a Sheep Health Statement, which specifies OJD assurance points.
      Dr Mercy said some buyers in South Australia, western and "; S4[21]=" northern New South Wales and Queensland required five or more OJD assurance points.
      He said Western Australia was classified as an OJD "; S5[21]=" Low Prevalence Area, and non-infected flocks had three OJD points.
      'Additional OJD assurance points can be gained through vaccination and through inspecting "; S6[21]=" sufficient adult sheep from a line at an abattoir,' Dr Mercy said.
      'The Department of Agriculture and Food has a number of "; S7[21]=" trained OJD inspectors who can inspect sheep at specific abattoirs on a fee for service basis.' The inspection service is charged at the standard rate "; S8[21]=" for inspections.
      Producers can contact their local Department office for referral to a trained inspector.
      Dr Mercy said vaccinating "; S9[21]=" lambs before 16 weeks of age for OJD with GudairŽ vaccine, or vaccinating the consignment of sheep, and having a 'v' embossed on the ear "; S10[21]=" tag would also provide an extra assurance point... "; R[22]="1386"; T[22]="All stops out to curb wheat virus"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20060918"; Dt[22]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[22]="a22a33"; B1[22]="      All stops are out now that researchers from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), University of Melbourne and the private sector have "; B2[22]="united to curb the devastating wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV)... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      All stops are out now that researchers from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), University of Melbourne and the private sector have "; S2[22]=" united to curb the devastating wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV).
      When WSMV was first detected in some central, southern and north-western wheat "; S3[22]=" crops last year it cut yields by up to 100 per cent.
      NSW DPI Young district agronomist, Paul Parker, said the aim "; S4[22]=" was to work out the most effective ways to manage the virus.
      'In this trial we are examining the way WSMV spreads "; S5[22]=" so we can provide the best advice on how to manage next season's wheat crop,' Mr Parker said.
      'We know the virus "; S6[22]=" is spread by the wheat curl mite (WCM) and seed-borne infection, now we're exploring the extent of the spread and impact of grazing.' Evidence from "; S7[22]=" last season showed that the greater the amount of grazing, particularly by sheep, the higher the level of WSMV in the crop.
      "; S8[22]=" 'One ungrazed crop with a very low-level of WSMV won the State-wide field wheat competition at 7.3 tonnes per hectare, while some grazed crops were "; S9[22]=" total wipe outs,' he said.
      'Grain & Graze, which uses dual purpose wheat, is just taking off across NSW and we hope "; S10[22]=" this trial will help it keep going as an important component of our grazing enterprises.' NSW DPI plant pathologist, Gordon Murray, said the Young trial "; S11[22]=" was using three different seed sources which were also being evaluated in glasshouse trials at Wagga Wagga.
      'We're using seed which is "; S12[22]=" WSMV-free, seed from low-level infected crops and one which had high-level WSMV,' Dr Murray said.
      'The site is useful because it's bordered "; S13[22]=" by a grassy roadside verge which could serve as source of WSMV and WCM.
      We aim to map virus distribution to work "; S14[22]=" out how much WSMV is moving in from outside and how much comes from seed-borne infection in the crop.' Along with NSW DPI resistance trials "; S15[22]=" at Coolah, laboratory research in Tamworth and input from NSW DPI and Landmark agronomists, the aim is to get as much data as possible to "; S16[22]=" farmers prior to the next growing season.
      The research is partly funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and involves a "; S17[22]=" study of WCM being undertaken by Dr Michele Schiffer from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptive Research... "; R[23]="1381"; T[23]="Wheat virus spreads"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20060918"; Dt[23]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[23]="a22a33"; B1[23]="      The destructive wheat streak mosaic virus is rapidly spreading across Western Australia.... "; B2[23]=" "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      The destructive wheat streak mosaic virus is rapidly spreading across Western Australia.
      Western Australia's Department of Agriculture banned wheat "; S2[23]=" imports from the eastern states earlier this year to try to stop the disease entering the state.
      That ban was lifted when "; S3[23]=" it was discovered after the virus was found in a commercial crop.
      Department spokesman Roger Jones says for the first time, the "; S4[23]=" virus is now being found in crops across the wheatbelt.
      'It is a very serious disease if there's widespread infection with the "; S5[23]=" virus in young plants, young wheat plants,' he said.
      'It causes stunting, the plants don't then grow and the yield is very, "; S6[23]=" very low, and what they do yield if they're infected that early is just shrivelled grain.
      So that's a scenario that's very "; S7[23]=" serious.'.. "; R[24]="1369"; T[24]="Battle continues against leaf rust in oats"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20060908"; Dt[24]="Friday 8 September 2006"; Acats[24]="a24a33"; B1[24]="      New rust-resistant oat lines from North America will be introduced to Australia during the next few years to strengthen the Queensland forage "; B2[24]="oats breeding program... "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      New rust-resistant oat lines from North America will be introduced to Australia during the next few years to strengthen the Queensland forage "; S2[24]=" oats breeding program.
      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries oat breeder, Bruce Winter, said he would soon start introducing a range of "; S3[24]=" new breeding lines he had selected during a recent trip to the United States and Canada.
      Mr Winter said Queensland and NSW "; S4[24]=" graziers would benefit from the introduction of this germplasm through the release of new, leaf rust resistant varieties.
      Mr Winter visited the "; S5[24]=" key oat breeding programs in the US and Canada, looking for new sources of resistance to leaf rust, the major disease of forage oats in "; S6[24]=" sub-tropical Australia.
      'Leaf rust is a very aggressive disease and can cause significant yield loss in wetter seasons,' he said.
    "; S7[24]="   'The disease has readily overcome the single resistance genes present in many older varieties.
      'Leaf rust is very topical among "; S8[24]=" North American researchers since several new races recently emerged and overcame the resistance in some popular varieties,' Mr Winter said.
      He said "; S9[24]=" the Queensland breeding program was constantly looking for new sources of resistance to this disease, and he identified a range of promising lines during this "; S10[24]=" trip.
      'These lines will be imported into Australia, evaluated under local conditions, and used for breeding of new varieties,' he said.
  "; S11[24]="     Mr Winter said although grain and forage oats were minor crops in Australia, the oat industry in North America was much larger, and "; S12[24]=" much greater resources were invested in developing of new varieties.
      He said a highlight of the trip was a visit with Dr "; S13[24]=" James Chong in Winnipeg, Canada.
      Dr Chong had spent over 30 years looking for new sources of leaf rust resistance in "; S14[24]=" the wild relatives of oat.
      New genes released from his program had been used in oat varieties all over the world.
  "; S15[24]="     'Forage oats are critically important to the grazing industries in Queensland and NSW,' Mr Winter said.
      'They are the "; S16[24]=" main feed source for many farming operations during winter.
      Farmers often rely on forage oats for finishing livestock during this period.' Mr "; S17[24]=" Winter and research technician Richard Uebergang manage the forage oat breeding program at the Leslie Research Centre, Toowoomba.
      'The project aims is "; S18[24]=" to release commercial varieties with durable resistance to leaf rust and high forage yield, combined with good early vigour and late maturity.
      "; S19[24]=" 'The breeding program receives funding support from Meat and Livestock Australia and Heritage Seeds, and all varieties released by the program are marketed by Heritage "; S20[24]=" Seeds,' Mr Winter said... "; R[25]="1343"; T[25]="Renewed warning for Sheep grazing Biserrula"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20060830"; Dt[25]="Wednesday 30 August 2006"; Acats[25]="a25a33"; B1[25]="      There's a renewed warning of the risk of photosensitisation for lambs, bare shorn animals and other high value animals being grazed on "; B2[25]="biserrula pastures... "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      There's a renewed warning of the risk of photosensitisation for lambs, bare shorn animals and other high value animals being grazed on "; S2[25]=" biserrula pastures.
      Department of Agriculture and Food pasture research officer Angelo Loi said the risk was highest now, in spring.
  "; S3[25]="     'Biserrula is now growing more rapidly, particularly with the recent wet weather, and it is becoming a dominant feed source,' Dr Loi "; S4[25]=" said.
      'Graziers need to be aware of the problem, understand the risks of grazing on biserrula at this time of the "; S5[25]=" year, and know the steps to take if they detect animals suffering from photosensitisation,' he said.
      'This is a problem that does "; S6[25]=" not occur in all biserrula paddocks, but it is still a concern that should be addressed.' Photosensitisation results in sun-burn like symptoms on exposed "; S7[25]=" areas of the skin, especially around the ears, tail and muzzle of the sheep.
      In severe cases, skin lesions and secondary infections "; S8[25]=" can develop.
      'Photosensitisation can result in skin lesions, secondary infections, a loss of wool, and irritation,' Dr Loi said.
    "; S9[25]="   'The problem can develop in lambs in as little as a week, so awareness is important.
      Graziers should remove any "; S10[25]=" animals showing signs of photosensitisation from biserrula pastures.
      They can recover quite quickly if grazed on grass based pastures rather than other "; S11[25]=" legume dominant pastures,' he said.
      Dr Loi said the risk was lower if biserrula was only a minor component of the "; S12[25]=" pasture.
      'Rotating flocks for short periods through biserrula paddocks in spring will also reduce the risk,' he said.
      "; S13[25]=" Two varieties of biserrula are now commercialised.
      Casbah is a mid-season cultivar, suited areas with 325 to 500mm annual rainfall.
  "; S14[25]="     Mauro is a mid to late-maturing cultivar, suited to regions with 450 to 700mm rainfall.
      For more information on "; S15[25]=" photosensitisation, contact Dr Angelo Loi on 9368 3907 or Dr Clinton Revell on 9368 3596 at the Department of Agriculture and Food... "; R[26]="1341"; T[26]="Future options for footrot control"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060830"; Dt[26]="Wednesday 30 August 2006"; Acats[26]="a25a33"; B1[26]="      Next week the State's sheep producers will be asked to nominate their preferred options, including funding, for dealing with virulent footrot in "; B2[26]="Western Australia... "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      Next week the State's sheep producers will be asked to nominate their preferred options, including funding, for dealing with virulent footrot in "; S2[26]=" Western Australia.
      A survey, initiated by the Footrot Eradication Campaign Advisory Committee (FECAC), is being sent to more than 11,000 sheep "; S3[26]=" producers to guide the future direction of the Footrot Eradication Program.
      FECAC chairman Chris Richardson said a review of the current "; S4[26]=" program found that eradication of virulent footrot was unlikely using current technology and could not be achieved by the target date of 2014.
    "; S5[26]="   He said producers would be asked to consider an option of enhancing the current program to achieve a high level of control by "; S6[26]=" 2020.
      This option would require a producer payment of up to 20 cents per head on sheep sales.
      "; S7[26]=" 'This enhanced eradication program is likely to cost at least $1.5 million per annum with a total cost of $21 million by 2020,' Mr Richardson "; S8[26]=" said 'While it will deliver a financial benefit to the sheep industry, with an estimated benefit cost ratio of 2.4 to 1, eradication would "; S9[26]=" probably not be achieved.
      We could still expect up to 60 properties in quarantine for virulent footrot at 2020.' Mr Richardson "; S10[26]=" said the second option was to implement a lower-cost footrot control program to help preserve the substantial gains made by the existing program to date.
"; S11[26]="       'Such a program is likely to require funding of $500,000 per annum and may require a producer contribution of up to "; S12[26]=" six cents per head on sheep sales,' he said.
      'In this scenario, there would need to be some regulatory control to "; S13[26]=" restrict the introduction and spread of severe strains, and voluntary eradication of the less severe strains.
      'This option has the highest "; S14[26]=" estimated benefit to cost ratio of 5 to 1.' Producers could also vote for deregulation where individual producers manage footrot under the guidance of "; S15[26]=" an industry-driven framework.
      Under this option there would be no regulatory controls for footrot but the Department of Agriculture and Food "; S16[26]=" would continue to provide a laboratory diagnostic service.
      Mr Richardson said the three possible future options and costs for addressing footrot "; S17[26]=" in WA were detailed in a discussion paper prepared by FECAC and the Department.
      The discussion paper and survey was being "; S18[26]=" distributed directly to sheep producers so they can nominate their preference... "; R[27]="1334"; T[27]="Healthy seed key to Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus management"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060827"; Dt[27]="Sunday 27 August 2006"; Acats[27]="a22a33"; B1[27]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food says the use of tested seed is important to protect crops from Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus "; B2[27]="(WSMV)... "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food says the use of tested seed is important to protect crops from Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus "; S2[27]=" (WSMV).
      WSMV was found in self sown seed on several properties in the Esperance and Kondinin regions in April this year, "; S3[27]=" and was identified for the first time last week in a sown commercial wheat crop in Merredin.
      Department of Agriculture principal "; S4[27]=" plant virologist Roger Jones said farmers should be looking out for signs of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV), especially in early sown crops.
    "; S5[27]="   'The Department advises farmers to sow seed stocks from which a representative seed sample has been tested, and the sample found to be "; S6[27]=" healthy,' Dr Jones said.
      'Seed samples can be tested for the virus, and seed should not be retained from WSMV affected "; S7[27]=" crops or where a seed sample tests positive,' Dr Jones emphasised.
      'AGWEST Plant Laboratories confirmed the virus in the sown commercial "; S8[27]=" wheat crop last week after testing a sample from the Merredin area,' Dr Jones said.
      'Landmark consultant Scott Thomson sent the "; S9[27]=" sample in on behalf of a grower who became concerned about an early sown wheat crop in which all the plants had pale green streaked "; S10[27]=" leaves with yellowing of leaf tips and stunted growth,' he said.
      Dr Jones said that in early sowing situations Wheat Streak "; S11[27]=" Mosaic Virus could significantly reduce the yield and grain quality of wheat, although experience with the disease under Western Australian conditions was still very limited "; S12[27]=" at this stage.
      'Early sown crops are at higher risk because of the potential for the virus vector, wheat leaf curl "; S13[27]=" mite, to be active in spreading the virus within the crop at young growth stages prior to cold winter months,' he said.
      "; S14[27]=" 'The wheat curl mite vector survives the dry summer period in green bridge growth consisting of volunteer cereals and grasses.' Farmers who suspect "; S15[27]=" Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus in their wheat crops can send shoot samples into AGWEST Plant Laboratories for identification.
      Dr Jones said "; S16[27]=" retention of seed grain from crops carrying the virus should be avoided at harvest.
      'Because the virus is transmitted through wheat "; S17[27]=" seed, the Department is currently developing a seed test, with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.' Dr Jones said.
      "; S18[27]=" 'It is expected that an initial testing service will be available to farmers to test suspect seed stocks in time for next year's sowing.' "; S19[27]=" Dr Jones said that unlike the situation with some aphid transmitted viruses, pesticides were not effective against the mite vector, and there were no known "; S20[27]=" wheat varieties resistant to the virus.
      'Ensuring sowing of seed stocks from which a representative seed sample has been tested and "; S21[27]=" found free, and controlling the green bridge before planting wheat in paddocks are the only control strategies currently available,' Dr Jones advised... "; R[28]="1324"; T[28]="Smut diseases on Mycology Congress agenda"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20060823"; Dt[28]="Wednesday 23 August 2006"; Acats[28]="a20a33a93"; B1[28]="      A workshop on smut diseases will be a topical issue under discussion at the Eighth International Mycology Congress (IMC8) in Cairns because "; B2[28]="of its recent detection on sugar cane farms in the Childers area... "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      A workshop on smut diseases will be a topical issue under discussion at the Eighth International Mycology Congress (IMC8) in Cairns because "; S2[28]=" of its recent detection on sugar cane farms in the Childers area.
      But sugar cane is not the only major primary industry "; S3[28]=" in Queensland that could be affected by smut diseases.
      Karnal bunt, a fungal disease which has not been detected in Australia, could "; S4[28]=" cause more than a billion dollars worth of damage to the wheat industry if it were to arrive, according to Department of Primary Industries and "; S5[28]=" Fisheries principal plant pathologist Roger Shivas of Brisbane.
      Dr Shivas will run a workshop on smut diseases at James Cook University on "; S6[28]=" Sunday August 20th as part of IMC8.
      'Workshop participants will be shown how to recognise smut fungi, how to collect them, how "; S7[28]=" to study, identify and name smut fungi, and how to preserve them,' he said.
      'Recent developments in the classification of smut fungi, "; S8[28]=" based on morphological and molecular characteristics, will be presented at the workshop.' The workshop will benefit from a contribution by Kálmán Vánky, the world's foremost "; S9[28]=" authority on the identification and taxonomy of smut fungi.
      Dr Vánky is the author of several books and more than 300 research "; S10[28]=" papers on smut fungi.
      Drs Shivas and Vánky are putting the finishing touches to a book which describes and illustrates all 300 "; S11[28]=" species of smut fungi that occur in Australia.
      'The importance of this work, like the workshop, is that it will help those "; S12[28]=" who identify smuts get it right,' Dr Shivas said.
      Mycology is the study of fungi including mushrooms, moulds, truffles and yeasts.
  "; S13[28]="     Some fungi contribute to the formation of lichens and there are many fungi that cause disease in animals and plants.
      "; S14[28]=" IMC8 is the first time the congress has been held in the southern hemisphere.
      About 700 speakers and delegates will come from "; S15[28]=" around the world to take part... "; R[29]="1281"; T[29]="Feedlot industry leaders train for disease outbreak"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060812"; Dt[29]="Saturday 12 August 2006"; Acats[29]="a27a33"; B1[29]="      Australia's peak feedlot industry representatives will undertake an intensive one-day training course in Sydney next week to help prepare an emergency disease "; B2[29]="outbreak response for the feedlot industry... "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      Australia's peak feedlot industry representatives will undertake an intensive one-day training course in Sydney next week to help prepare an emergency disease "; S2[29]=" outbreak response for the feedlot industry.
      Twenty-five senior industry representatives, including Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA) Council members and the finalists "; S3[29]=" in the 2006 Phibro Young Lot Feeder Achiever Award competition, will participate in the training session on Tuesday 15 August.
      The training "; S4[29]=" day, coordinated by Animal Health Australia in conjunction with ALFA, will equip participants to become Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs) in the event of an emergency "; S5[29]=" disease outbreak in the lot feeding industry.
      According to Dr Mike Bond, Animal Health Australia's Director Programs, the feedlot industry ILOs will "; S6[29]=" act as a communication conduit between the disease response specialists, local lot feeders and the wider community in the event of an animal disease emergency.
"; S7[29]="       'ILOs will employ their knowledge to help inform the lot feeding industry and the local community of the latest developments and actions "; S8[29]=" being taken in an emergency response, and to assist disease control authorities with decision making,' said Dr Bond.
      Helen Murray, Executive "; S9[29]=" Director of ALFA, believes the ILO course will provide essential training to key lot feeding members, and will further emphasise the industry's preparation for a "; S10[29]=" disease outbreak.
      'With the ongoing threat of an emergency animal disease outbreak in the feedlot sector, particularly in the form of foot "; S11[29]=" and mouth disease, our members are committed to ensuring plans and preparations are in place to help Australia keep its international 'safe and healthy' reputation,' "; S12[29]=" said Ms Murray.
      'The Australian feedlot sector is proactive in terms of implementing biosecurity plans and measures to guard against an emergency "; S13[29]=" disease outbreak, however, like all livestock industries, we would still be extremely vulnerable if an outbreak was to occur,' Ms Murray said.
      "; S14[29]=" 'An outbreak of any magnitude would have a devastating impact on the industry, and for this reason, it is imperative for our producers "; S15[29]=" to undergo training that will allow them to work side-by-side with government to ensure an effective response,' she said.
      The one-day "; S16[29]=" Industry Liaison Officer training course will be held at ALFA's Sydney office... "; R[30]="1253"; T[30]="Producers have say on footrot"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060805"; Dt[30]="Saturday 5 August 2006"; Acats[30]="a25a33"; B1[30]="      The State's 11,000 sheep producers will be surveyed to help guide the future direction of the footrot eradication program in Western Australia.... "; B2[30]=" "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      The State's 11,000 sheep producers will be surveyed to help guide the future direction of the footrot eradication program in Western Australia.
"; S2[30]="       Footrot Eradication Campaign Advisory Committee (FECAC) chairman Chris Richardson said input from producers was imperative in deciding the best way forward for "; S3[30]=" dealing with virulent footrot.
      FECAC has representatives from farmer groups including WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association.
      The "; S4[30]=" committee also wants feedback from as many of WA's sheep owners as possible.
      Mr Richardson said the State's footrot eradication program had "; S5[30]=" eliminated the most severe strains of footrot from WA and had reduced the level of infected flocks to less than one per cent.
    "; S6[30]="   However, the program had been unable to progress further towards full eradication.
      'For the past decade, the footrot eradication program has "; S7[30]=" repeatedly demonstrated that virulent footrot can be eradicated from an individual farm or local area, but the more ambitious goal of eradicating the disease from "; S8[30]=" Western Australia has not been achieved,' Mr Richardson said.
      'The latest assessment by FECAC and the Department of Agriculture and Food found "; S9[30]=" that eradication of virulent footrot could not be achieved by the target date of 2014.
      It was also considered unlikely that virulent "; S10[30]=" footrot could ever be eradicated from WA with current technology,' Mr Richardson said.
      'With the more severe strains having been eradicated, a "; S11[30]=" key difficulty for farmers is now distinguishing the signs of virulent footrot from the signs of common diseases such as benign footrot (foot scald) and "; S12[30]=" foot abscess.
      'The spread of footrot by strays and commercial sheep movements, even from properties with no apparent signs of the disease, "; S13[30]=" has resulted in ongoing outbreaks.' Three possible future options and costs for addressing footrot in WA have been outlined in a discussion paper prepared by "; S14[30]=" FECAC and the Department of Agriculture and Food.
      Producers are being asked to consider three options: ' Continuing the footrot eradication program "; S15[30]=" with a goal of eradication by 2020; ' Implementing a footrot control program; or ' Sheep producers to manage footrot.
      The discussion "; S16[30]=" paper is being distributed directly to sheep producers so they can look at the options and let FECAC know their preference through the accompanying survey "; S17[30]=" form... "; R[31]="1252"; T[31]="Early detection and control important to reduce rust impact"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060805"; Dt[31]="Saturday 5 August 2006"; Acats[31]="a22a33"; B1[31]="      Early detection and control of stripe rust will reduce the risk of serious damage in crops this season, according to Department of "; B2[31]="Agriculture and Food plant pathologist Geoff Thomas... "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      Early detection and control of stripe rust will reduce the risk of serious damage in crops this season, according to Department of "; S2[31]=" Agriculture and Food plant pathologist Geoff Thomas.
      Mr Thomas said several cases of stripe rust had recently been identified in cereal crops "; S3[31]=" in the south eastern and south coastal areas of the state.
      'Wheat stem rust has also been reported in crops and volunteer "; S4[31]=" re-growth in southern and eastern regions,' he said.
      'The initial finds of stripe rust have been in a range of varieties, including "; S5[31]=" partially resistant varieties, where full resistance builds after flag leaf emergence.' 'The first reports of stripe rust this year have occurred in the early stages "; S6[31]=" of crop development, around stem elongation, which is likely to allow time for disease to increase within crops and also spread between crops.
    "; S7[31]="   'Uncontrolled stripe rust can significantly impact on crop yields, particularly in susceptible varieties and crops which are infected early.
      However, careful "; S8[31]=" monitoring of crops and timely application of fungicides, if needed, can significantly reduce disease severity.' Mr Thomas said rust was expected to be evident first "; S9[31]=" in earlier sown crops, particularly susceptible varieties and crops sown without protection from long-acting pre-sowing fungicides.
      'Later sown crops can also be "; S10[31]=" expected to come under pressure, if the weather favours disease development and spread through cropping regions,' he said.
      'The Department is reminding "; S11[31]=" farmers it is vital to monitor their crops closely and, where necessary, apply a fungicide spray to reduce the impact of rust diseases, particularly where "; S12[31]=" infection has occurred early.
      'Controlling stripe rust infection at early stages of disease establishment is likely to ease disease pressure until adult "; S13[31]=" plant resistance and warmer conditions reduce the rust risk.
      'In more susceptible varieties, early infection may result in more than one fungicide "; S14[31]=" application being required.' Mr Thomas said recent weather conditions had been favourable for development and spread of stripe rust and that further finds of stripe "; S15[31]=" rust could be expected to start appearing in earlier sown crops in the regions where initial finds were made.
      'Continuing wet conditions "; S16[31]=" will favour ongoing stripe rust development.
      Damp conditions continuing into spring could result in the development of stripe rust throughout the southern "; S17[31]=" and south-eastern wheatbelt.
      Warm and wet conditions later in the season could also result in the onset of stem rust,' Mr Thomas "; S18[31]=" said.
      'However, a drier finish will rapidly diminish the impact of rust on crop yields.' The Department of Agriculture and Food provides "; S19[31]=" up to date information on new rust outbreaks in the PestFax newsletter and Rust Report available at www.agric.wa.gov.au ... "; R[32]="1215"; T[32]="Sunflower disorder cause identified"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060730"; Dt[32]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[32]="a24a33"; B1[32]="      The cause of central Queensland's mystery sunflower disorder is no longer a mystery after Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) researchers "; B2[32]="identified tobacco streak virus (TSV) in infected plant tissue... "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      The cause of central Queensland's mystery sunflower disorder is no longer a mystery after Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) researchers "; S2[32]=" identified tobacco streak virus (TSV) in infected plant tissue.
      DPI&F principal agronomist Richard Routley said that following a marked escalation of the "; S3[32]=" disorder in 2004 that severely impacted crop growth, an 18-month Grains Research and Development Corporation and DPI&F-funded investigative project began in January this year.
  "; S4[32]="     Mr Routley said this early breakthrough in identifying TSV would go a long way toward restoring much-needed industry confidence in growing sunflowers in "; S5[32]=" central Queensland.
      'A great deal more work is now required to understand this disease and how it is spread and then develop "; S6[32]=" management and control strategies,' Mr Routley said.
      The project has been guided by a steering committee comprising DPI&F scientists specialising in "; S7[32]=" pathology, virology, agronomy, entomology and weeds as well as Central region agronomic consultants, industry representatives and DPI&F extension officers.
      DPI&F senior experimentalist "; S8[32]=" at Emerald, John Ladewig, initiated pre- and post-herbicide sunflower trials at the Emerald Research Station this season and has monitored development of the disorder in "; S9[32]=" three Central Highlands crops since Easter.
      Follow-up chemical analysis of plant samples failed to find any trace of toxins or nutrient deficiencies "; S10[32]=" and pathology testing initially found no evidence of bacteria, fungi or viral infection.
      But Mr Ladewig noted that disorder symptoms were less "; S11[32]=" severe in crops grown from insecticide-treated seed and that the patterns of infection and development of symptoms were consistent with toxins or disease agents being "; S12[32]=" transmitted by insects.
      A meeting and field inspection attended by some of Australia's pre-eminent sunflower authorities in early June concluded that an "; S13[32]=" insect-borne pathogen was the most likely cause of the disorder.
      Subsequent experiments conducted by DPI&F pathologist Dr Gary Kong and research scientist "; S14[32]=" Murray Sharman showed that the telltale disorder symptoms of black streaked stems and discolouration and degradation of the stem pith, stunted growth and distorted growing "; S15[32]=" points and heads could be transferred to healthy plants using sap inoculated from a diseased plant.
      'We persisted with virus testing backed "; S16[32]=" by a report from India that identified tobacco streak virus as the cause of similar symptoms in sunflowers,' Dr Kong said.
      When "; S17[32]=" existing DNA-based tests failed to identify the virus, Mr Sharman designed a new DNA-based test to identify specific virus particles in plants and came up "; S18[32]=" with a positive match for TSV.
      DPI&F virologist Dr John Thomas said that confirming a virus diagnosis was often difficult as virus "; S19[32]=" symptoms and the expression of virus particles in plant tissues were generally quite variable.
      Dr Kong said that the testing needed to "; S20[32]=" be repeated but there was little doubt that the sunflower disorder could be attributed to tobacco streak virus and the most likely insect vector was "; S21[32]=" the western flower thrip.
      'TSV is endemic in Queensland and while it has never been recorded in sunflowers until now, this virus "; S22[32]=" has many weed hosts including parthenium, noogoora burr, cobblers peg and milk thistle that often do not show any sign of infection.
      "; S23[32]=" 'Insects feeding on these host plants are likely to be able to transmit the virus to sunflowers,' Dr Kong said.
      DPI&F Emerald-based "; S24[32]=" extension agronomist Anne Sullivan said that initial field observations indicated that insecticidal seed treatments had the potential to reduce the TSV risk during the early "; S25[32]=" stages of crop growth.
      Ms Sullivan said the DPI&F and GRDC-funded project under the guidance of the industry-based Steering Committee would continue "; S26[32]=" to investigate management solutions to ensure sunflowers remained a viable and valuable rotational cropping option in central Queensland... "; R[33]="1168"; T[33]="Targeted spraying helps manage stonefruit disease"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060721"; Dt[33]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[33]="a18a33"; B1[33]="      A cost-effective spray schedule to control bacterial spot in stonefruit has provided impressive results.... "; B2[33]=" "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      A cost-effective spray schedule to control bacterial spot in stonefruit has provided impressive results.
      A Department of Primary Industries "; S2[33]=" and Fisheries research scientist, Christine Horlock of the Applethorpe Research Station, said a four-year trial had shown that a targeted copper spring spray schedule provided "; S3[33]=" up to 37 per cent more saleable fruit than traditional copper treatments.
      Ms Horlock said the targeted treatments had reduced infection "; S4[33]=" by up to 93 per cent in susceptible plum varieties, with little adverse impact on fruit quality.
      She said the trial treatments "; S5[33]=" were tested at Applethorpe Research Station and in Granite Belt orchards, with financial support from the DPI&F, Summerfruit Australia Limited and Horticulture Australia Limited.
  "; S6[33]="     The schedule involved spraying with copper at six stages of fruit development and soon after rain, Ms Horlock said.
      Traditional "; S7[33]=" spring spray schedules required spraying twice, at early bud swell and 7-10 days later.
      Ms Horlock said the new program's copper sprays "; S8[33]=" were not currently permitted for use, so orchardists wanting to try it would need an off-label permit.
      'We also suggest that orchardists "; S9[33]=" use a trial treatment on a small area of the crop because of possible phytotoxicity to some varieties.' She said bacterial spot had long been "; S10[33]=" a serious disease of stonefruit on the Granite Belt, with its high summer rainfall, storms, and hail.
      Half the fruit on a "; S11[33]=" tree could be lost due to severe infections, as well as long-term damage to trees.
      'New infections can be initiated from bacterial "; S12[33]=" populations that over-winter in fallen infected leaves, allowing the disease to sustain itself in orchards between growing seasons.
      'Another issue is that "; S13[33]=" when you see infections on fruit, copper applications are two weeks or more too late.
      'When leaves start to fall off, "; S14[33]=" you have used too many copper applications or too high a rate,' she said.
      Ms Horlock said to help manage bacterial spot, "; S15[33]=" the DPI&F had produced a field identification card, previously sent to all Summerfruit Australia members and available from the Applethorpe Research Station.
      "; S16[33]=" 'Its aim is to raise awareness of bacterial spot and disease symptoms on stonefruit,' she said.
      Ms Horlock said she had "; S17[33]=" contributed to a chapter on bacterial spot management for the first Integrated Pest and Disease Management Manual for Australian Summer Fruit, which had been recently "; S18[33]=" distributed to 900 Summerfruit Australia Limited grower members.
      'Other contributors included leading scientists and orchardists who provided information on the significant pests "; S19[33]=" and diseases of Australian summer fruit, which makes it a valuable publication,' Ms Horlock said.
      More information on bacterial spot in stone "; S20[33]=" fruit is available by contacting the DPI&F (13 25 23)... "; R[34]="1128"; T[34]="Biological battle on ryegrass toxicity"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060717"; Dt[34]="Monday 17 July 2006"; Acats[34]="a02a33a72"; B1[34]="      Annual ryegrass toxicity is taking its toll, costing livestock producers about $40 million a year according to Department of Agriculture and Food "; B2[34]="estimates... "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      Annual ryegrass toxicity is taking its toll, costing livestock producers about $40 million a year according to Department of Agriculture and Food "; S2[34]=" estimates.
      Along-side chemical control of ryegrass, three biological control options - Safeguard ryegrass, Twist fungus and non-toxigenic Rathayibacter are showing the "; S3[34]=" best chance of success.
      Contracted on a project funded by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) Department development officer David Kessell will "; S4[34]=" present the options to producers at the Department's Sheep Updates on 13 July, sponsored by MLA and Australian Wool Innovation Ltd.
      "; S5[34]=" Annual ryegrass toxicity (ARGT) is a disease of grazing livestock resulting from the ingestion of annual ryegrass seed-heads infected by the toxin forming bacterium Rathayibacter "; S6[34]=" toxicus.
      Mr Kessell said the causal organisms of ARGT were spreading throughout Western Australia after first appearing near Gnowangerup in 1968.
"; S7[34]="       'Recent surveys have shown the organisms are now widely spread in the wheatbelt and mixed farming areas where annual ryegrass is "; S8[34]=" present,' he said.
      'Deaths have also occurred on the Swan coastal plain in animals fed locally- produced hay.
      "; S9[34]=" 'But, while the major visual impact is livestock deaths, this only accounts for approximately five per cent of the overall costs of the disease.
"; S10[34]="       There are subclinical effects on wool and reproduction and suspected on meat production and feed conversion efficiency.
      'Daily "; S11[34]=" monitoring of stock is costly and psychologically draining on producers.
      There is also a large cost to export hay producers through rejection "; S12[34]=" of contaminated hay (currently from 1 bacterial gall/kg of hay).' Mr Kessell said in winter, a number of herbicide options were available to reduce "; S13[34]=" the ryegrass populations in crops and pastures.
      The sowing of Safeguard ryegrass was also a very useful option for graziers.
    "; S14[34]="   In spring, the use of slashing or heavy grazing to remove infected seed-heads before toxicity developed could vastly increase the safety of affected "; S15[34]=" paddocks.
      Spray-topping with gramoxone or glyphosate at the correct times would also prevent further development of toxicity and make paddocks safer to "; S16[34]=" graze, but both these treatments were very damaging to legume seed set.
      Mr Kessell said an integration of several biological control "; S17[34]=" options was likely to have the most success.
      'Safeguard is a cultivar of ryegrass that has resistance to gall production from "; S18[34]=" the nematode Anguina funesta.
      For Safeguard to have the greatest impact, it must be established in at least a 3:1 proportion with "; S19[34]=" the local ryegrass,' he said.
      'Twist fungus (Dilophospora alopecuri) competes with the bacteria for the nematode vector and plant host.
  "; S20[34]="     Inside the ryegrass, twist grows more rapidly inhibiting nematode and bacterial gall production.
      Once established, twist will persist and spread, "; S21[34]=" has been shown to dramatically reduce numbers of toxic bacterial galls, and is not adversely affected by commonly used fungicides.' 'Even though there has "; S22[34]=" been a late start to the season, anyone who has purchased twist fungus should put it out as soon as possible to ensure the greatest "; S23[34]=" likelihood of successful establishment.
      It won't keep until next season.' Mr Kessell said the combined effectiveness of the two approaches was "; S24[34]=" demonstrated at a number of sites around WA in 2005.
      'In a particularly impressive case, on a farm near Beverley WA, "; S25[34]=" the treatment reduced toxic gall numbers from potentially deadly to relatively safe, within one season,' he said.
      Non-toxigenic Rathayibacter is a "; S26[34]=" non toxin producing species of the bacteria which is being assessed in quarantine studies and may prove to be highly effective in the control of "; S27[34]=" ARGT.
      These bacteria grow more rapidly and have been shown to displace the toxic bacteria.
      A decision from "; S28[34]=" AQIS to allow field trials is hoped for by the end of 2006.
      Potentially these bacteria would be easier to mass produce "; S29[34]=" and apply than twist fungus... "; R[35]="1126"; T[35]="No loss of market access from BJD"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060717"; Dt[35]="Monday 17 July 2006"; Acats[35]="a26a27a33"; B1[35]="      The discovery of bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in a beef herd in the Albany area does not affect WA's access to export "; B2[35]="or interstate markets for cattle beef or dairy products... "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      The discovery of bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in a beef herd in the Albany area does not affect WA's access to export "; S2[35]=" or interstate markets for cattle beef or dairy products.
      Chief Veterinary Officer Peter Buckman said BJD occurred in all cattle raising countries.
"; S3[35]="       It is known to be present in Australian herds since the 1920's, and was in all other States except the Northern Territory.
"; S4[35]="       Western Australia is currently recognised in Australia as a Free Zone for BJD, a rare status in worldwide terms because of the "; S5[35]=" extent of the disease in other countries.
      'Farmers around the world manage the disease by managing their herd and pasture grazing,' he "; S6[35]=" said.
      'There are no restrictions on Western Australian cattle other than the cattle that are now in quarantine on the affected property.
"; S7[35]="       There are also no restrictions on beef or dairy products.' Dr Buckman said Western Australia had detected BJD seven times in the "; S8[35]=" past, as far back as 1952,' he said.
      'WA has been able to eradicate BJD each time because it had not spread "; S9[35]=" from the original infected herds.
      This case may be more complicated as it appears that it may have been in the herd "; S10[35]=" for some time,' Dr Buckman said.
      Department and industry representatives are meeting in Perth to plan strategies to investigate the outbreak and "; S11[35]=" plan a way forward,' Dr Buckman said.
      'It will not be solved tomorrow.
      It will be a long term "; S12[35]=" effort by industry, cattle owners and the Department,' Dr Buckman said.
      Currently the Department is following up herds that are known to "; S13[35]=" have received or sent cattle to the infected herd or are known to be at risk from the infected herd.
      These herds "; S14[35]=" will be tested to see if the disease is more widespread.
      Dr Buckman said the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) had proved "; S15[35]=" invaluable in identifying the location of cattle moved within the last twelve months.
      He said tracings prior to the introduction of the "; S16[35]=" NLIS would have taken much longer.
      'The Department will continue to respect the personal privacy of owners affected by BJD.
    "; S17[35]="   This is a long standing policy in such cases.
      Unless the person wishes to have his name disclosed, we don't disclose.' "; S18[35]=" Dr Buckman highlighted the need for stock owners to continue standard biosecurity precautions and not allow cattle onto their property without knowing their history.
  "; S19[35]="     Cattle owners should ask their vet to investigate if mature cattle have a persistent diarrhoea and progressive weight loss that does not respond "; S20[35]=" to treatment... "; R[36]="1109"; T[36]="No loss of market access from BJD"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20060714"; Dt[36]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[36]="a25a26a27a33"; B1[36]="      The discovery of bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in a beef herd in the Albany area does not affect WA's access to export "; B2[36]="or interstate markets for cattle beef or dairy products... "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      The discovery of bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in a beef herd in the Albany area does not affect WA's access to export "; S2[36]=" or interstate markets for cattle beef or dairy products.
      Chief Veterinary Officer Peter Buckman said BJD occurred in all cattle raising countries.
"; S3[36]="       It is known to be present in Australian herds since the 1920's, and was in all other States except the Northern Territory.
"; S4[36]="       Western Australia is currently recognised in Australia as a Free Zone for BJD, a rare status in worldwide terms because of the "; S5[36]=" extent of the disease in other countries.
      'Farmers around the world manage the disease by managing their herd and pasture grazing,' he "; S6[36]=" said.
      'There are no restrictions on Western Australian cattle other than the cattle that are now in quarantine on the affected property.
"; S7[36]="       There are also no restrictions on beef or dairy products.' Dr Buckman said Western Australia had detected BJD seven times in the "; S8[36]=" past, as far back as 1952,' he said.
      'WA has been able to eradicate BJD each time because it had not spread "; S9[36]=" from the original infected herds.
      This case may be more complicated as it appears that it may have been in the herd "; S10[36]=" for some time,' Dr Buckman said.
      Department and industry representatives are meeting in Perth to plan strategies to investigate the outbreak and "; S11[36]=" plan a way forward,' Dr Buckman said.
      'It will not be solved tomorrow.
      It will be a long term "; S12[36]=" effort by industry, cattle owners and the Department,' Dr Buckman said.
      Currently the Department is following up herds that are known to "; S13[36]=" have received or sent cattle to the infected herd or are known to be at risk from the infected herd.
      These herds "; S14[36]=" will be tested to see if the disease is more widespread.
      Dr Buckman said the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) had proved "; S15[36]=" invaluable in identifying the location of cattle moved within the last twelve months.
      He said tracings prior to the introduction of the "; S16[36]=" NLIS would have taken much longer.
      'The Department will continue to respect the personal privacy of owners affected by BJD.
    "; S17[36]="   This is a long standing policy in such cases.
      Unless the person wishes to have his name disclosed, we don't disclose.' "; S18[36]=" Dr Buckman highlighted the need for stock owners to continue standard biosecurity precautions and not allow cattle onto their property without knowing their history.
  "; S19[36]="     Cattle owners should ask their vet to investigate if mature cattle have a persistent diarrhoea and progressive weight loss that does not respond "; S20[36]=" to treatment... "; R[37]="1086"; T[37]="Seventh case of BSE in Canada?"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060713"; Dt[37]="Thursday 13 July 2006"; Acats[37]="a26a27a33"; B1[37]="      According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), confirmatory testing is currently underway on samples from a cow in Alberta suspected of "; B2[37]="having bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)... "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), confirmatory testing is currently underway on samples from a cow in Alberta suspected of "; S2[37]=" having bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
      The animal was reported to be a 50-month old dairy cow that died and was retained on "; S3[37]=" farm.
      The cow was identified through the national BSE surveillance program and no part of the carcase entered the human food or "; S4[37]=" animal feed systems.
      This animal was born after Canada imposed feed restrictions in 1997.
      This investigation comes less "; S5[37]=" than two weeks after Canada confirmed its sixth case of BSE.
      The CFIA has stated that the detection of this new case "; S6[37]=" is consistent with a low level of disease and does not indicate an increased risk of BSE in Canada.
      In addition, the "; S7[37]=" Canadian Cattlemen's Association believes it will not have any impact on trade... "; R[38]="1081"; T[38]="Department investigates suspect cattle disease"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060712"; Dt[38]="Wednesday 12 July 2006"; Acats[38]="a26a27a33"; B1[38]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food has confirmed it is investigating a case of the wasting disease bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in "; B2[38]="a beef herd in the Albany area... "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      The Department of Agriculture and Food has confirmed it is investigating a case of the wasting disease bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in "; S2[38]=" a beef herd in the Albany area.
      Chief Veterinary Officer Peter Buckman said the case was referred to the Department after the "; S3[38]=" cattle owner had found a recurring problem with a small number of cows suffering weight loss and diarrhoea.
      'Department investigation found that "; S4[38]=" the clinical signs and blood and tissue tests results were all consistent with BJD infection,' Dr Buckman said.
      'DNA testing has now "; S5[38]=" confirmed the presence of BJD.
      'The herd has been quarantined and the Department will trace cattle movements to and from the herd "; S6[38]=" over the last 12 years.' Dr Buckman said the finding of BJD in Western Australia had significant consequences for the State's cattle industry.
    "; S7[38]="   'Western Australia is currently recognised nationally as a Free Zone for BJD,' he said.
      'WA will not immediately lose its Free "; S8[38]=" Zone status, but maintaining that status would require testing all risk properties and destocking all cattle from any infected property.
      'It would "; S9[38]=" also require wide scale surveillance testing to prove the disease was not longer present in the State.' Dr Buckman said the Department and industry representatives "; S10[38]=" would develop a plan to investigate the extent of the disease in Western Australia and determine whether eradication was technically possible and cost-effective.
    "; S11[38]="   'Tracing and testing to evaluate whether eradication is feasible and cost-effective will take months to complete,' Dr Buckman said.
      'The cattle "; S12[38]=" industry is fortunate in having a joint industry and government Cattle Industry Compensation Fund that will fund the costs of carrying out the testing necessary "; S13[38]=" to define the extent of the disease.
      'The fund would also enable the industry to carry out BJD eradication if that is "; S14[38]=" deemed feasible.' BJD is a serious intestinal wasting disease of cattle that can infect other animals such as alpaca, goats and deer.
      "; S15[38]=" It is caused by the bacterium M.
      paratuberculosis.
      BJD is not known to affect humans, and properly processed meat "; S16[38]=" and milk remain safe.
      Dr Buckman said BJD was unrelated to the sheep disease ovine Johne's disease (OJD) that was found in "; S17[38]=" Western Australia in November 2003.
      BJD spreads in the faeces and milk of infected animals and is picked up by ingesting contaminated "; S18[38]=" feed or water.
      It has an incubation period of 3-4 years before an infected animals start to lose condition.
      "; S19[38]=" Infected animals develop an incurable foul smelling diarrhoea.
      As the disease progresses, increasing numbers of bacteria are shed in the faeces and "; S20[38]=" further contaminate the pasture... "; R[39]="1067"; T[39]="BJD-infected cattle in quarantine"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060712"; Dt[39]="Wednesday 12 July 2006"; Acats[39]="a26a27a33"; B1[39]="      A herd of beef cattle near Albany in Western Australia has been quarantined after testing positive for a rare wasting disease.... "; B2[39]=" "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      A herd of beef cattle near Albany in Western Australia has been quarantined after testing positive for a rare wasting disease.
  "; S2[39]="     Veterinarians from the Department of Agriculture found the cattle are infected with Bovine Johne's disease (BJD), a condition that causes cattle to develop "; S3[39]=" incurable diarrhoea and waste away.
      The cattle were tested after their owner found many smaller cows in the herd were losing "; S4[39]=" weight.
      Chief veterinary officer Dr Peter Buckman says the department is tracking the Albany herd's movements to see if the disease "; S5[39]=" has spread.
      'Removal to slaughter of the whole herd is the only means of eradication,' he said.
      Western Australia "; S6[39]=" has a free zone status for BJD, which is now under threat.
      The department says it is developing a plan to "; S7[39]=" investigate whether the disease has been found anywhere else in WA and destroy any cattle carrying it... "; R[40]="1049"; T[40]="Biological battle on ryegrass toxicity"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060708"; Dt[40]="Saturday 8 July 2006"; Acats[40]="a25a26a27a33a72"; B1[40]="      Annual ryegrass toxicity is taking its toll, costing livestock producers about $40 million a year according to Department of Agriculture and Food "; B2[40]="estimates... "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      Annual ryegrass toxicity is taking its toll, costing livestock producers about $40 million a year according to Department of Agriculture and Food "; S2[40]=" estimates.
      Along-side chemical control of ryegrass, three biological control options - Safeguard ryegrass, Twist fungus and non-toxigenic Rathayibacter are showing the "; S3[40]=" best chance of success.
      Contracted on a project funded by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) Department development officer David Kessell will "; S4[40]=" present the options to producers at the Department's Sheep Updates on 13 July, sponsored by MLA and Australian Wool Innovation Ltd.
      "; S5[40]=" Annual ryegrass toxicity (ARGT) is a disease of grazing livestock resulting from the ingestion of annual ryegrass seed-heads infected by the toxin forming bacterium Rathayibacter "; S6[40]=" toxicus.
      Mr Kessell said the causal organisms of ARGT were spreading throughout Western Australia after first appearing near Gnowangerup in 1968.
"; S7[40]="       'Recent surveys have shown the organisms are now widely spread in the wheatbelt and mixed farming areas where annual ryegrass is "; S8[40]=" present,' he said.
      'Deaths have also occurred on the Swan coastal plain in animals fed locally- produced hay.
      "; S9[40]=" 'But, while the major visual impact is livestock deaths, this only accounts for approximately five per cent of the overall costs of the disease.
"; S10[40]="       There are subclinical effects on wool and reproduction and suspected on meat production and feed conversion efficiency.
      'Daily "; S11[40]=" monitoring of stock is costly and psychologically draining on producers.
      There is also a large cost to export hay producers through rejection "; S12[40]=" of contaminated hay (currently from 1 bacterial gall/kg of hay).' Mr Kessell said in winter, a number of herbicide options were available to reduce "; S13[40]=" the ryegrass populations in crops and pastures.
      The sowing of Safeguard ryegrass was also a very useful option for graziers.
    "; S14[40]="   In spring, the use of slashing or heavy grazing to remove infected seed-heads before toxicity developed could vastly increase the safety of affected "; S15[40]=" paddocks.
      Spray-topping with gramoxone or glyphosate at the correct times would also prevent further development of toxicity and make paddocks safer to "; S16[40]=" graze, but both these treatments were very damaging to legume seed set.
      Mr Kessell said an integration of several biological control "; S17[40]=" options was likely to have the most success.
      'Safeguard is a cultivar of ryegrass that has resistance to gall production from "; S18[40]=" the nematode Anguina funesta.
      For Safeguard to have the greatest impact, it must be established in at least a 3:1 proportion with "; S19[40]=" the local ryegrass,' he said.
      'Twist fungus (Dilophospora alopecuri) competes with the bacteria for the nematode vector and plant host.
  "; S20[40]="     Inside the ryegrass, twist grows more rapidly inhibiting nematode and bacterial gall production.
      Once established, twist will persist and spread, "; S21[40]=" has been shown to dramatically reduce numbers of toxic bacterial galls, and is not adversely affected by commonly used fungicides.' 'Even though there has "; S22[40]=" been a late start to the season, anyone who has purchased twist fungus should put it out as soon as possible to ensure the greatest "; S23[40]=" likelihood of successful establishment.
      It won't keep until next season.' Mr Kessell said the combined effectiveness of the two approaches was "; S24[40]=" demonstrated at a number of sites around WA in 2005.
      'In a particularly impressive case, on a farm near Beverley WA, "; S25[40]=" the treatment reduced toxic gall numbers from potentially deadly to relatively safe, within one season,' he said.
      Non-toxigenic Rathayibacter is a "; S26[40]=" non toxin producing species of the bacteria which is being assessed in quarantine studies and may prove to be highly effective in the control of "; S27[40]=" ARGT.
      These bacteria grow more rapidly and have been shown to displace the toxic bacteria.
      A decision from "; S28[40]=" AQIS to allow field trials is hoped for by the end of 2006.
      Potentially these bacteria would be easier to mass produce "; S29[40]=" and apply than twist fungus... "; R[41]="1029"; T[41]="Smut-affected cane to be burned ahead of harvest"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20060708"; Dt[41]="Saturday 8 July 2006"; Acats[41]="a20a33"; B1[41]="      The Department of Primary Industries in Queensland says it is focussing on the harvest of healthy sugar cane in Bundaberg and Childers "; B2[41]="to ensure a regular supply of cane to local mills... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      The Department of Primary Industries in Queensland says it is focussing on the harvest of healthy sugar cane in Bundaberg and Childers "; S2[41]=" to ensure a regular supply of cane to local mills.
      New protocols to control smut will see infested blocks in south-east Queensland "; S3[41]=" burned prior to harvesting.
      Chris Adriaansen says the process is time-consuming, so they will not start burning infested blocks until next week.
"; S4[41]="       'We've already got two teams on one of the large infested properties and that team is sorting out the infested from "; S5[41]=" the non-infested blocks,' he said.
      'Once we've gone through and again got ourselves just that little bit ahead for the harvester on "; S6[41]=" that particular farm, and a couple of the others as well, then our teams will start going back through, removing the whips and we will "; S7[41]=" start burning.'.. "; R[42]="1025"; T[42]="Great care needed if pasture fertilised with poultry litter"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060707"; Dt[42]="Friday 7 July 2006"; Acats[42]="a03a25a26a27a33"; B1[42]="      Cattle and sheep owners are reminded to take great care if they spread poultry litter on their pastures.... "; B2[42]=" "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Cattle and sheep owners are reminded to take great care if they spread poultry litter on their pastures.
      Some "; S2[42]=" recently reported cattle deaths in the State's South East may have been caused by pasture that was newly fertilised with poultry litter, says Tasmania's Chief "; S3[42]=" Veterinary Officer, Dr Rod Andrewartha.
      'It is most important that poultry litter is fully incorporated into the soil before any cattle or "; S4[42]=" sheep are put onto the pasture.' While the deaths are still under investigation, there are various diseases that can be caused by cattle or sheep "; S5[42]=" eating even small quantities of poultry litter.
      'The general rule is that if you can still see the poultry litter in the "; S6[42]=" pasture, it's too early to graze,' Dr Andrewartha said.
      'For most of the year, it takes about three weeks for poultry litter "; S7[42]=" to disappear into the ground.
      If there is prolonged dry weather, it may take more than three weeks.' He said that livestock "; S8[42]=" owners also need to be aware that fertilising pasture with poultry litter also has implications to Australia's BSE free status.
      Poultry feed "; S9[42]=" contains some meat, meat meal and may contain other animal product.
      This is known as Restricted Animal Material (RAM) which must never "; S10[42]=" be fed to ruminant animals.
      The ban on feeding RAM to ruminants is essential to maintaining Australia's status as being free of "; S11[42]=" Mad Cow Disease.
      'We carry out regular biosecurity audits to assure our major trading partners that they can buy our meat and "; S12[42]=" dairy products with confidence' Dr Andrewartha said.
      'Our high standards set us apart from many of our competitors and enable us to "; S13[42]=" access lucrative overseas markets.
      'I appeal to all livestock owners to make sure they do the right thing.
      "; S14[42]=" 'It's fine to use poultry litter to fertilise pasture if, and only if, all ruminant animals are kept off that pasture until all the "; S15[42]=" poultry litter has disappeared into the ground.'.. "; R[43]="1021"; T[43]="Whitefly management options for southern cotton"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060707"; Dt[43]="Friday 7 July 2006"; Acats[43]="a15a33"; B1[43]="      South Queensland cotton growers will meet soon to decide how best to manage key cotton insect pests, especially silverleaf whitefly which last "; B2[43]="season invaded crops in the area... "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      South Queensland cotton growers will meet soon to decide how best to manage key cotton insect pests, especially silverleaf whitefly which last "; S2[43]=" season invaded crops in the area.
      A Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries principal research scientist, Richard Sequeira of Emerald, said 35 "; S3[43]=" representatives of research, extension, and funding organisations met recently near Toowoomba to review the options available to South Queensland cotton growers in managing the cotton "; S4[43]=" pest complex.
      Dr Sequeira said the best of these options would be presented to cotton growers at a series of advertised meetings "; S5[43]=" to be held in the area during the next two months.
      'Our team will have a matrix of management options from "; S6[43]=" which growers can choose those that best suit individual needs and circumstances,' Dr Sequeira said.
      'Our experience shows that flexibility is "; S7[43]=" the key to success in managing silverleaf whitefly.
      The one size fits all approach does not work well,' he said.
    "; S8[43]="   Dr Sequeira said another outcome of the workshop was to decide on silverleaf whitefly sampling protocols that would help growers and consultants decide "; S9[43]=" when control measures were necessary.
      'This information will be included in a document to be distributed to South Queensland cotton growers.' "; S10[43]=" Dr Sequeira said greatly increased numbers of silverleaf whitefly in South Queensland cotton last season triggered the Toowoomba workshop.
      He said CQ "; S11[43]=" experience was an important building block for South Queensland management plans.
      When the silverleaf whitefly was first found in the Emerald irrigation "; S12[43]=" area in the 2001-02 season, pest management decisions were based on US experience.
      Since then, research and on-farm experience had been "; S13[43]=" used to develop management options that suited Australian practices, which was advantageous for growers, he said.
      'CQ cotton growers continue to "; S14[43]=" produce profitable crops despite initial concerns about the impact of the insect pest.
      'This experience and research show that chemical control of "; S15[43]=" one pest species invariably impacts on others, so successful silverleaf whitefly management in cotton requires integrated, non-disruptive management of the entire pest complex,' he said.
"; S16[43]="       'From a cropping systems point of view, we need to manage silverleaf whitefly effectively in cotton before we can manage it "; S17[43]=" in CQ sunflowers and other summer crops.
      'Insect growth regulators are non-disruptive products that have played a pivotal role in managing "; S18[43]=" silverleaf whitefly, but there are other products that can also be an important part of a comprehensive management strategy,' Dr Sequeira said.
      "; S19[43]=" He said as well as cotton, silverleaf whitefly were found on a range of ornamental plants and weeds, and were a significant problem in "; S20[43]=" Queensland vegetable crops.
      'The pest can retard plant growth, create honeydew problems in cotton, spread viruses, and rapidly develop insecticide resistance,' he "; S21[43]=" said... "; R[44]="957"; T[44]="Lack of canker action attacked"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060621"; Dt[44]="Wednesday 21 June 2006"; Acats[44]="a18a33"; B1[44]="      A Senate committee has strongly criticised the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for not pursuing the source of a disease that forced "; B2[44]="the destruction of 500,000 citrus trees near Emerald in central Queensland... "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      A Senate committee has strongly criticised the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for not pursuing the source of a disease that forced "; S2[44]=" the destruction of 500,000 citrus trees near Emerald in central Queensland.
      The Senate committee on Rural and Regional Affairs said in its "; S3[44]=" report, tabled yesterday, that AQIS officers failed to properly inspect, in 2001 and 2004, the Evergeen property on which citrus canker was found.
    "; S4[44]="   That was despite farm employees pointing them to a locked room they believed contained evidence of imported plant material.
      'The origins "; S5[44]=" of the citrus material should have been investigated much more rigorously,' the report said.
      'There are examples of a serious reluctance on "; S6[44]=" the part of AQIS to pursue issues that demanded to be investigated and the committee is very concerned that AQIS conducted its investigation in such "; S7[44]=" a way that it sent the wrong message to anyone contemplating bringing illegal plants into Australia.' The committee, chaired by Liberal senator Bill Heffernan, made "; S8[44]=" a series of recommendations, including the formation of a flying squad of AQIS officers who would travel swiftly to the scene of any disease outbreak.
"; S9[44]="       Liberal senator Jeannie Ferris said the citrus canker outbreaks had devastated the residents of Emerald... "; R[45]="944"; T[45]="Spread of sugar cane disease 'inevitable'"; A[45]="By ... Editor"; Dn[45]="20060619"; Dt[45]="Monday 19 June 2006"; Acats[45]="a20a33"; B1[45]="      Queensland Canegrowers says it is implementing measures to try to stop the further spread of an exotic cane disease.... "; B2[45]=" "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      Queensland Canegrowers says it is implementing measures to try to stop the further spread of an exotic cane disease.
      "; S2[45]=" Four properties in Childers, in Queensland's south-east, are now under quarantine after more samples of suspected sugar cane smut were detected.
      "; S3[45]=" Canegrowers' general manager Ian Ballantyne says the Isis region has delayed its crush and other sugar regions may have to do the same.
    "; S4[45]="   'Already we're restricting the movement of harvesters between farms.
      We're restricting the movement of vehicles between farms.
      So "; S5[45]=" if we delay harvest, we're able to put more of those protocols in place,' he said.
      Canegrowers also says it is inevitable "; S6[45]=" more cases of an exotic cane disease will be found in the state.
      Mr Ballantyne says more properties will probably will be "; S7[45]=" quarantined in the coming days.
      'I think it's inevitable at the moment.
      Now whether or not we find more "; S8[45]=" a great distance away is the real question,' he said.
      'Obviously there is a concentration in one particular area.
      "; S9[45]=" It's been sourced back, if you like we've tracked back farm to farm to see where that's come from but at the moment the fear's "; S10[45]=" highly likely that we'll find more in that general region at least.'.. "; R[46]="940"; T[46]="CSR fungal threat"; A[46]="By ... Editor"; Dn[46]="20060619"; Dt[46]="Monday 19 June 2006"; Acats[46]="a20a33"; B1[46]="      Leading sugar company CSR could suffer a 10.6 per cent slump in net profit in the new financial year because of a "; B2[46]="fungal disease affecting a single Queensland cane crop... "; B3[46]=" "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      Leading sugar company CSR could suffer a 10.6 per cent slump in net profit in the new financial year because of a "; S2[46]=" fungal disease affecting a single Queensland cane crop.
      Sugarcane smut, which can can slash yields by more than 30 per cent, was "; S3[46]=" discovered last week on a small and remote farm near Bundaberg.
      While the discovery means that CSR's primary growing catchments in "; S4[46]=" the Herbert and Burdekin regions may escape unscathed, fears exist that the contamination may have spread to a refinery, ABN Amro Morgans has warned.
  "; S5[46]="     According to the broker, any spread could result in lost time and a delay of up to 18 months for replanting healthy "; S6[46]=" crops.
      The disease, which is common in overseas cane growing regions, has never before struck on Australia's east coast.
    "; S7[46]="   An airborne fungus, sugarcane smut is capable of wreaking damage worth hundreds of millions of dollars if left unchecked.
      "; S8[46]=" So far Queensland Primary Industries officers have quarantined the 100ha farm at Childers.
      'While we continue to see strength from CSR's "; S9[46]=" diversified earning streams, we remain watchful of any further spread of smut disease,' the ABN Amro report added.
      The fungus, which "; S10[46]=" stunts infected plants and prevents the possibility of regrowth, could lead to a decrease in CSR's cane tonnage from 15 million tonnes to 10 millions "; S11[46]=" tonnes.
      As a result, sugar EBIT would tumble 22 per cent, from $196.6 million to $153.3 million, the broker warned.
    "; S12[46]="   ABN Amro said it remained 'cautiously optimistic' about the chances of containing the disease and maintained its 'buy' recommendation for the stock... "; R[47]="934"; T[47]="Authorities step up actions to contain smut outbreak"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20060619"; Dt[47]="Monday 19 June 2006"; Acats[47]="a20a33"; B1[47]="      More sugar cane experts will be flown into the growing area around Childers in south-east Queensland affected by the exotic cane smut "; B2[47]="fungus, so more inspections can be carried out... "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      More sugar cane experts will be flown into the growing area around Childers in south-east Queensland affected by the exotic cane smut "; S2[47]=" fungus, so more inspections can be carried out.
      Staff from the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) are monitoring the fields where "; S3[47]=" the fungus has been found on more than one farm.
      BSES chief executive Eoin Wallis says its staff will work on a "; S4[47]=" rotational basis.
      'We're doing surveillance at the moment on a logical base, both related to the wind direction and linking it to "; S5[47]=" sources of either machinery or plant material movement from farm-to-farm,' he said.
      'So we have a strategy in place where we're going "; S6[47]=" out and surveying and we need to do that for some weeks to come.' He says growers may have to abandon some varieties of sugar "; S7[47]=" cane.
      'It's too early to tell everyone to change their variety to one of those resistant ones,' he said.
      "; S8[47]=" 'We'll have to work through beyond the spring planting to work on strategies that will give growers the best option to maintain their productivity, whilst "; S9[47]=" increasing their percentage of resistant varieties being grown.'.. "; R[48]="908"; T[48]="Sugar cane disease find devastating"; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20060613"; Dt[48]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[48]="a20a33"; B1[48]="      Inspectors have quarantined a sugar cane farm near Childers in south-east Queensland to prevent an outbreak of the smut disease.... "; B2[48]=" "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      Inspectors have quarantined a sugar cane farm near Childers in south-east Queensland to prevent an outbreak of the smut disease.
    "; S2[48]="   Smut disease is a highly contagious fungal infection which attacks cane crops with vigour.
      Once it takes hold farmers have no "; S3[48]=" option but to destroy their crops to prevent further outbreaks.
      Joe Russo is one of the nation's largest cane growers and the "; S4[48]=" disease has been found on his property near Childers.
      'It's very devastating for the Russo family,' he said.
      'Smut "; S5[48]=" is something that we've always dreaded could arrive on the east coast of Australia and I think it's arrived in Childers and not only that, "; S6[48]=" on our own family farms and it's been an extremely difficult time in the last few days,' he said.
      'There is no "; S7[48]=" movement on or off the property.
      Any vehicles that do have to go on there for whatever reason have got to be "; S8[48]=" disinfected.' Mr Russo says has no idea how the exotic disease made its way on to his property.
      Australia has been largely "; S9[48]=" free of the disease apart from an outbreak in Western Australia eight years ago which was contained.
      But quarantine inspectors are taking "; S10[48]=" no chances.
      'It's only been one stool of cane identified - no other infected area has been identified but let me say "; S11[48]=" that if this went unchecked it could have serious ramifications for the industry,' he said.
      Queensland Canegrowers Association general manager Ian Ballantyne "; S12[48]=" believes this outbreak could threaten at least 10 per cent of the nation's sugar crop if it is not contained.
      'There's a "; S13[48]=" series of protocols under Plant Health Australia regime where the Government, ourselves, our experiment stations go onto alert and we set up a range of "; S14[48]=" mechanisms to look at how we go about eradication of this disease,' he said.
      Vigilant Cane growers are being urged to be "; S15[48]=" extra vigilant in checking for stunted plants now that the disease has been detected.
      The disease reduces yields but can be controlled.
"; S16[48]="       The chief executive of the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES), Eoin Wallace, says growers should report any suspicious growth.
    "; S17[48]="   'Be vigilant on their crops and look at their crops as they're driving past, look for any of these whip-like characteristics, stunted growth or "; S18[48]=" grassy-like appearance,' he said.
      Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin says his department has launched a response plan that will monitor farms in "; S19[48]=" the region and educate growers about the warning signs of the disease.
      'It's not a blame game, it's about my department, BSES, "; S20[48]=" [the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations] and the industry working together to control this disease and getting on with the business of growing cane and "; S21[48]=" producing wealth for the regions in the state that grows sugar, he said.
      No cause for panic The Australian Cane Farmers Association "; S22[48]=" says the discovery is no cause for panic, but it has changed the face of the industry.
      The association's chairman, Ross Walker, "; S23[48]=" says it was only a matter of time before the disease reached Queensland and growers need to rethink their operations.
      'Anyone who "; S24[48]=" plants a susceptible variety now is really asking for trouble, so I think farmers need to immediately reassess their planting for this coming year and "; S25[48]=" put in varieties that are at least intermediate and or totally resistant to the disease,' he said... "; R[49]="898"; T[49]="Fears over sugarcane disease"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20060613"; Dt[49]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[49]="a20a33"; B1[49]="      An exotic disease is threatening the future of the Queensland sugar industry after being found on a farm in the state's southeast.... "; B2[49]=" "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      An exotic disease is threatening the future of the Queensland sugar industry after being found on a farm in the state's southeast.
"; S2[49]="       Queensland's Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPIF) today confirmed sugarcane smut was found in the Childers area on Thursday.
    "; S3[49]="   The farm has been quarantined and eradication of the infestation has started, as has a surveillance program in a 10-15km radius from the "; S4[49]=" property and in other sugarcane areas.
      DPIF general manager plant biosecurity Chris Adriaansen said sugarcane smut was one of the sugarcane "; S5[49]=" industry's 'major nasty diseases'.
      The $2 billion Queensland sugar industry, which is still recovering from Cyclone Larry that ravaged farms in "; S6[49]=" March, accounts for 95 per cent of the Australian crop.
      'It infects the plant and severely stunts its growth so you "; S7[49]=" end up with a significant loss in production,' Mr Adriaansen said.
      'The worse case scenario is that ...
      "; S8[49]=" we could end up with the entire crop being affected, having a significant impact on production and productivity.
      The wind-borne disease "; S9[49]=" is usually found in South America and Africa.
      In 1997-98 it was detected in the Ord River area of Western Australia, "; S10[49]=" which produces less then 1 per cent of the nation's crop, but has been largely contained.
      It is the first case "; S11[49]=" of sugarcane smut in eastern Australia.
      Queensland Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said the response to the disease "; S12[49]=" has been 'fast and efficient'.
      He said a control plan developed by the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) with assistance from "; S13[49]=" the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has been activated.
      'Under the plan, a BSES task force has begun tracing all "; S14[49]=" movements of cane and machinery from the suspect property and has commenced a survey of neighbouring farms,' Mr Mulherin said.
      'The "; S15[49]=" property has been placed under quarantine under the Plant Protection Act, prohibiting the movement of any host plants from the property, as well as the "; S16[49]=" movement of any machinery or other items which have been in contact with sugarcane.
      'BSES, AQIS and my department are working "; S17[49]=" closely with the sugar industry to ensure the outbreak is eradicated or contained as quickly as possible.'.. ";