Wheat Defence Framework Data Initiative

Wheat disease is estimated to cause annual losses of over $900 million to the Australian wheat industry which constitutes almost 20 per cent of the total wheat crop.

As part of the wheat project, Bioplatforms Australia convened a consortium of Australian wheat pathogen researchers to generate new ‘omics data and develop a genetic understanding of pathogen interactions with wheat. These datasets cover a diverse range of wheat pathogens of importance to Australia and underpin new research on the mechanisms of pathogen infection and plant resistance. The datasets are supporting new molecular breeding strategies seeking improved disease protection and resistance.

The Bioplatforms Australia Framework Data Initiative, led by Dr John Manners (CSIRO), involved partners from Australian National University, Curtin University, NSW Department of Primary Industry, Charles Sturt University, CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Data was generated for the following fungal and bacterial pathogens:

Pathogen	Disease on wheat
Fusarium equiseti	non disease causing – wheat associated species
Fusarium acuminatium	non disease causing – wheat associated species
Fusarium pseudograminearium	Crown rot
Fusarium culmorum	Foot and root rot and head blight
Mycosphaerella graminicola	Septoria leaf blotch
Pseudomonas sp	Leaf blight
Puccina graminis	Stem rust
Puccina striformis	Stripe rust
Pyrenophora tritici–repentis	Tan spot (or yellow leaf spot)
Rhizoctoni solani	Broad spectrum bare patch, root rot and seedling damping off diseases
Stagonospora nodorum	Glume blotch (or Stagonospora nodorum blotch)
Xanthomonas translucens	Black chaff