Invasive plant pathogen myrtle rust detected at National Museum of Australia, sparking concerns for eucalypts

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The invasive plant pathogen myrtle rust has been detected at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Myrtle rust is a bright yellow-looking fungus originally from South America, infecting plants in the eucalypt family with sometimes devastating effect. The infected plants have been removed, and the ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) says follow-up surveillance on the infection will be conducted again in spring.

Transcript

00:00It's vibrant, but fatal. Myrtle rust first appears as specks of golden dust on the leaves

00:08of a plant.

00:09If it's really severe, it can look like a yellow powder.

00:12Then a slow death ensues for infected native species.

00:16It basically steals the resources, like it competes with the food of the tree, and then

00:21eats basically the tree alive.

00:23In February, a citizen scientist made the discovery of two infected Geraldton wax plants

00:29near the National Museum.

00:30The plants were tested, and last month, the ACT government worked with the museum to remove

00:36and destroy them.

00:37These specimens, which are native to Western Australia, are particularly vulnerable to the

00:41fungus.

00:42There's been genetic testing done that found that there were visits made to every single

00:47stand of wild Geraldton wax. None of them showed any genetic resistance to myrtle rust.

00:54While Canberra's cold weather kills off the infection, climate change could make it challenging

00:58in the future.

00:59Change in climatic conditions.

01:00There is a risk with milder winters that it could actually stay the whole winter and then

01:06have continuous infections and be properly established, and the tree is infected the whole season.

01:11Bushfires can also cause the fungus to thrive.

01:14If you have a bushfire, and you cause more fires under climate change, when you get that

01:19flush of new growth after a bushfire, myrtle rust loves that.

01:23Experts say more biosecurity measures are needed to prevent the risk of further strains coming

01:29to Australia.

01:30We and the Invasive Species Council are not confident they're doing everything they can

01:35to keep out myrtle rust strains.

01:37So we're just concerned that biosecurity budget and focus on myrtle rust is not adequate.

01:43The ACT government will continue monitoring and inspecting the grounds of the National Museum

01:49over the coming months.

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