Abstract
Pathogenic fungi evolve in concert with their plant hosts to invade and overcome defence responses. A detailed knowledge of these processes is essential for integrated disease management strategies. Blackleg caused by the fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, is the major disease of canola (Brassica napus) worldwide. In this article, I describe the development of a multidisciplinary research program that has been applied to control this disease in Australia. Information about the biology, molecular genetics and genomics of the blackleg fungus coupled with knowledge of disease incidence and severity in the field has been exploited to avert yield losses due to disease.
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Acknowledgements
I am extremely grateful to colleagues mentioned in this article as well as to other laboratory members, and national and international collaborators. I also thank the Grains Research and Development Corporation for sustained funding over the years.
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Howlett, B.J. 2017 Daniel McAlpine Memorial Lecture. A ‘genome to paddock’ approach to control plant disease. Australasian Plant Pathol. 47, 239–243 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-018-0544-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-018-0544-1