NEWSLETTER | December 2015
Identifying crucial components of fungal-plant symbiosis
Stromata on orchardgrass plants near Corvallis, Oregon.
A trip to the US to study disease-causing fungi is providing clues to the genes involved in fungal-plant symbiosis.
Massey University PhD student Daniel Berry visited the US to collect samples of grasses with ‘choke’ disease. This disease is caused
by sexual species of Epichloë fungi. These endophytic fungi encase emerging host flower heads to form dense fungal masses (stromata)
which prevent flowering and seed development.
In New Zealand, asexual species of Epichloë endophytes are used to boost drought tolerance of host grasses and help deter insect
feeding. Normally, endophyte growth is highly restricted ensuring maintenance of mutualistic interactions with grass hosts.
“We are fortunate to be free of stroma-forming Epichloë endophytes in New Zealand, necessitating my trip to the US to gather samples for
my project,” explains Daniel.
Daniel has identified a cluster of genes in Epichloë endophytes that appear to be involved in stroma formation.
“Sampling of stromata and vegetative tissue from Epichloë typhina-infected orchardgrass plants in Oregon and Epichloë elymi-infected
Elymus grasses in Oklahoma enabled me to determine that the expression of these genes is upregulated in stromata from these
associations, supporting our hypothesis,” says Daniel.
The research was made possible by Devesh Singh (Barenbrug USA) and Dr Shaun Bushman (United States Department of Agriculture) who
allowed Daniel to sample infected plants, of known strain and background, from their experiments.
While in the US, he also prepared samples from diseased grasses for collaborators to analyse the metabolites involved.
Daniel is supervised by Prof Barry Scott in the Institute of Fundamental Science at Massey. His research is continuing the team’s pioneering
work on the symbiotic relationship between endophytic fungi and pasture grasses that is essential for New Zealand’s agricultural systems.
In the US, Daniel was hosted by Assoc Prof Carolyn Young, a former PhD student from Prof Scott’s laboratory in Palmerston North. Since
2006, Assoc Prof Young has been leading a group studying Epichloë endophytes and other plant-associated fungi at the Samuel Robert
Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
“Having Assoc Prof Young as a co-supervisor has been hugely beneficial for Daniel by making opportunities like this possible. This is his
second visit to her laboratory during the tenure of his PhD, and each time he has generated great data sets for inclusion in his thesis and
publications,” says Prof Scott.
For more information:
Daniel Berry
[email protected]
From the Director
The end of 2015
sees the conclusion
of several research
projects and the
beginning of an
exciting new phase
of research and
discovery in the Bio-Protection
Research Centre. After our success
in gaining a further five years of
funding as a Centre of Research
Excellence, our leadership team has
been busy finalising plans for four
new research themes, which are
outlined in this newsletter. The energy
and commitment shown by this
team − who represent eight research
institutions in New Zealand − is
stimulating, and is sure to inspire our
current and future staff, students and
postdoctoral fellows.
Our Centre staff and students
continue to make highly valued
research contributions, as shown by
the plethora of awards garnered over
the last few months. This recognition
is important for a Centre that prides
itself on high quality, internationally
relevant research. This newsletter
showcases our involvement in
international events that help educate,
inform and assist the development
of novel approaches to combat plant
pests, weeds and diseases. The
Centre is extending its network and
creating formal links with some of the
world’s leading bioprotection research
institutes.
It is equally important for us to
nurture the interaction between
New Zealand-based researchers.
A key strength of our Centre is the
bringing together of research minds
from institutions throughout New
Zealand into coherent, synergistic
teams. With this in mind, we are
holding another Centre conference
at Lincoln University on 24-25
November 2015. This conference
will be the launching pad for our new
research projects beginning in 2016.
I hope to see many of you there.
Prof Travis Glare
Student’s research lays the groundwork
for improving pastures
Bryony Dignam collecting soil samples.
For the last three years, PhD student Bryony Dignam has been studying pastoral soils to
discover how well they can naturally suppress plant disease. Her research is uncovering
sustainable ways for farmers to enhance this beneficial property.
New Zealand relies heavily on pastoral agriculture to support its burgeoning dairy herds
and livestock. While the prevalence of soil-borne diseases in New Zealand pastures is
difficult to measure, studies suggest production losses of up to 50%.
An expert on what’s beneath our pastures, Bryony has analysed fifty pasture soils
collected throughout New Zealand for the presence and diversity of disease-suppressive
microorganisms.
She has also developed an assay that can compare the disease-suppressive capacity of
pasture soils. When used in combination with soil and DNA analysis, this assay could help
determine the best farm management practices for enhancing disease suppression by soil
microbes.
She explains that her research is unique in studying pastures, as most international studies
have focused on arable crops and their associated pathogens.
“We are looking at both the taxonomic and functional aspects of disease suppression in
New Zealand pasture systems, and how these can be influenced by farm management
practices, such as fertiliser use, irrigation, residue inputs, stocking rate and so on,” says
Bryony.
Her results indicate that adapting farm management to improve specific soil properties
may help to enhance the disease-suppressive capacity of soils.
“We know that soil-borne plant disease is a significant ‘biological brake’ on pasture
production, yet we have very few tools to assess and manage soils to overcome this,”
says her supervisor and AgResearch Senior Scientist Dr Steve Wakelin. “The ultimate
outcome of this work is being able to provide farmers with practical advice on how to
manage their soils for sustainable disease control.”
Bryony is jointly supervised by Prof Leo Condron at Lincoln University and Drs Wakelin
and Maureen O’Callaghan from AgResearch.
The talented student recently returned from a trip to the Netherlands, which was funded
by a Kathleen Spragg Agricultural Research Trust Award. She visited Prof George
Kowalchuk and Assistant Prof Alexandre Jousset at the University of Utrecht and Prof Jos
Raaijmakers at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, and learnt some of the latest tools and
technologies for studying the interface between plants and microbes in the soil.
“This research visit was a great opportunity. I was able to gain valuable experience
studying the complex interactions between the plant and the wider soil microbial
community, an area of research I hope to continue working on in the future,” says Bryony.
For more information:
Bryony Dignam
[email protected]
New directions in bioprotection
The Centre has been funded by the Tertiary Education Commission as a Centre of Research Excellence until 2020. Our new research
programme, which commences in 2016, will focus on plant pests, weeds and diseases with an emphasis on the challenges facing
productive ecosystems from climate change, environmental disturbance, intensification, and emerging threats to biosecurity.
PROJECT 1
Contemporary
evolution in
weed invasion
PROJECT 3
PROJECT 2
Introduced
biological
control
Pathogen
virulence
and plant
defence
EVOLUTIONARY
BIOSECURITY
PATHOGEN
SPECIFICITY
ENHANCING
BIOLOGICAL
CONTROL
ECOSYSTEM
NETWORKS
PROJECT 4
PROJECT 6
Enhancing
beneficial
endophytes
Achieving
bioprotection
in New Zealand
ecosystems
PROJECT 5
Enhancing
microbial-based
biological
control
PROJECT 7
Kia toi tū he kauri
Let kauri stand proud
Plant protection through sustainable methods is crucial to New Zealand’s continued prosperity and wellbeing, in the face of increasing trade
barriers and consumer demands for safe, residue-free food products explains Centre Director Prof Travis Glare.
“Unlike many areas of science, New Zealand cannot rely on overseas research: the unique soils production systems, and biota of our land
require New Zealand-specific bioprotection solutions,” says Prof Glare.
Our aim is to enhance knowledge of productive plant ecosystems, and the pests and mutualists that coevolve with them, creating
‘he whenua ora, he tangata ora’ (healthy land, healthy people). We are building a bicultural approach to bioprotection by integrating
mātauranga Māori values and ensuring the wellbeing of Māori through the preservation and protection of natural resources within their
rohe (territory).
continued on next page >>
Awards and
Achievements
From 2016 the Centre will focus on four overlapping research themes:
Theme 1. Evolutionary Biosecurity
Theme leader: Prof Philip Hulme
Anticipating contemporary evolution in biosecurity threats and responses
Research in this Theme will determine the importance of adaptation and evolution in
the success of invasive species in New Zealand. We will use a unique comparative
approach by assessing the ecology of several of the world’s worst weed species in their
native and invaded New Zealand range, and under controlled environmental conditions,
to determine the traits and environmental characteristics that increase the probability of
contemporary evolution and greater invasiveness. A second model system will investigate
what is driving biocontrol failure of an introduced parasitoid. This research will establish
an eco-evolutionary framework for bioprotection that can be applied across a range of
pest species.
Theme 2. Pathogen specificity
Theme Leader: Prof Matthew Templeton
Pathogen virulence and plant defence
Molecular approaches will be used to uncover how bacterial plant diseases can evolve
to produce devastating epidemics. In association with this, we will explore the essential
elements of plant defence mechanisms that can be manipulated to protect against such
outbreaks. Our research will also enhance knowledge of microbe-plant interactions by
examining the molecular processes that allow symbiotic fungal endophytes to overcome
plant defences and trigger plant phytohormone signalling.
Theme 3. Enhancing biological control
Theme Leader: Prof Barry Scott
Biological control is central to sustainable, intensive agriculture. This theme will focus
on developing new natural technologies, based on endophytes and microbial toxins, to
control plant pests and diseases. We will investigate the basic mechanisms and genetic
drivers that characterise useful endophytes, and novel toxins produced by fungal and
bacterial pathogens.
Theme 4. Ecosystem networks
Theme Leader: Prof Ian Dickie
Achieving bioprotection in complex and dynamic systems
The success of invasive species and bioprotection often depend on complex interactions
between plants and microbes (pathogens and mutualists) or plant and insects. Using
novel combinations of environmental DNA metabarcoding, network theory, and plant-soil
interaction methodologies we will determine how the structure of interaction networks
influences the success or failure of weed invasions and bioprotection interventions. A
second project expands this framework to include landscape level interactions in invasion
of kauri dieback, particularly incorporating Vision Mātauranga. These projects serve to
integrate across the other three research Themes, achieving comprehensive approaches
to biocontrol and biosecurity in the context of ecosystems and coevolution.
For more information:
Travis Glare
[email protected]
Assoc Prof Murray Cox has
been promoted to Professor of
Computational Biology at Massey
University. He has also been awarded
a prestigious University of Oxford
Fellowship as part of the Association
of Commonwealth Universities Titular
Fellowship scheme.
Dr Carla Eaton was awarded
the Massey University College
of Sciences Early Career award.
Assoc Prof Peter Fineran won the
Thermo Fisher Scientific Award for
excellence in molecular biology at
the Queenstown Molecular Biology
Meeting in September 2015. The
award recognises his contribution
to molecular biology research in
New Zealand.
Master’s student Echo Herewini
won best student presentation at the
Australian Plant Pathology Society
Conference in Perth in September.
Board member and Scion General
Manager Dr Brian Richardson was
named Forester of the Year at the
New Zealand Institute of Forestry’s
annual conference in August.
Prof Barry Scott FRSNZ has been
elected Vice-President (Biological and
Life Sciences) of the Royal Society of
New Zealand Council. He will join the
Council on 1 July 2015 for a threeyear term.
Dr Eckehard Brockerhoff was
awarded a 2015 Forest Owners
Association research award for
science of international standing for
his work to raise the international
profile of the importance of
biosecurity to New Zealand’s trade,
economy and environment.
Our partners:
MASSEY UNIVERSITY
Research to control kauri
dieback with native
endophytes
Kauri (Agathis australis) is an endemic tree of lowland forests in
northern New Zealand, which once covered 1.2 million hectares
but is now restricted to small fragments north of Rotorua. Kauri
has major significance to Māori as a taonga species with a
special role in mythology, rituals and art. Kauri trees also have
an important ecological function in producing deep deposits of
leaf litter which decrease soil pH and affect surrounding plant
communities.
The original loss of kauri forest was from logging and gum
extraction. However, the remaining fragments of kauri forest are
now threatened by kauri dieback, a devastating disease caused
by Phytophthora agathicida (PTA). Since 1974, the disease has
spread throughout the North Island and is currently affecting
large areas of kauri forest reserves. Infected trees show foliage
yellowing, canopy thinning and then die. These symptoms are
also associated with lower trunk lesions, which exude resin and
extend to the major roots, sometimes girdling the trunks as a
collar rot.
Since Trichoderma root endophytes have been used successfully
to control a wide range of plant diseases in several Bio-Protection
Research Centre projects, this approach has been investigated
for control of kauri dieback. The aim was to develop an effective
practical strategy for future management of this disease based on
a natural system.
This project, led by Drs Robert Hill and Ivan Chirino-Valle, involves
DNA sequencing, microscopy and greenhouse trials. In the trials,
the impact of Trichoderma on growth and health of kauri is being
assessed. The ability of Trichoderma to control and suppress PTA
in disease-challenged seedlings is also being determined.
Kauri dieback and trunk lesion symptoms (inset).
Initial results have shown that two Trichoderma mixtures,
previously used with success in other sectors, have improved
seed germination and increased plant height compared with
control treatments. These mixtures are also being evaluated for
ability to protect the seedlings from disease caused by PTA.
“A decrease in seedling mortality may provide a natural biocontrol
option for kauri dieback disease, to protect replants into infected
areas, and possibly for older trees,” says Dr Hill.
Working with different sectors, such as the Tāngata Whenua
Roopū (including Te Rangi and the Te Whāngai Trust), the
Auckland Council and the Māori community will enable transfer
of any technology for the bioprotection of kauri. This research
may also lead to the development of a commercial product that
could be used to manage kauri dieback.
For more information:
Dr Robert Hill
[email protected]
Dr Ivan Chirino-Valle
[email protected]
Award-winning talk highlights invasion of braided rivers
PhD student Tyler Brummer was awarded best student oral
presentation at the 13th International Conference for Ecology and
Management of Alien Plant Invasions (EMAPi) in Hawai’i. More
than 36 countries were represented at the meeting, and Tyler was
one of four students to give an award-winning talk.
Tyler’s research compares how alien and native plants respond
to changes in flows in braided river beds. He is using the highly
invaded riverbeds across Canterbury as a model system. So far,
his studies reveal that alien and native plants respond differently
to river flow – with aliens most affected, while natives are not. This
may be because natives are only present in areas close to intact
ecosystems that can act as seed sources.
At the meeting, Tyler explained how his findings could be used to
help develop management strategies to reduce riverbed invasion.
His work, which is funded by Environment Canterbury and
Landcare Research, suggests that altered river flows caused by
irrigation diversions, dams and changing weather patterns may
affect how invaded these ecosystems become in the future.
Tyler Brummer identifying seedlings on a Cantabrian river bed.
For more information:
Tyler Brummer
[email protected]
Media and communications enquiries:
email:[email protected]
phone: (03) 423 0932
website: www.bioprotection.org.nz
ISSN 1178-9840 (Print)
ISSN 1178-9832 (Online)
Research team garners top
Massey medal
Prof Murray Cox, Dr Carla Eaton, Dr Pierre-Yves Dupont and Prof Barry
Scott (inset Dr Austen Ganley and Prof Rosie Bradshaw)
An interdisciplinary team of Centre researchers have been
awarded a Massey University Research Medal for their
outstanding performance and research outputs.
The team includes Professor of Molecular Genetics Barry
Scott, Professor of Genetics Rosie Bradshaw, Professor of
Computational Biology Murray Cox, postdoctoral fellow Dr
Pierre-Yves Dupont, lecturer in genetics Dr Carla Eaton and
senior lecturer in genetics Dr Austen Ganley.
Prof Scott says team members are delighted with the award.
“It recognises not only our ground-breaking research and the
real-world applications it has in the agriculture and forestry
industries, but the team work that has gone into that success.”
Members of the Massey bioprotection group run independent,
but highly interlocking, research groups, with a broader base
of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and interns,
Prof Scott explains.
They are focusing on two biological systems that are vital to
New Zealand’s economy. One is beneficial, a fungus that protects
pasture grasses from external stresses, such as insect attack
and drought; and the other is harmful, a fungus that attacks pine
trees causing an economically important disease.
The team blends expertise in traditional fungal genetics with
genomics, bioinformatics and statistics to advance the overall
understanding of how fungi and plants interact.
This approach has proven successful with several key discoveries
made over the last five years. These include identifying the genes
required for a fungus to be beneficial rather than pathogenic,
the molecular rules underpinning hybridization between
fungal species, and the pathways that fungi use to produce
commercially important metabolites with either bioprotective
or toxic effects in plants.
In conjunction with these achievements, the Massey team has
developed novel techniques and tools that use new genetic
sequencing technologies to study complex fungal-plant
interactions.
Postgraduate student profiles
Rowan Sprague
Ali Kakhki
Title: The effect of
spatial structure on plant
dispersal and invasion
across scales
Rowan has a BSc from the
University of Virginia where
she majored in Civil and Environmental
Engineering, and an Honours degree
from Lincoln University studying pollen
identification techniques and pollen
preference of honeybees. For her PhD,
she is evaluating whether spatial structure
matters for predicting plant invasions, by
using mathematical theory and remote
sensing data from wilding pines.
Supervisor: Dr William Godsoe (Lincoln
University)
Co-supervisor: Prof Philip Hulme (Lincoln
University)
Title: Enhancing uniformity
in the female spinach
(Spinacea oleracea L.)
parent line to improve
seed quality
Ali has a BSc and MSc
in Agronomy from Iran, where he has
worked in seed technology and plant
breeding in an Agricultural Research
Centre for 20 years. His PhD project aims
to enhance the vigour and germination
of spinach seeds. His research will use
several strategies including: (i) determining
optimum sowing and harvesting dates;
(ii) using plant growth regulators and
topping to improve plant uniformity; and
(iii) identifying the stages of seed
development that are sensitive to high
temperature stress. This work is supported
by South Pacific Seeds (NZ) Ltd.
Supervisor: Prof John Hampton (Lincoln
University)
Co-supervisor: Assoc Prof Majid Dehghan
Shoar (Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations)
Associate supervisor: Assoc Prof Rainer
Hofmann (Lincoln University)
Strengthening links with China
Centre Director, Prof Travis Glare, visited China in September
to advance cooperation with several institutes involved in
bioprotection research. He met with researchers at the Institute
of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science,
Beijing, to discuss invasive species and biosecurity issues in
China and New Zealand. This visit was hosted by the Deputy
Director General Dr Qiu Dewen a renowned researcher in the
field of plant elicitors.
At Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, Prof Glare presented Centre
research on Beauveria bassiana to some of the world’s leading
researchers in genomics of entomopathogenic fungi. Following
this, he discussed biological methods for controlling kiwifruit vine
disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa)
with researchers at the Southwest University of Science and
Technology (SWUST) in the Sichuan Province, and visited
a regional research institute in Cangxi, where they are breeding
new kiwifruit varieties.