Anthracnose Infection Could Damage Future Crops

SOUTH PERTH - Feb 9/04 - SNS - There can always be a drawback to better farming, and this time it is a great increase in lupin anthracnose infections.

The Department of Agriculture of Western Australia has conducted tests on lupins, and the results were that seven times more plants were infected with the disease than the last two seasons.

"Several crops suffered significant yield damage, however in general, disease levels were not high enough to cause widespread yield loss but will have resulted in infected seed being harvested," said Geoff Thomas, Department plant pathologist.

Seed infection tests submitted to AgWest Plant Laboratories (APL) support his observation. Approximately 38% of all samples tested from the 2003 crops were positive. In contrast, the past two seasons have tested approximately 5% positive in similar tests.

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