Plant Protection

The Plant Protection Group is concerned with all aspects of protecting plants from damage and lost production caused by pathogens; invertebrates such as insects, nematodes and mites; and weeds. The Group’s focus is on broad-acre and horticultural crops, and also extends to native vegetation and post-harvest damage to stored products. Fundamental aspects of biology, ecology, epidemiology and plant responses to attack by injurious organisms provide the foundation for research and development on applied pest management and biosecurity.

The Plant Protection Group contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate education. Our academic staff deliver undergraduate courses concerning plant protection, plant biotechnology, and the core sciences of biology and chemistry. The also deliver postgraduate coursework in the Master of Plant Health and Biosecurity, and the Master of Biotechnology (Plant Biotechnology). Ph.D., Master and Honours students contribute to the research strengths of the Group.

The core academic staff and their current interests are:

	Dr Amanda Able Plant Physiology & Pathology Plant-pathogen interactions Pathogen resistance mechanisms and physiology Factors affecting disease development Post-harvest physiology and pathology		Prof John Randles Plant Virology Determining the cause of virus-like diseases Epidemiology of viruses Cloning and sequencing of virus genomes
	Assoc Prof Michael Keller Insect Behaviour & Ecology Biology and ecology of predators and parasitoids Biological control Integrated pest management Invasion ecology		Prof Otto Schmidt - Insect Molecular Biology Parasitoid-host interactions Insect immunity:tolerance mechanisms Applications of molecular biology to agricultural pests
	Assoc Prof Christopher Preston Weed Science Herbicide chemistry Molecular evolution Management of herbicide resistance		Assoc Prof Eileen Scott - Fungal & Bacterial Plant Pathology Diagnosis, epidemiology and management of fungal and bacterial diseases of plants Phytophthora dieback in native ecosystems

Other academic staff who are associated with the Plant Protection Group include:

• Emeritus Prof Allen Kerr (bacterial diseases of plants)
• Affiliate Prof M. Ali Rezaian (plant virology)
• Affiliate Assoc Prof Ian Riley (nematology)
• Affiliate Lecturer Dr Trevor Wicks (diseases of horticultural crops)
• Affiliate Lecturer Dr Richard Glatz (insect molecular biology)
• Visiting Research Fellow Dr Kerrie Davies (nematology)
• Visiting Research Fellow Dr Dagmar Hanold (plant viruses and virus-like diseases; monitoring plant disease outbreaks)