Minimum Disease Resistance Standards in New-South-Wales

The merits and problems of minimum disease resistance standards (MDRS) are considered, with particular reference to the wheat industry and sustainable agricultural practices in New South Wales. The merits include delayed development of epidemics in the short term and the likelihood of more durable resistance in the long term. One problem concerns the different priorities given to diseases in adjacent States particularly for high public risk pathogens such as the rusts which may produce new pathotypes and spread long distances. There may also be difficulties in determining the precise level of resistance required. Examples are also given involving wheat, cotton, canola and vegetables. Two areas for future consideration were identified, firstly the extent of the geographic area to which these standards apply in the wheat industry and the value of MDRS in national research and advisory planning for crops other than wheat. Australasian Plant Pathology 24(1) 1 - 8 Full text doi:10.1071/APP9950001 © CSIRO 1995