Citizens’ arrest required to help detect myrtle rust outbreaks

Australians are being asked to report cases of the invasive pest myrtle rust to help scientists try and contain the blight.

Myrtle rust threatens trees and shrubs in the Myrtaceae family of plants, the largest plant family in Australia and includes native plants such as tea tree (Melaleuca species), eucalypts, and Angophora and Corymbia species, sometimes better known as bottle brush and lilly-pilli.

The disease has been a significant contributor to the decline in some iconic native trees like the native guava and scrub turpentine since it was first detected in Australia in 2010. These species were previously common across Queensland and New South Wales.

Initial eradication attempts failed and it is no longer be possible to remove the problem.

There might be some long term hope, with researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Qld Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, developing a type of RNA that triggers a self-destruct sequence in myrtle rust, but they are still only planning field trials.

How can citizens help detect Myrtle rust?

In the meantime researchers want to know what the extent of the problem is, and they are asking for public help.

Alyssa Martino, a PhD student at the University of Sydney who is studying myrtle rust infection and leads the iNaturalist Australia Gum Tree Guardians project says reports of myrtle rust gives the team a broader understanding of the extent of the disease: “… which gives us a chance to fight back against the spread. 

“People submit myrtle rust reports from their gardens or out in the bush – places that are hard for professional researchers to monitor,” Martino says.

The myrtle rust data from citizen scientists is aggregated in the Atlas of Living Australia Biosecurity hub, which currently holds information on 2,383 exotic species and 1.9m occurrences of pests, weeds and diseases.

The data from the public will be added to information from scientists, industry and government agencies.

Senior Principal Forest Pathologist at the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Geoff Pegg, says managing these threats in native ecosystems is challenging.

“I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects that invasive diseases like myrtle rust have on our biodiversity,” Pegg says.

“Areas of outstanding natural beauty and ecological significance, such as the Daintree and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests, are now threatened due to the rapid spread of myrtle rust.”

The public can collect myrtle rust data by installing a citizen science app such as iNaturalist or NatureMapr which will  help identify and capture the critical information to report possible myrtle rust sightings.

People identifying the spores should avoid touching them as they will spread. Clean garden equipment and wash clothes which might have come in contact.

If you think you have myrtle rust in your garden, call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. Further information can be found in the Arrive Clean, Leave Clean guidelines.