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Start Date: 01/07/2025

End Date: 30/06/2030

Funding Provider: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

Project Lead: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)

Aim: To improve the understanding and management of soilborne diseases in Australian grain production systems by identifying integrated control strategies that reduce yield losses, improve profitability, and support more informed grower decision-making.

Project Background: The Soilborne Disease Initiative (SBDI) is a GRDC-funded investment led by Astute Ag, designed to address the significant impact of soilborne diseases on Australian grain production systems. Soilborne diseases are estimated to reduce yields by more than $1.71 billion annually, including $1.23 billion in wheat alone.

Current management options are limited, with growers relying on constrained tools such as partial genetic resistance, a narrow range of chemical controls, and crop rotation strategies that are often difficult to implement effectively. This has resulted in persistent yield penalties and uncertainty in managing disease risk.

The SBDI brings together existing investments, expertise, and research capacity into a coordinated national effort. The initiative aims to reduce the economic impact of soilborne diseases on grain production systems by 1% by 2031. To achieve this, it supports five key programs focused on: quantifying economic impact, mapping disease presence at the paddock scale, developing integrated management strategies, testing novel control options, and strengthening national coordination.

A central component of the initiative is a five-year integrated disease management program commencing in July 2025. This program includes six research hubs across Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales (two sites), and Queensland. These hubs bring together pathologists and researchers to target key soilborne diseases such as Fusarium crown rot, Rhizoctonia bare patch, Sclerotinia stem rot, nematodes, and other fungal and oomycete pathogens.

By combining scientific research, economic analysis, and practical on-farm validation, the initiative aims to deliver credible, regionally relevant outcomes that improve grower confidence and enable more effective, integrated disease management across Australian grain production systems.

Project Contact: Montana Bradley - research@mig.org.au or 0499 245 463

Investment Code: AUA2507-001SAX