Integrated management of disease of pyrethrum

Pyrethrum is grown commercially by Botanical Resources Australia Pty. Ltd. (BRA) for the production of natural insecticidal pyrethrins, for use in household and industrial pest control products. Production is based in northern Tasmania, but has undergone expansion in to Victoria in recent years. BRA currently supplies over half of the global pyrethrin market. Pyrethrum is a perennial crop sown in spring, but not harvested for the first time until summer the following year. This 15 month period of vegetative growth exposes the crop to fungal disease pressure for an extended period. Thus the crop is subject to a large disease complex which can be devastating to yield and persistence, necessitating dedicated winter, spring and summer fungicide programs for control. This project was conducted with the aim of developing an integrated approach to disease management through 1) characterisation of diseases; 2) efficient use of fungicides; 3) provision of high-health seed; and 4) assessment of varietal susceptibility.