AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about agriculture.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: The agricultural sector is a significant part of the South Australian economy. Its strength is built on the use of applied research. This research is often provided by the South Australian Research and Development Institute. Can the minister advise the chamber about a new diagnostic test to assist producers in the potato industry?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. It gives me great pleasure to inform the chamber today about the important work of Dr Kathy Ophel Keller, SARDI's research chief of sustainable systems, and her dedicated team of researchers at SARDI in terms of what their latest projects involve.

As testament to the wonderful work that she has been doing, at the 2013 AUSVEG National Convention held in Queensland, she received the Vegetable Researcher of the Year Award 2013. This is a very important and prestigious national recognition for her and her team's work in developing soil DNA diagnostic tests to assess the risk of diseases for the potato industry.

I am advised that the potato industry nationally has a value of $500 million a year. The industry has two components—a fresh market industry and a processing sector. South Australia produces 80 per cent of the nation's fresh washed potatoes and has a significant processing industry in our South-East. Soil-borne diseases of potatoes cause economic losses of up to $50 million annually to the Australian processing potato industry. The Australian Potato Research Program (APRP) is a research initiative funded through Horticulture Australia Limited using the processing potato levy.

The South Australian state government contributes to the program through SARDI, and in-kind support is also provided from the Department of Primary Industries Victoria and also the University of Tasmania/Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research. The program also receives voluntary contributions from the New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food and the Potato Council United Kingdom, with matched funds from the federal government.

This program has completed its third year of delivering soil and plant health outcomes. SARDI leads a major project within the Australian Potato Research Program to develop and deliver tests to detect and measure major disease-causing pathogens responsible for threatening supply and quality of potatoes. A number of DNA-based tests have been developed that can detect and measure seed and soil-borne pathogens that cause powdery scab, common scab, rhizoctonia and a damaging strain of root knot nematode. The tests are designed to assist growers assess the risk of crop damage from disease prior to actually planting their crop.

In July 2013, a testing service which growers will be able to access—PreDicta Pt—will be available from SARDI's molecular diagnostic centre, led by Dr Alan McKay. This commercial service will allow growers to have their soils tested for disease risk from powdery scab, black dot and also root knot nematodes.

SARDI researcher Michael Rettke has developed an agronomic adviser manual which focuses on the interpretation of soil test results and the review of the basic biology of each pathogen. It summarises relationships between pathogen DNA and also yield loss and links the soil test levels to appropriate disease management strategies. The testing service will be accompanied by a training program for advisers and a manual that will provide key information on the diseases, what the test results mean, as well as suggestions on strategies to consider before planting, particularly if the risks associated with the pathogens found on testing are high.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Ophel Keller and her team at SARDI on this very important work which provides practical assistance and education to our potato growers.