Diseases

Diseases have a detrimental effect on plants and animals and impact on market access and agricultural production. Diseases include micro-organisms, disease agents (bacteria, fungi and viruses), infectious agents, parasites and genetic disorders.

Western Australia is free from some of the world's major agricultural and livestock diseases. Biosecurity measures on your property are vital in preventing the spread of diseases.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides:

  • biosecurity/quarantine measures at the WA border to prevent the entry of plant and animal diseases
  • post border biosecurity measures for harmful animal and plant diseases
  • advice on widespread diseases present in the state.

For advice on animal and plant diseases search our website, the Western Australian Organism List or contact our Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS).

For diagnostic services, please contact our Diagnostic Laboratory Services.

See Also

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Articles

  • Florets are replaced with a mass of dark brown-black powdery spores that blow away.

    Diagnosing barley loose smut

    20 January 2014

    A fungal disease affecting seed heads, which can cause yield losses and delivery penalties.

     

  • Dark brown spots that elongate and produce dark brown net-type streaks

    Diagnosing net type net blotch

    21 January 2014

    Net-type net blotch is a stubble-borne fungal foliar disease occurring more frequently in the medium and high rainfall areas of the WA wheatbelt. It can reduce grain yield and quality.

  • Roots stunted, short and stubby with few laterals.

    Diagnosing pythium root rot in cereals

    4 December 2013

    A widespread fungal root disease that attacks seedlings but which rarely causes large yield losses.

     

  • Yellow stripes that turn brown and eventually die.

    Diagnosing barley stripe

    20 January 2014

    A very rare fungal disease that is most often found in irrigated barley.

     

  • Bleached often diamond shaped lesions with dark brown edge

    Diagnosing barley scald

    21 January 2014

    A stubble and seed-borne fungal foliar disease occurring more frequently in high rainfall cooler areas that can cause grain yield losses up to 45% and reduce grain quality.

  • Severely stunted seedlings from infected seed

    Diagnosing cucumber mosaic virus in narrow-leafed lupins

    19 January 2015

    Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a seed- and aphid-borne virus that infects narrow-leafed lupins.

  • Plants may emerge then curve back into the soil

    Diagnosing allelopathy in narrow-leafed lupins

    19 January 2015

    Allellopathy is a disorder of germinating plants caused by plant phytotoxins.

  • Roots of affected plants are blackened and brittle and break easily, and are black to the core not just on outer surface.

    Monitoring root disease

    15 April 2014

    Plant root diseases are one of the main factors responsible for poor crop yields.

  • Severe powdery mildew infection on strawberry

    Powdery mildew of strawberries

    13 January 2014

    Powdery mildew is a disease which is becoming more prevalent in Western Australian strawberry crops as increasing areas are being grown under high (Haygrove) tunnels.

  • Typical symptoms of Fusarium crown rot in strawberry

    Crown and root rot diseases of strawberries

    13 January 2014

    Strawberries are affected by a number of pathogens causing crown and/or root rots.  These diseases are becoming more prevalent for several reasons including the withdrawal of methyl bromide as a so

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