Threatened and Priority listed Melaleuca species from Western Australia display high susceptibility to Austropuccinia psidii in controlled inoculations

Abstract

Austropuccinia psidii causes rust disease on species within the family Myrtaceae. It was first detected in Australia in 2010, with the first detection in Western Australia in 2022. While species within the genus Melaleuca from eastern Australia show variable responses to the pathogen, little is known of the response of species from Western Australia. This study established that 13 previously unscreened species of Melaleuca, including Threatened and Priority listed species that were grown from seeds sourced from Western Australian populations, were susceptible four months post-germination to the pandemic strain of the pathogen. The proportion of highly susceptible plants within a single species ranged from 2 to 94%, with several species displaying highly variable levels of resistance to A. psidii. These results highlight the importance of disease screening and may direct conservation efforts.