Focusing the Future with Plant and Soil Nematodes

Date: Tuesday 2nd August 2022
Time: 0830am - 5.00pm
Facilitators:  Sarah Collins
Cost: $150.00

About: 

Nematodes are the most abundant animals on earth. This workshop will look to the future and the role that plant and soil nematology will play in developing more productive plant systems. The workshop will not only look at the impact nematodes have to agriculture and ecosystems, but the role nematodes have as a tool for measuring and defining soil health. Some of the issues to be discussed are how plant and soil nematodes respond to changing climates, what is the impact of management strategies, and what are the potential nematode threats to plant systems. The future of plant and soil nematology relies on a greater understanding of the identification, biology, and management of nematodes to promote their important role in the soil ecosystem.  Join with nematologists and soil health practitioners to move into the future by focusing on plant and soil nematodes.

Microbiome Workshop: A comprehensive guide to explore microbial communities for managing soil borne pathogens and disease

Date: Tuesday 2nd August 2022
Time: 0830am - 5.00pm
Facilitators:  Associate Professor Paul Dennis, University of Queensland
Cost: $150.00

About:

Plant microbiomes strongly influence host fitness. In addition to those that cause disease are a myriad of taxa that providing protection against pests and disease, mobilise nutrients, release phytohormones and alleviate host stress responses. This workshop aims to provide a comprehensive beginner to intermediate level guide for researcher interested in incorporating plant and soil microbiomes into their research. It will comprise a series of short presentations and group activities that cover:

1.  research design,
2.  microbiome methods, including sample collection and processing through to amplicon and meta-omics workflows,
3.  bioinformatics pipelines,
4.  statistical analyses and data visualisation, and
5.  communication of results to relevant stakeholders to maximise research impact.

The workshop will be led by Assoc. Professor Paul Dennis from the University of Queensland and will be a full day program including lunch and coffee breaks. At the end of workshop, it is anticipated that participants will have extended their networks and developed a more thorough understanding of microbiome research. In particular, the aim is to ensure that participants leave with a better understanding of what various approaches can deliver and a framework to rationalise the complexity of large datasets in the context of microbial diversity, ecosystem function and stability. 

Date: Monday 1st August 2022
Time: 7.00am - 8.30pm
Cost: $170.00 AUD (includes lunch and dinner)

Description

The Atherton Tablelands is one of the most diverse agricultural areas in Australia. Located just west of Cairns, the altitude (500-700m), climate and geography make this region suitable for tropical, sub-tropical and temperate crops. The varied climate on the Atherton Tablelands means that there is a range of agriculture – from dairy and potatoes in the south to mangoes, pumpkins and bananas in the north.

The rich agricultural history owes part of its existence to reliable irrigation through Tinaroo dam and the Mareeba-Dimbulah irrigation scheme. A recent renaissance has seen a transition from grazing and extensive cropping into high value horticultural crops, like avocados and blueberries and grain cropping.

Soil-borne diseases have been a constant constraint throughout the transition. Whether it is understanding how to manage soil-borne diseases in existing crops or setting up biosecurity protocols to safe-guard against diseases for new crops or moving to new grounds.

The ASDS 2022 field trip will focus on meeting innovative growers who are managing soil-borne diseases in both horticultural and field crops. Participants will visit and hear from growers producing vegetables, papaya, avocados and pasture.  The field trip will also use this opportunity to sample some of the local regional produce and view the spectacular tropical landscapes.

Proposed Agenda