Waite researchers continue to make world-leading discoveries

The late University of Adelaide's Professor Allen Kerr conducted research in 1969 which led to the development of NOGALL, a biopesticide to stop crown gall disease from destroying crops.

Prof Kerr identified a natural enemy of the disease-causing bacteria and in 1975, the first product was developed and later, in 1988, a new version was released.

But, despite this revolutionary work, crown gall-like symptoms in Australian vineyards have been found and the university's School of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Iain Searle is leading new research to stop it from destroying the viticulture industry.

Ass Prof Searle has tapped into key areas of skills and research led by Prof Kerr, to reinvigorate the area of research to develop a broader biological control for grapevine crown gall disease.

"It is imperative we keep these research themes continuing," he said.

"Pathogens grow very quickly, much faster than crops and can evolve to overcome resistance mechanisms in crops. So, we need continual research in those areas to ensure crop has resistance against those quickly evolving pathogens."

He also believed the foundation work undertaken by Prof Kerr thrived in its early days because of strong federal government support.

"Back 50 years ago the university sector was far better supported than it is today from the federal government. There was great support to keep key technical people in place but in the past 30 years, this has been eroded," Ass Pro Searle said.

"It has become more and more difficult to keep the key expertise in universities."

To ensure research has been able to continue so strongly, researchers at the Waite campus have diversified and been heavily supported by research and development organisations.

But, resources remain limited, according to Ass Pro Searle, and dedicated people are more often than not the driving force behind new research.

"I know many who have worked with very minimal research and salary support to keep projects going until other funding streams come in," he said.

The triumphs of previous researchers has certainly paved the way for new discoveries and projects but Ass Prof Searle sees the next 100 years as even more critical.

"We are moving forward into a water limited environment, so that is a big area for research and development. It will have an impact on producing sufficient food for humanity with decreasing amounts of water," he said.

"More broadly, we will need to produce more food with less resources. So less land, less fertilisers and less water."

Bio-Care Technology chief executive officer Gary Bullard worked closely alongside Prof Kerr to improve NOGALL formulation to ensure it had longer shelf-life and the wettable powder was easier to use by propagation nurseries.

"In recent years it has been supplied to other markets such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakistan, Armenia, and small shipments to customers in Bulgaria and India. NOGALL will soon be introduced to nurseries in Colombia and to the largest rose propagator in S America based in Ecuador," he said.

"There is no chemical treatment for the control of crown gall disease. Biocontrol is the only solution with Professor Kerr's Rhizobium rhizogenes strains K84 and K1026."

Bio-Care will continue its support for the university's researchers by providing support funding for two research projects with Associate Professor Iain Searle and Dr Maarten Ryder, to research strategies for developing a biocontrol of crown gall disease in grapevines.

"Replacement of chemical use with innovative biocontrol technologies is not easy and sometimes very hard to achieve commercially," Mr Bullard said.

"There is an endless potential for use of biologically safe microbial biopesticide in agriculture and horticulture. It just takes a lot of time, energy and funding, along with the 'failure is not an option' philosophy to get these agents formulated and registered for use in nurseries and on farms."