post
Preliminary results from priority myrtle rust monitoring
Over the 2019/2020 field season myrtle rust disease occurrence and severity was recorded fortnightly at two field sites in the Rotorua district. Here's what they found.
post
Honeybees observed harvesting myrtle rust
An observation of bees harvesting myrtle rust spores in Auckland has recently been reported – a behaviour which is concerning to scientists.
post
Exploring the molecular basis of myrtle rust
Austropuccinia psidii, the fungal pathogen that causes myrtle rust, has a large host range (at least 480 different species to date). How does this pathogen avoid detection by the plant defence mechanisms and successfully invade the plant tissues to gain nutrients from living cells?
post
Field work season ramping up for the Beyond Myrtle Rust Programme
After a year of interruptions by COVID-19 lockdowns, researchers from the Beyond Myrtle Rust Programme are embarking on the first fieldwork season of 2021.
post
Horror in the ngahere: myrtle rust is graphic novel's 'big bad'
With The Last of Us making cordyceps a household name, and many other evil moulds creeping through our screens and libraries, it seems that fungi and horror are a match made in… hell.Aroha Novak (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Te Rangi) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Ōtepoti Dunedin and has added fertiliser to the fungal horror garden with her graphic novel, Myrtle Rust.
post
Host susceptibility trial
Researchers are investigating how well tests for myrtle rust susceptibility done under controlled conditions can predict the impacts of myrtle rust in the field.
post
Myrtle rust infection updates - 14 January 2020
The team at Scion didn’t stop for long over the Christmas break – this is their latest news about myrtle rust infections at selected monitoring sites in the North Island.
post
How our values affect the response to myrtle rust
Aspen Berry (Kāi Tahu) is looking at communication related to the campaign to manage myrtle rust as part of a Masters in Strategic Communication at the University of Canterbury.
post
The Beyond Myrtle Rust story map is here!
We’ve been hard at work articulating and illustrating what we are up to at Beyond Myrtle Rust. Here is our story.
post
Ngā Rākau Taketake – a small piece of a bigger effort
Anniversaries, good or bad, are a time for reflection. As we observe the five-year anniversary of myrtle rust’s arrival on mainland New Zealand, we find ourselves looking back over the strides made in research, where Ngā Rākau Taketake has contributed, and the future of myrtle ora (health) in New Zealand.
post
Mature native trees now dying
The first known case of a mature tree dying due to myrtle rust has been observed on the East Cape.
post
Ngā Rākau Taketake teams showcase their results
Conference season has returned at last! Despite the added facial attire, our plant pathogen teams made the most of being able to connect kanohi ki te kanohi at the recent New Zealand Plant Protection Society conference.
post
Teamwork makes the dream work – even in science
Researchers are teaming up to make the most of their funding and people-power.
post
A new researcher takes the reins at Scion
Dr Stuart Fraser is in the thick of his first field season leading the myrtle rust team at Scion. We sat down with him to get his insights on the disease in Aotearoa and abroad.
post
Seeing the trees in the forest: understanding the role of myrtles in New Zealand’s ecosystems
With myrtle rust now well established in New Zealand, attention is turning to the hosts of the disease...
post
Many hands make light work
There are many wonderful groups and organisations who operate in the myrtle rust space and have progressed myrtle rust research over the last five years. Below are statements from some of these groups on the work they do to understand, monitor, fight, and raise awareness for this devastating disease.Please note that this is far from a comprehensive list! If you do work on myrtle rust and would like to be included in this list, please reach out so we can represent all your excellent mahi.