Skip to content

Beyond Myrtle Rust news

  1. Exciting developments in Beyond Myrtle Rust research

    May 2022 marks the five-year anniversary of the arrival of myrtle rust in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Beyond Myrtle Rust research programme began in 2018, just over a year into the incursion. The programme has built on pre-incursion research from both Australia and New Zealand and has provided a solid...

  2. Myrtle Rust found on the Chatham Islands

    Myrtle rust has been found on the Chatham Islands. This disease, caused by the invasive fungus Austropuccinia psidii, impacts plants in the Myrtaceae family (myrtles) including iconic New Zealand species like pōhutukawa. However there are no endemic Myrtaceae on the islands and the find was made on ...

  3. The spores next door: student to investigate ‘pathogen spillover’ effect for myrtle rust

    Ngaio Balfour, a Beyond Myrtle Rust student, is in the second year of her Master’s. Based at Scion for her field and lab work, she started her field work in January this year, focusing on ‘pathogen spillover’ and pathogen genetics.

  4. Trees that once saved land from development now threatened by myrtle rust

    Bushglen Reserve is an unassuming patch of nature nestled in Auckland’s Browns Bay. It doesn’t have a playground or a picnic area or even a map of the many scattered paths. But it has one thing that few other reserves can boast –maire tawake, also known as swamp maire. These Threatened-Nationally Cr...

  5. Myrtaceae – an “important” family for a carbon-neutral future

    Did you know that the plant family Myrtaceae is one of the most ecologically important families in Aotearoa New Zealand’s woody ecosystems? Researchers used abundance, species richness, and plant traits like wood density to determine how valuable these plants really are to our ecosystems and uncover...

  6. Vladislav Kholostiakov, plant whisperer

    Beyond Myrtle Rust would like to introduce and welcome our newest PhD student, Vladislav Kholostiakov, to the broader myrtle rust community. Vlad is studying the microbiome (fungal and bacterial community) associating with pōhutukawa seeds and seedlings. Before moving to New Zealand from Russia, he ...

  7. What's in a name? Demystifying lilly pilly hedges

    Every winter, Beyond Myrtle Rust asks gardeners to prune their lilly pilly hedges to help prevent the spread of myrtle rust, a deadly plant disease caused by the fungus [Austropuccinia psidii]. New growth encouraged by pruning is less likely to be infected by [A. psidii] in winter.

  8. Honeybees observed harvesting myrtle rust

    An observation of bees harvesting myrtle rust spores in Auckland has recently been reported by Beyond Myrtle Rust programme member Peter de Lange, student Luzie Schmid and fellow researchers. Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) were spotted harvesting urediniospores (spores of Austopuccinia psidii, t...

  9. Scientists advise pruning your lilly pilly hedges during winter to protect New Zealand’s native plants

    If you haven’t pruned your lilly pilly hedge recently, do so this winter. Research has shown that pruning in the winter can slow the spread of myrtle rust.

  10. Myrtle rust: iNaturalist reports from last season

    It was a busy season for gardeners, trampers, scientists, and myrtle rust this past summer. There were many new observations of the fungal disease affecting the country’s Myrtaceae plant species thanks to keen New Zealanders out and about recording sightings of disease symptoms.

    Between 1 November ...

Tags