Western Australian lupin pathologist awarded National Medal
Dr Mark Sweetingham a plant pathologist with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture who works predominantly on pathogens of narrow-leaved lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), has just been awarded the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Medal of Agricultural Science for 2005.
Mark has published extensively on diseases of lupins. He worked on lupin anthracnose (Colletotrichum lupini) following its discovery in Western Australia. The disease Phomopsis stem blight (PSB) caused by Diaporthe toxica, which causes minor damage to the crop but can cause numerous deaths of sheep grazing lupins, has been another of his research areas. In addition he has worked on both Rhizoctonia solani and Pleiochaeta setosa, the causes of brown spot and root rot of narrow-leaved lupin.
Mark works closely with plant breeders on the use of biotechnology to confer disease resistance. He has also been instrumental in the development of screening techniques for a variety of lupin diseases.
Source: G. D. Hill, Lincoln University, New Zealand. Email:
hill1@lincoln.ac.nz
