PMTV is one of the biggest threats to the Australian potato industry. In retaliation, government officials are moving quickly to punish it. First detected in Tasmania, the virus species almost certainly has been circulating in the area for at least two years. The one verified case of PMTV on the Australian mainland occurred in seed potatoes held in storage in Victoria. With this discovery, the situation is even more alarming. Only Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia have gone as far. They have implemented controls on the movement of unprocessed potatoes and seed potato producing equipment from Tasmania to prevent the further spread of disease.
Even with these new protections in place, serious questions have arisen. So why do we still not have a soil testing protocol and methodology for PMTV in Australia. The lack of such data is alarming, as it suggests that the virus could be circulating unnoticed. It can remain in the soil for years, as can powdery scab, even in the absence of growing potato varieties.
The Tasmanian government is taking the crisis seriously. To that end, they’ve contributed $200,000 to a research program focused on PMTV and powdery scab. The goal of this initiative is to foster improved stewardship protocols and practices, setting the highest standard for sensitive development. The national PMTV committee’s case PMTV is a national disgrace that cannot be eliminated in Australia. Stakeholders are going to have to get used to not going back to a zero-COVID state.
The origin of PMTV in Tasmania is still unknown, with authorities unable to identify how it came into the state. Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, Australia’s chief plant protection officer, said the virus may have come by multiple routes.
“Potato mop top virus is believed to have been in the country for at least two years based on what we know in terms of tracing at this point. But it’s not known exactly how it arrived in Australia; it potentially could have come in on a number of different pathways.” – Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith
During July, we made our first detection of PMTV on a commercial farm in north-west Tasmania. Later studies made it clear that evidence of the virus had probably been here much earlier. The ramifications of its presence are being heard deep in the agricultural community. Stuart Applebee, a farmer from Tasmania, shared his fears about the potential effect PMTV will have on his operation.
“We have these rules and regulations in place, and somehow things are coming in. We’re not that far away from having a major outbreak of something here if this is going to be a common practice.” – Stuart Applebee
In New Zealand, where PMTV has been present since its discovery at a processing plant on the South Island in September 2018, the situation appears more stable. Kate Trufitt, CEO of Potatoes New Zealand, to say the least, management practices for PMTV are making a difference.
“We’re not seeing any impact. Our processes monitor it and report back if we see any (effects). So we’re not really seeing that impact at all. We’re not seeing lost yields, we’re not seeing anything.” – Kate Trufitt
Though she emphasized optimism about the virus’s ability to create new opportunities to address future challenges, she underscored these negative possibilities.
“But they do call it the sleeping disease, so something for us to be aware of is that something could happen in the future.” – Kate Trufitt
Zarmeen Hassan, biosecurity manager for grower group AUSVEG, pressed for continued vigilance. While PMTV has thus far only been found in Tasmania, there are persistent fears about its potential movement to the Australian mainland.
“So far we know that it’s only in Tasmania, right? We don’t actually know whether it has spread to the mainland. If it has not spread to the mainland, then obviously the industry and government want to work towards containing it.” – Zarmeen Hassan
Given the influx of these potentially game-changing developments, there is an urgent need for research into how best to manage these innovations. We note that there is no accepted soil testing PMTV methodology in Australia. Stakeholder efforts are already working to set one up, but like any new idea still in development, it won’t be ready for the next planting season.
“At this point, there isn’t a soil testing protocol and methodology in place in Australia. It is being worked on but planting season is starting now, so it won’t be available for this planting season; it will be available for the next season.” – Unattributed
At the same time, Nathan Calman appeared to complain that biosecurity protocols had completely failed to stop the incursion of PMTV into Australia.
“The most concerning thing about the mop top incursion into Tasmania is that this isn’t just the first time the virus has been detected in Tasmania, but it’s also the first time that it’s been detected within Australia.” – Nathan Calman
The future of the Australian potato industry is looking uncertain. Stakeholders are engaged in an ongoing effort to monitor PMTV, safeguard crops, and maintain biosecurity.
