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Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference 2025

Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference 2025

In collaboration with Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland the second Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference was held 16-17 June 2025 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The conference program including speaker abstracts is available here.

Download the Conference Report here.

Conference presentation recordings are now available on the ANPC Youtube channel:

 

Many of Australasia’s best-known and most highly valued native trees – from Australia’s eucalypts to Aotearoa New Zealand’s pōhutukawa – are in the family Myrtaceae. Many species in this family urgently need protection from Myrtle Rust, a disease caused by the globally dispersed pathogen Austropuccinia psidii.

Collaborative research efforts have improved our understanding of our myrtles, the pathogen, and plant/pathogen interactions. Management tools have been developed and deployed, and communities are rapidly mobilising to protect and conserve native plants.

Researchers and community members from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand came together with an exciting line-up of talks on 16 and 17 June 2025, to share knowledge and celebrate our mighty myrtles and the progress made towards protecting them. The Australian Government commissioned the above report of the proceedings. Read the report for an overview of the current state of Myrtle Rust for the Australasian region, as discussed during the conference, and to learn about the latest research and management approaches.

The conference themes were:

  • Community-led action
  • New technologies, solutions, and research insights
    Part 1: Tools and fungal genetics
    – Part 2: Environmental and microbial insights
  • Species conservation
  • Early career initiatives and research

 


Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference 2025 presenters and in-person attendees. Credit: Jenny Leonard.

A huge thanks to our sponsors!

Online/virtual attendance was free thanks to support from our wonderful sponsors. Our sponsors were also exceptional facilitators of inclusion. By covering overhead costs and sponsoring bursaries, they allowed the organising committee to focus on what matters: ensuring that a broad range of voices from many backgrounds and regions were present and engaged with the conference.

Our hosts

Our hosts provided unquantifiable services that allowed us to cut costs significantly and focus on what matters.

Platinum sponsors

Provided travel and accommodation bursaries for students, mana whenua, and First Nations Australians.

 

Gold sponsor

Auckland Council provided conference support and enabled local community and mana whenua attendance.

 

Bronze sponsors – thanks for your support!

The Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference Committee would like to acknowledge and thank Jenny Leonard for her enormous contribution in ensuring a successful event, and for writing the AMRC2025 report. 

Myrtle Rust Meta-collection: Update from Mount Tomah and Beyond

Myrtle Rust Meta-collection: Update from Mount Tomah and Beyond

Partner gardens collaborating to safeguard vulnerable species

Over the past several years, the distribution of various lineages of Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) and Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens) to partner gardens has played a vital role in the conservation of species impacted by Myrtle Rust. Between 2021 and 2024, dedicated teams at Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden – Mt Tomah, The Australian Botanic Garden – Mt Annan, Australian National Botanic Gardens – Canberra, Booderee Botanic Garden and Dandenong Botanic Garden have nurtured and closely monitored these meta-collections.

The good news is, despite facing a range of challenges—including outbreaks of Myrtle Rust, animal browsing and damaging storms—all distributed plants remain alive! This resilience is a testament to the commitment and care provided by staff across all participating gardens. ☀️ Special thanks to all involved.

Supports put in place to protect trees from wild weather

Fencing to protect the trees from browsing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With plans underway to distribute additional lineages from central collections in New South Wales and Queensland, we have been actively reviewing original processes and collecting lessons learned from each garden’s experience. Our approach aims to continually improve outcomes for these at-risk species.

Two weeks ago at Mount Tomah, Ian Allan shared valuable insights on site selection and plant management. He observed that plants positioned with better access to sunlight have shown notably stronger growth. Looking ahead, Ian highlighted the potential for experimenting with hedge-format plantings—an approach that could offer more efficient use of space and improved management options.

If your garden or arboretum is interested in hosting safe custody collections for species affected by Myrtle Rust, please reach out to Pip Walsh at myrtlerust@anpc.asn.au to learn more.

Feature image: Ian Allan with one of the larger Native Guava trees at Mt Tomah.