The ANPC is excited to announce that we have just received a new Environment Restoration Fund – Threatened Species Strategy Action Plan Grant. Entitled “Enabling future recovery of Rhodomyrtus psidioides by safe custody ex situ” the ANPC will be working with various state government departments and botanic gardens over the next 13 months to undertake a Myrtle rust pilot dispersed-custody model to enable sampling and repropagation of surviving wild germplasm, including genetic management program. R. psidioides faces extinction in the wild due to Myrtle Rust, and survivors do not set fruit. Seeds are unorthodox, and ex situ germplasm must be kept as whole-plant collections (pending tissue culture, feasibility uncertain), and dispersed for safety. A large genebank is essential for screening for rust resistance genes, and for eventual ecologically safe reintroduction.
New ANPC grant announced!
