Research in Australia unlocks faba bean gall disease

Researchers at The University of Western Australia (UWA) have identified the cause of the devastating faba bean gall disease for the first time, a disease that causes significant destruction of bean crops in Ethiopia and China. When the disease arrived in Ethiopia in 2012, surveys of a region showed that 50 to 100 per cent of crops quickly become infected, followed by losses up to 100pc. Faba bean is of critical importance for food security in Ethiopia, and faba bean gall disease is especially devastating for this East African community. It is also known to attack field peas and clover growing nearby, and poses a serious international biosecurity risk for its potential to be accidentally introduced into other countries, including Australia. Australia is the world's leading exporter of faba bean, producing up to 500,000 tonnes annually and supplying one-third of faba bean traded internationally. The grain legume is mainly grown in the cropping systems of South Australia, Victoria, ...