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The National Diagnostic Protocol 53 (NDP 53) for “Cyst nematodes (The genus Heterodera)” was endorsed in October 2024 by the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostics (SPHD) for use in the event of an incursion. This NDP will play a crucial role in the detection of these pests, and serves as a vital tool to safeguard and maintain market access for a range of industries, including cereals, oilseeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

Exotic cyst nematodes in the Heterodera genus are a pest group recognised in Australia’s top 42 list of National Priority Plant Pests (NPPPs). With 88 obligate plant-parasitic species known globally, including only a very few in Australia, Heterodera spp. are devastating pests of important crops, causing direct and indirect damage to plants by feeding and modifying root systems.

This NDP was developed and authored by staff from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in collaboration with a range of experts who sourced exotic specimens for assay validation and verification. The NDP was reviewed and verified by diagnosticians from across Australia at a National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) funded nematode workshop held during the 2023 Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop. The workshop enhanced Australia’s capability in identifying and diagnosing of these nematodes, and provided participants with experience in using the NDP on exotics not commonly encountered.

The endorsed NDP marks a key milestone in pest preparedness, equipping diagnosticians with standardised and reliable molecular and morphological methods to detect and differentiate all exotic Heterodera spp. from those present in Australia.

For more information on NDP 53 or other NDP-related queries, such as NDP development, review, and verification processes, please contact [email protected].

The development of this NDP was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program and along with Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Hort Innovation Australia, Wine Australia, Sugar Research Australia and Forest and Wood Products Australia.

The progression and endorsement of this NDP was made possible with coordination and support from the Diagnostic Protocols Working Group (DPWG) and SPHD. The coordination of NDP progression was facilitated through funding support by DAFF under the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics Professional Development and Protocols Project managed by Plant Health Australia (PHA).

Specimens from the Nematology section of the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO. Image credit: Credit: Akshita Jain.

Cereal rye infested with the Heterodera filipjevi cyst nematode. Image source: forestryimages.org.