Piotr Trębicki

• PhD, Queensland University of Technology
• Researcher at Macquarie University

This collaborative work by over 180 researchers from 40+ countries addresses the challenges posed by "phantom agents"-putative patho-genic agents named in literature without supporting data on their existence. Those agents remain on regulatory lists, creating barriers in trade and plant certification. Historically identified based solely on symptom...

Luteoviruses (family Tombusviridae) and poleroviruses (family Solemoviridae) are economically important pathogens of cereals such as wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oat (Avena sativa). In Australia, the luteoviruses barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (BYDV PAV) and barley yellow dwarf virus MAV (BYDV MAV), along with the polerovi...

We present the genome sequence of a polerovirus (family Solemoviridae) isolated from wild oat (Avena fatua) in Australia. The genome sequence consists of 5,631 nucleotides and shares 87% nucleotide identity with its closest relative, cereal yellow dwarf virus RPV isolate 010 (GenBank accession number EF521830).

The phylogeography of invasive pests is fundamentally important for the reconstruction of invasion pathways. Infection patterns with maternally inherited endosymbionts such as Cardinium and Wolbachia may provide additional resolution power. Kelly’s citrus thrips, Pezothrips kellyanus, a significant Australian-native pest of citrus, has independentl...

Citation: Ibrahim, E.; Rychlá, A.; Alquicer, G.; Slavíková, L.; Peng, Q.; Klíma, M.; Vrbovský, V.; Trebicki, P.; Kundu, J.K. Evaluation of Resistance of Oilseed Rape Genotypes to Turnip Yellows Virus. Plants 2023, 12, 2501. Abstract: Turnip yellows virus (TuYV), is one of the most important pathogens of oilseed rape, which has caused enormous yield...

Medicago sativa is a good fodder crop in Pakistan. Its continuous cultivation and sustainable production is important for the better growth and yield of animals. Phytoplasma is an important well spread disease worldwide which has been reporting from more than 150 years ago on different plants including Lucerne or Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The stud...

Yellow dwarf viruses (YDVs) reduce grain yield in a wide range of cereal hosts worldwide. Cereal yellow dwarf virus RPV (CYDV RPV) and cereal yellow dwarf virus RPS (CYDV RPS) are members of the Polerovirus genus within the Solemoviridae family (Scheets et al. 2020; Sõmera et al. 2021). Along with barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (BYDV PAV) and barley...

Surveillance and long-term monitoring of insect pest populations are of paramount importance to limit dispersal and inform pest management. Molecular methods have been employed in diagnostics, surveillance and monitoring for the past few decades, often paired with more traditional techniques relying on morphological examinations. Within this contex...

Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) is a damaging virus that is persistently transmitted by aphids and infects a wide range of grain hosts including lentil (Lens culinaris Medik), field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and canola (Brassica napus L., oilseed rape). Although information is available about the effects of TuYV infection on grain yield in canola, data ab...

The North American native prairie grass Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) is a primary bioenergy feedstock candidate. Its widespread distribution and genetic diversity enable the possibility of developing this perennial grass for high production in a variety of conditions, including on marginal lands. A critical concern in feedstock development and de...

Climate change impacts to crop production are likely to be greatest in semi-arid regions already constrained by marginal growing conditions. The response of temperate grain crops (wheat, field pea and lentil) to elevated CO2 (eCO2) (550 μmol mol− 1) under semi-arid field conditions was studied over 11 years in the Australian Grains Free Air CO2 Enr...

This review summarizes research on virus diseases of cereals and oilseeds in Australia since the 1950s. All viruses known to infect the diverse range of cereal and oilseed crops grown in the continent’s temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical cropping regions are included. Viruses that occur commonly and have potential to cause the great...

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is transmitted by aphids and significantly reduces the yield and quality of cereals worldwide. Four experiments investigating the effects of barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) infection on either wheat or barley were conducted over three years (2015, 2017, and 2018) under typical field conditions in South-East...

Disease outbreaks caused by turnip yellows virus (TuYV), a member of the genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae, regularly occur in canola and pulse crops throughout Australia. To understand the genetic diversity of TuYV for resistance breeding and management, genome sequences of 28 TuYV isolates from different hosts and locations were determined u...

Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to double by late twenty-first century, likely increasing global temperature by 2.2 °C. Elevated CO2 (eCO2) and temperature (eT) affect agricultural crops as well as pests and their natural enemies. Changes in any part of multitrophic systems due to environmental factors can affect pest...

The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) generally increases wheat biomass and grain yield but decreases its nutritional value. This, in turn, can alter the metabolic rates, development, and performance of insect pests feeding on the crop. However, it is unclear how elevated CO2 (eCO2) and nitrogen (N) input affect insect pest biology through c...

Discerning with crop health issues, this study was conducted to detect and identify phytoplasmas and their potential insect vectors in symptomatic Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) plants collected from Punjab, Pakistan. The detection of phytoplasma in collected leafhopper species and Fenugreek plants was confirmed by nested PCR amplification o...

Climate change impacts crop production, pest and disease pressure, yield stability, and, therefore, food security. In order to understand how climate and atmospheric change factors affect trophic interactions in agriculture, we evaluated the combined effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature on the interactions among wheat (Triticum a...

Changes in global climate driven by anthropogenic activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have been progressively increasing and are projected to intensify. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature will have significant consequences for future food production, quality, distribution and se...

Using RNA strand-specific sequencing followed by de novo assembly, a Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) genome was obtained from a lentil sample (Aus14BY) collected in Victoria, Australia, in 2005. When compared with 51 BYMV genomes, it closely resembled the Western Australian isolate PN83A ( Lupinus angustifolius ), with 98.4% nucleotide identity.

There is growing interest in using silicon (Si) for pest and disease management in cropping systems, notably in cereals which have the capacity to hyper-accumulate Si from the soil. Si-mediated pest resistance is thought to operate via physical and allelochemical mechanisms, but it is unclear whether phloem-feeders (e.g. aphids) are as adversely af...

Coding-complete sequences of two barley virus G isolates from Australia were obtained from a 34-year-old oat sample (isolate Aus8) and a 1-year-old barley sample (isolate Aus17N). The Aus8 and Aus17N isolates share 96.3% nucleotide identity with each other and 95.7 to 95.8% nucleotide identity with the South Korean isolate Uiseong.

Here, we report the first nearly complete genome sequence of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) obtained from a symptomatic field pea sample (Aus295) in Australia. Its genome RNA1 and RNA2 segments resembled those of the Argentinian isolate Manfredi, with 99.4% and 96.7% nucleotide (nt) identity, respectively; its RNA3 segment resembled that of Chinese iso...

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major threat to agriculture and food security. This chapter mainly focuses on insect, plant and pathogen interactions, driven by increased CO2 and temperature. It discusses other pathogens and describes the main trends. The chapter explores sap‐sucking insects, vectors of plant viruses, plant viruses t...

For the first time, Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) and Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) were detected in a naturally infected fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) crop in Australia. The level of infection reached an alarming 90%, 75% and 20% respectively for CMV, TuYV and PSbMV, resulting in total crop loss. Both CMV a...

Yellow dwarf viruses (YDVs) form a complex of economically important pathogens that affect cereal production worldwide, reducing yield and quality. The prevalence and incidence of YDVs including barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDV-PAV and BYDV-MAV) and cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV-RPV) in cereal fields in Victoria, Australia were measured. As temp...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main anthropogenic gas which has drastically increased since the industrial revolution, and current concentrations are projected to double by the end of this century. As a consequence, elevated CO2 is expected to alter the earths’ climate, increase global temperatures and change weather patterns. This is likely to have b...

The complexities behind the mechanisms associated with virus-host-vector interactions of vector-transmitted viruses, and their consequences for disease development need to be understood to reduce virus spread and disease severity. Climate has a substantial effect on viruses, vectors, host plants and their interactions. Increased atmospheric carbon...

As agricultural acreage expanded and came to dominate landscapes across the world, viruses gained opportunities to move between crop and wild native plants. In the Midwestern USA, virus exchange currently occurs between widespread annual Poaceae crops and remnant native perennial prairie grasses now under consideration as bioenergy feedstocks. In t...

Piercing-sucking insects are vectors of plant pathogens, and an understanding of their feeding behaviour is crucial for studies on insect population dynamics and pathogen spread. This study examines probing behaviour of the eggplant psyllid, Acizzia solanicola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique, on two wi...

Piercing-sucking insects are vectors of plant pathogens, and an understanding of their feeding behaviour is crucial for studies on insect population dynamics and pathogen spread. This study examines probing behaviour of the eggplant psyllid, Acizzia solanicola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique, on two wi...

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are predicted to double by the end of this century. Although the effects of CO2 fertilisation in crop systems have been well studied, little is known about the specific interactions among plants, pests and pathogens under a changing climate. This growth chamber study focuses on the interactions among Barley yellow dwa...

Climate change will exacerbate the spread of a virus that reduces the yield of infected wheat by 70%. ISSN: 1442-679X.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased significantly and is projected to double by 2100. To increase current food production levels, understanding how pests and diseases respond to future climate driven by increasing CO2 is imperative. We investigated the effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) on the interactions among wheat (cv. Yitp...

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) impacts plant growth and metabolism. Indirectly, the performance and feeding of insects is affected by plant nutritional quality and resistance traits. Life history and feeding behaviour of Myzus persicae were studied on pepper plants under ambient (aCO2, 400 ppm) or elevated CO2 (eCO2, 650 ppm), as well...

Current atmospheric CO2 levels are about 400 μmol mol(-1) and are predicted to rise to 650 μmol mol(-1) later this century. Although the positive and negative impacts of CO2 on plants are well documented, little is known about interactions with pests and diseases. If disease severity increases under future environmental conditions, then it becomes...

Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) is associated with yellow dwarf disease, one of the most economically important diseases of cereals worldwide. In this study, the impact of current and future predicted temperatures for the Wimmera wheat growing district in Victoria, Australia on the titre of BYDV-PAV in wheat was investigated. Ten day old w...

Background/Question/Methods Viruses are integral elements of natural ecosystems, including prairie grasslands, but little is known about virus effects on plant performance and how within-species variability influences virus-plant interactions. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), is an important native prairie grass from which selected cultivars have...

The common brown leafhopper Orosius orientalis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is a polyphagous vector of a range of economically important pathogens, including phytoplasmas and viruses, which infect a diverse range of crops. Studies on the plant penetration behaviour by O. orientalis were conducted using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique...

Background/Question/Methods With interest in cellulosic ethanol rising, fast-growing perennial grasses may be planted over large areas of the Midwestern United States and elsewhere. This possible large-scale change in vegetation cover has potential to promote biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services, particularly if native species are used. Ho...

Despite complex regional patterns of projected climate change, significant decreases in food crop yields have been predicted using the 'worst case' CO 2 emission scenario (A1FI) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Overall, climate change is predicted to have a progressively negative effect on the yield of food crops, particularly in t...

There is a paucity of data on the distribution of Cicadellidae (leafhoppers) in Australia. This study quantifies the relative abundance, seasonal activity and diversity of leafhoppers in the Ovens Valley region of north-east Victoria, Australia. Species diversity and abundance was assessed at four field sites in and around the field borders of comm...

Despite increasing knowledge of the predicted impacts of climate change, potential threats from pests and diseases to agriculture remain uncertain. In this study, we developed models to understand better the likely responses of pest and disease threats to the changing Australian climate. By coupling host-plant physiology, virus and vector populatio...

Factors that determine the epidemiology of Tobacco yellow dwarf virus (TbYDV), including alternative host plants and insect vector(s), were assessed over three consecutive growing seasons at four field sites in Northeastern Victoria in commercial tobacco growing properties. In addition, these factors were assessed for one growing season at three be...

Orosius orientalis is a leafhopper vector of several viruses and phytoplasmas affecting a broad range of agricultural crops. Sweep net, yellow pan trap and yellow sticky trap collection techniques were evaluated. Seasonal distribution of O. orientalis was surveyed over two successive growing seasons around the borders of commercially grown tobacco...

The common brown leafhopper, Orosius orientalis (Matsumura) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), previously described as Orosius argentatus (Evans), is an important vector of several viruses and phytoplasmas worldwide. In Australia, phytoplasmas vectored by O. orientalis cause a range of economically important diseases, including legume little leaf (Hutton &...

The Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment in Victoria simulates elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) levels expected to occur in 2050. Between 2007-2009 there were 3 physical facilities: the core site at Horsham where measurements were collected on the impacts of irrigation (2 levels), temperature at heading (time of sowing – 2 times), ni...

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their fourth assessment report in 2007 which concluded global warming is already occurring and that changes in the global climate system will continue into the future. These changes are expected to have major impact on agricultural systems, particularly as both CO2 and temperature are ex...