Professor Bernard Dell

Room: BioSc/1.017

Research

Plant/microbe interactions particularly mycorrhizal fungi, nutrition of eucalypts and other plantation trees, edible fungi, plant disease/nutrient interactions, mycophagy.

Current Active Projects

Improving the fitness of plants through inoculation with superior strains of mycorrhizal fungi and or beneficial bacteria; mycophagy in Australian marsupials; abiotic stress factors in ecosystem and plantation health (nutrition, water, etc.); plantation forestry; edible fungi in Australia, China and Thailand; tuart decline; urban forestry.

Projects

Mycophagy

Many Australian marsupials depend on subterranean truffle-like fungi as a source of food. These fungi form symbiotic associations with the roots of eucalypts and other woody plants. Projects are available in three areas: Effect of fire on the abundance and diversity of truffle-like fungi, or Are truffle-like fungi a factor in the decline of tuart? or Role of truffle-like fungi in the conservation of marsupials.

Use of beneficial fungi and bacteria in revegetation

Disturbed sites (e.g. gravel pits, dieback sites, mine sites, secondary forests, agricultural lands, etc.) have low diversity of beneficial fungi (e.g. ectomycorrhizal fungi) and this can impair the success of recolonisation by native flora. This project will identify key restraining site factors and then will use these to evaluate screening methods for selecting appropriate fungi for inoculation programs.

Molecular taxonomy of Australian false truffles

Tuart is rapidly disappearing from parts of the National Park south of Mandurah. Preliminary work suggests that the tuart may rely on symbiotic fungi and that the diversity of these fungi may be reduced in areas of tree death. This project will for the first time identify the dependence of tuart seedlings on mycorrhizal fungi and document changes in beneficial fungi on roots of declining trees in the field.

Effect of abiotic stress on efficacy of phosphite to control Phytophthora dieback

Phosphite application is the only tool that we have to treat populations of threatened flora in the field from the scourge of Phytophthora dieback. Yet, the effectiveness of this treatment could be undermined by the physiological status of the plant caused by summer rain, drought, fire, etc. Using banksias as model species, this project will explore the interaction between changes in whole plant physiology due to one abiotic stress and the effectiveness of phosphite in planta to contain lesions of Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Health of urban trees

Trees in urban landscapes are exposed to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, yet we know little of the factors that predominate in urban tree decline. This project is suitable for a student that has a love of trees, is willing to work with a wide range of exotic and indigenous species, does not have a fear of ladders or cherry-pickers, who is prepared to investigate tree physiology measures (pre-dawn water deficit, midday leaf function), rate canopy condition and document any incidence of pest and disease events.

Joint projects on diseases of plantation crops are available with Assoc. Prof. Giles Hardy. Please see the projects under his listing.

Back to Honours Projects