Time Capsule Fungus Offers Opportunity for Rare Glimpse into 50 Years of Wheat Disease Evolution

A pair of tiny glass vials sealed away for half a century could provide novel insights into one of Australia's most damaging wheat diseases when a 50-year-old time capsule is opened on October 17, 2026.

Among the items stored in the 1976 time capsule on the-then Roseworthy Agricultural College grounds (now Roseworthy Campus, part of Adelaide University) are two vials containing Septoria tritici, a fungal pathogen collected in 1976 that causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), a major disease of wheat crops.

Robin Wilson – a plant breeding consultant who is now in his 70s and still working in WA – provided the samples for the capsule during his tenure with Roseworthy’s Wheat Breeding Program in the 1970s.

The samples will be examined by South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) plant pathologists who will test whether the fungus remains viable after 50 years in storage and assess its virulence compared with modern isolates of the disease.

SARDI is the Government of South Australia’s principal research institute within the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA).

Wilson says the discovery presents a rare scientific opportunity to directly compare historical and contemporary isolates of a significant crop pathogen.

“Septoria tritici blotch is one of the most important foliar diseases affecting wheat in southern and eastern Australia,” Wilson said.

“In the 1970s it was on the rise, but we were very poorly prepared for it and I was keen to see if the spores remained viable in 50 years’ time.”

The disease thrives in cool, wet conditions and can cause severe yield and grain quality losses if left unmanaged. Research has shown yield losses can reach up to 50% in high-rainfall regions, with significant economic impacts for growers.

Scientists hope the 1976 samples may provide unique insights into how the pathogen has evolved over time, including changes in aggressiveness, adaptation to wheat varieties that have been developed over this time, and potential responses to fungicides.

If the fungus can be successfully cultured, SARDI researchers will compare its virulence with modern isolates now prevalent in Australian wheat-growing regions. This could help reveal how the pathogen genetics have changed over five decades, as the farming systems, wheat varieties and disease management practices have advanced.

Professor Jason Able, Dean of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at Adelaide University, said wheat breeding programs had made significant progress over the past five decades in developing disease tolerant germplasm.

Even so, it is a constant battle for plant breeders as Septoria tritici can mutate very quickly.”

Professor Jason Able, Dean of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Adelaide University

Results from the viability and virulence testing are expected to contribute to ongoing research aimed at improving disease management and protecting Australian wheat production into the future.

Professor Tim Sutton, Research Director Crop Sciences at SARDI, said foliar diseases remain one of the most significant challenges to grain production across southern Australia.

“This rare opportunity to compare a historical pathogen sample to those prevalent today in wheat crops, could strengthen our understanding of fungal disease evolution and importantly for growers, provide insights into future management strategies.

“It also highlights the importance of sustained investment in agricultural research, where the value of scientific collections and knowledge can continue to grow over decades.”