Peter Keating
Managing Director | Bioscience
Presentation Title: Norfolk Island Pine Decline
Field Trip to South Perth Foreshore: Observations of key decline symptoms in Norfolk Island Pine
Meet the Presenter:
Peter Keating has a Ph.D in biochemistry from UWA, and has worked in plant science in WA for the last 35 years. His company Bioscience Pty Ltd provides analytical, consulting and research services to the plant industries ranging from broadacre cropping and pasture, the horticulture (vegetable, fruit and flowers) and nursery industries, to the arboricultural industries. He has had extensive experience in plant pathology in all these industries. He holds many patents related to plant science, soil science and environmental management..
Analysis services provided by the Bioscience team of scientists include elemental analysis of water, soil, and plant tissue, geotechnical analysis of soils, vegetation surveys and plant pathology. Company research is mostly related to mineral nutrition of plants, soil organic carbon dynamics, and the interactions of microflora with plants. Bioscience has deployed it’s own next generation DNA sequencing systems to research the complex interplay of the soil microbiome with the rhizosphere and the endophyte microbiome in roots, stems and leaves of plants.
Peter is a sailor with 20+ years of offshore racing experience – in his words, this has left him “salty and gnarley”.
Abstract:
Norfolk Island Pines have become iconic urban trees throughout the Australia coastal cities. In the last several years, many trees in the Perth area, particularly those closer to the coast have started to decline and die. Bioscience provides consultancy services in plant pathology to many arborist firms and local government, thus has become acutely aware of the problems facing these trees. The company is trying to encourage a cooperative approach within local government to better understand the multiple likely causes of decline, and thereby develop a management plan.
This talk will focus on the information and data collected to date, including the native habitat of the species, a description of the decline, pathogens found, soil and leaf tissue analysis, and new insect discoveries, which collectively point towards the further work needed towards developing a management plan to retain these iconic trees.
Field Trip:
Peter will also lead us on a field trip to the South Perth Foreshore, where he will explain how to identify the key symptoms of Norfolk Island Pine Decline.
This event was supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Newmont Boddington Gold, and Perth NRM
This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program
