Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW

Brett Summerell

Position
Director

Branch
Science & Public Programs

Section
Conservation and Horticultural Research

Email
brett.summerell@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Phone
+61 2 9231 8113

Fax
+61 2 9241 1135

Research interests
Biology, ecology and population genetics of plant pathogenic fungi, particularly in natural ecosystems

Keywords
fungi, Fusarium, Phytophthora, plant diseases

Current research projects

  • My core research activities are focused on the biology, ecology and taxonomy of the complex fungal genus, Fusarium.
  • Research on techniques for the diagnosis of plant diseases, especially macromolecular based techniques
  • Studies on fungi causing diseases of Australian plants.
  • Capacity building projects in plant pathology in South-East Asia

Key publications

Books

  • Burgess, L.W., Summerell, B.A., Bullock, S., Gott, K.P. and Backhouse, D. (1994) Laboratory Manual for Fusarium Research, 3rd Edition. Department of Crop Science, University of Sydney/Royal Botanic Gardens, 134 p.
  • Summerell, B.A., Leslie, J.F., Backhouse, D., Bryden, W. L. and Burgess, L.W. (eds.).(2001) Fusarium: Paul E. Nelson Memorial Symposium. American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. 408 pp.

CD-ROMS

  • Stacey Azzopardi, Brett Summerell, Ngo Vinh Vien, Tran Nguyen Ha, Lester Burgess, Pim Sanderson and Len Tesoriero (2002) Soilborne Plant Diseases in Vietnam. AusAid, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney and University of Sydney.

Chapters in books

  • Summerell, B.A. (1997) Pests and diseases. In The Waratah, 2nd Edition. P. Nixon. pp. 56-58. Kangaroo Press.
  • Bryden, W.L., Shanks, G.J., Ravindran G., Summerell, B.A. and Burgess, L.W. (1998) Occurrence of Fusarium moniliforme and fumonisins in Australian maize in relation to animal disease. In Toxic Plants and Other Natural Toxicants, eds. T. Garland and A.C. Barr. pp. 474-478. CAB International.
  • Summerell, B.A. (2000) Urban Plant Pathology: Advising the Public. In Managing Urban Weeds and Pests. Pp.143-152. (eds. D.M. Suckling and P.S. Stevens). New Zealand Plant Protection Society.
  • Summerell, B.A., Kistler, H.C. and Gunn, L.V. (2001) Fusarium wilt of Phoenix canariensis caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. canariensis. Pp 263-270. In Fusarium: Paul E. Nelson Memorial Symposium.
  • Summerell, B.A., Leslie, J.F., Backhouse, D., Bryden, W. L. and Burgess, L.W. (eds.). American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul Minnesota.
  • Backhouse, D., Burgess, L.W. and Summerell, B.A. (2001) Biogeography of Fusarium. Pp. 124-139. In Fusarium: Paul E. Nelson Memorial Symposium. Summerell, B.A., Leslie, J.F., Backhouse, D., Bryden, W. L. and Burgess, L.W. (eds.). American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul Minnesota.
  • Burgess, L.W., Backhouse, D., Summerell, B.A. and Swan, L.J. (2001) Crown rot of wheat. Pp 271-294. In Fusarium: Paul E. Nelson Memorial Symposium. Summerell, B.A., Leslie, J.F., Backhouse, D., Bryden, W. L. and Burgess, L.W. (eds.). American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul Minnesota.
  • Burgess, L.W., Summerell, B.A., Giblett, G., Backhouse, D., Blake, M.L., Smith-White, J. and Colville, M. (2002) Role of sorghum in overseasoning of Gibberella zeae. In Sorghum and Millets 2001. Pp. 301-303. J.F. Leslie (ed.). Iowa State University Press.
  • McDougall, KL, Summerell BA (2003) The impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi on the flora and vegetation of New South Wales – a re-appraisal. In Phytophthora in Forests and Natural Ecosystems. 2nd International IUFRO Working Party 7.02.09 Meeting, Albany, Western Australia, October 2001. Eds. JA McComb, GEStJ Hardy and IC Tommerup; pages 49-56. (Murdoch University Print: Murdoch, Western Australia).
  • Walsh, J., McDougall, KL, Whelan, R. and Summerell BA (2003) The distribution and impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Royal National Park, New South Wales. In Phytophthora in Forests and Natural Ecosystems. 2nd International IUFRO Working Party 7.02.09 Meeting, Albany, Western Australia, October 2001. Eds. JA McComb, GEStJ Hardy and IC Tommerup; pages 280-281. (Murdoch University Print: Murdoch, Western Australia).
  • Summerell, B.A. and Leslie, J.F. (2004) Genetic diversity and population structure of plant-pathogenic species in the genus Fusarium. Pp. 207 – 223 in Plant Microbiology. M. Gillings and A. Holmes eds. Garland Science/BIOS Scientific Publishers (Oxford). 

Papers in refereed journals

  • Summerell, B.A., Burgess, L.W., Bullock, S. Backhouse, D. and Nguyen, D.T. (1998) Occurrence of perithecia of Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (Fusarium moniliforme) on maize stubble in northern Vietnam. Mycologia 90:890-895.
  • McGee, P.A., Bullock, S. and Summerell, B.A. (1999) Structure of mycorrhizae of the wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) and related Araucariaceae. Australian Journal of Botany 47, 85-95.
  • Elmer, W.H., Summerell, B.A., Burgess, L.W. and Nigh Jr, E.L. (1999) Vegetative compatability groups of Fusarium proliferatum from asparagus in Australia and their relation to groups in the United States of America. Mycologia 91: 650-654.
  • Gunn, L.V. and Summerell, B.A. (1999) Fusarium wilt of Canary Island Date Palms. Proceedings of the Fifty Second New Zealand Plant Protection Conference, Auckland NZ, August 1999. Pp. 29-31. New Zealand Plant Protection Society Inc.
  • Burgess, L.W. and Summerell, B.A. (2000) Taxonomy of Fusarium: Fusarium armeniacum stat. & comb. nov. Mycotaxon 75, 347-348.
  • Bullock, S., Gunn, L.V. and Summerell, B.A. (2000) Pathogens of the Wollemi Pine, Wollemia nobilis. Australasian Plant Pathology 29, 211-214.
  • Crous, P.W., Summerell, B.A., Taylor, J. and Bullock, S. (2000) Fungi occurring on Proteaceae in Australia: selected foliicolous species. Australasian Plant Pathology 29, 267-278.
  • Summerell, B.A. and Gunn, L.V. (2001) – First record of Fusarium wilt of Phoenix canariensis in South Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology 30, 75.
  • Smith-White, J.L., Gunn, L.V. and Summerell, B.A. (2001) Analysis of diversity within Fusarium oxysporum populations using molecular analysis and vegetative compatibility grouping. Australasian Plant Pathology 30, 153-157.
  • N.V. Vien, F.H.L. Benyon, H.M. Trung, B.A. Summerell and L.W.
    Burgess (2001) First record of Peronophythora litchii on litchi fruit in Vietnam. Australasian Plant Pathology 30,287-288.
  • N.K. Van, F.H.L. Benyon, D.L. Hoa, T.N. Ha, B.A. Summerell and L.W. Burgess (2001) First record of Rhizoctonia causing head rot of cabbage in northern Vietnam. Australasian Plant Pathology 30, 285-286.
  • Summerell, B.A., Burgess, L.W., Backhouse, D., Bullock, S. and Swan, L.J. (2001) Natural occurrence of perithecia of Gibberella coronicola on wheat residues in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology 30, 353-356.
  • Leslie, J.F., Zeller, K.A. and Summerell, B.A. (2001) Icebergs and Species in Populations of Fusarium. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 59, 107-117.
  • Smith-White, J. L., Summerell, B.A., Gunn, L.V., Rinzin, C., Porter, C. and Burgess, L.W. (2002) Molecular detection and differentiation of Australian Armillaria species. Australasian Plant Pathology 31, 75-79.
  • Gunn, L.V. and Summerell, B.A. (2002) Differentiation of Fusarium oxysporum isolates from Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm) by pathogenicity, vegetative compatibility grouping and molecular analysis. Australasian Plant Pathology 31:351-358.
  • Zeller, K.A., Summerell, B.A. and Leslie, J.F. (2003) Gibberella konza/Fusarium konzae: A new biological species in the Gibberella fujikuroi complex. Mycologia 95: 943-954.
  • McDougall, K.L., Summerell, B.A., Coburn, D. and Newton, M. (2003) Phytophthora cinnamomi causing disease in subalpine vegetation in New South Wales. Australasian Plant Pathology 32: 113-115.
  • Summerell, B.A., Salleh, B. and Leslie, J.F. (2003) A utilitarian approach to identifying Fusarium species. Plant Disease 87:117-128.
  • Smith-White, J.L. and Summerell, B.A. (2003) Armillaria root rot. Microbiology Australia 24: 31-32.
    Seifert, K.A., Aoki, T., Baayen, R.P., Brayford, D., Burgess, L.W., Chulze, S., Gams, W., Geiser, D., Gruyter, J.D., Leslie, J.F., Logrieco, A., Marasas, W.F.O., Nirenberg, H.I., O'Donnell, K., Rheeder, J., Samuels, G.J., Summerell, B.A., Thrane, U., Waalwijk, C. (2003) The name Fusarium moniliforme should no longer be used. Mycological Research 107, 643-644.
  • Zeller, K.A., Wohler, M.A., Gunn, L.V., Bullock, S., Summerell, B.A., Leslie, J.F. (2003) Interfertility and marker segregation in hybrid crosses of Gibberella fujikuroi and Gibberella intermedia. Fung. Genet. Newsl. 50 (Suppl): 144.
  • Slippers, B., Summerell, B.A., Ivory, M., Crous, P.W., Coutinho, T.A.,  Wingfield, B.D., Wingfield, M.J. Preliminary studies on Botryosphaeria species from Wollemia nobilis and related southern hemisphere conifers in Australasia and South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology (submitted).
  • Leslie, J.F., Zeller, K.A., Wohler, W. and Summerell, B.A. Interfertility of Two Mating Populations in the Gibberella fujikuroi Species Complex. European Journal of Plant Pathology (in press).
  • Neumann, M., Burgess, L.W., Backhouse, D., Carter, D. and Summerell, B.A. (2004) Genetic structure of populations of Fusarium proliferatum in soils associated with Livistona mariae palms in Little Palm Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany (in press).
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