Plant pests and diseases can have a serious impact on your business, industry and community. By reporting anything unusual, you help protect your bottom line but also help reduce the likelihood that new pests are here to stay. Growers and their employees are at the forefront of managing pests and diseases and will generally be the first to identify new and unusual pest or disease symptoms. Early detection and reporting of an exotic pest and diseases provides the best opportunity for containment and eradication. It’s always better to report something, even if it turns out to be a false alarm, t ..read more

A vehicle biosecurity kit is a useful tool to help limit the spread of unwanted pests, diseases and weeds on-farm or between farms. A kit should be carried and used by anyone working on-farm such as agronomists, extension officers and farm staff, including itinerant workers and contractors. Having a vehicle biosecurity kit is the easiest way to ensure that you are prepared and able to clean down and implement hygiene measures. The contents of a biosecurity kit can vary from farm to farm. They provide provisions for protecting clothing against contamination and keeping footwear and small equipm ..read more

When we talk about farm biosecurity, we almost always talk about it from an on-farm producer or growers’ perspective. However, as an agronomist, vet or contractor visiting multiple sites, you can unintentionally carry pests, diseases and weeds off the farm and between sites. Concerned? With a few adjustments to your off-farm biosecurity practices, you can help reduce the spread of pests and diseases. The basics When arriving at a property, do not enter without permission of the owner or manager. From there: follow all instructions and signage report to management and ask for any specific bios ..read more

Tomato Potato Psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli or TPP) is a pest that all potato, tomato, eggplant, capsicum, chilli, tamarillo and sweet potato (Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae) growers across Australia should be familiar with. Also known as ‘jumping plant lice’ and established in some parts of Western Australia, all Australian growers should know the signs of TPP and regularly monitor their crops for this pest. TPP is a tiny sap-sucking insect that can significantly impact production and is found in the USA, Central America and New Zealand. TPP was first detected in Western Australia (WA) in ea ..read more

The pandemic has taught people more about biosecurity with measures such as movement restrictions, contact tracing, and proof of vaccination to reduce the transmission of the virus. Agriculture Victoria Grains Biosecurity Officer Jim Moran said these same measures also apply to good farm biosecurity at harvest time. The movement of grain harvest contractors between farming regions can spread diseases, pests and weeds through soil and plant matter found on clothing, vehicles, machinery and grain handling equipment. “While you’re confirming your contractors’ vaccination status this harvest, why ..read more

The first day of Spring marks a lot of things for farmers, one of them being the beginning of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB, Halyomorpha halys) risk season, which runs from 1 September 2021 to 30 April 2022, when the pest travels to Australia hitchhiking among imported goods and cargo. If you are planning to import any vehicles, machinery or bulky parts and equipment during this time, there may be import conditions and restrictions to be aware of. The conditions and target risk countries are listed here. BMSB, Halyomorpha halys Image courtesy of Gary Bernon, USDA APHIS, Bugwood.org The st ..read more

An important part of Australia’s biosecurity system is to prepare for the arrival of exotic pests. Preparations are based on an understanding of pest biology, host range, global spread and management strategies used in other parts of the world. This knowledge allows our biosecurity and agriculture departments to put in place processes that assist with the detection and first steps towards management of the pest, should it reach Australia. When a new pest or disease is first detected – particularly if that occurs in an agricultural production area – a decision needs to be made whether it is fea ..read more

The Farm Biosecurity website makes it easy for producers seeking advice on the biosecurity measures to implement on their property. With free resources for 24 industries, there’s likely to be tailored information to suit most producers. Plant Health Australia’s General Manager, Partnerships, Mr Rod Turner, said manuals contain all the measures that can be used to reduce the risks of diseases entering or spreading on your farm. “Manuals are developed in consultation with industry bodies, researchers and government agencies. Most of the manuals include the same general topics – framed around the ..read more

Tropical Plant Industries Biosecurity Surveillance StrategyHot on the heels of the release of the surveillance guide for pests of tropical horticulture last month, the Tropical Plant Industries Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy 2020–25 is now also available. The surveillance strategy is the latest resource prepared by Plant Health Australia (PHA) to improve biosecurity surveillance in northern Australia to protect growers from the costly impacts of pests and diseases and to realise the full potential of production systems in the north. Following a series of workshops, meetings and discussions ..read more

Do you know an Australian producer who is a biosecurity champion? Someone who goes the extra mile to protect their property from diseases, pests, and weeds? These people deserve the type of recognition and esteem that comes from taking out a national accolade at the Australian Biosecurity Awards, but we need your nominations to find these unsung heroes. If you know a biosecurity champion, nominate them now for the 2021 Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year Award by visiting awe.gov.au/aba Animal Health Australia (AHA) and Plant Health Australia (PHA), through the Farm Biosecurity Program, are ..read more