The generation of pesticide residue, efficacy and crop safety data is required to support label registration and minor use permit applications made to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) which, when approved, provide access to safe and effective chemicals for the management of pests, weeds and diseases. In May 2018, Hort Innovation announced the securing of more than $1 million in assistance grants under the Federal Government’s Access to Industry Uses of Agricultural and Veterinary (Agvet) Chemicals program. This funding is being used, along with levy contributions, to generate the data required for a range of registration and minor use applications across a variety of horticulture crops. For the potato industry, the grant investment will support a Bayer DC-163 label registration application for the control of whitefringed weevil and African black beetle. Separate to the grant funding, the project will also support a Syngenta label registration application for Tervigo (abamectin + iron chelate) for the control of root knot nematodes.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Potato – Processing Fund
• Potato – Fresh Fund