As an island nation, Australia’s biosecurity has its successes, but with international trade and movement of people increasing, the risk of exotic pests entering the country is only going up. But don’t worry, there are steps you can take to protect your farm business.

Shakira Johnson and Dr Rosalie Daniel from AUSVEG’s biosecurity team recently spoke at the Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar (AVIS) during Hort Connections 2024 about the risks of pest incursions and how growers can mitigate them.

Dr Rosalie Daniel and Shakira Johnson from AUSVEG’s biosecurity team presenting at the Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar. Photo courtesy Andrew Beveridge

“The impact of a pest incursion can be devastating,” said Shakira. “It can lead to crop losses through damage, or because it needs to be destroyed, and limit your market access.”

The upside is that with good biosecurity practices, you can reduce the risks of pests, pathogens and weeds entering your farm. Recent examples of pest threats the vegetable industry has faced include:

• Tomato potato psyllid
• Fall armyworm
• Exotic leafminers
• Guava root-knot nematode
• Varroa mite

Knowing what the risks are and preparing for them in advance makes a huge difference, as can be seen with the differing responses to these recent pest incursions.

A well-researched host list made a significant difference when serpentine leafminer entered Australia in 2020, for example, with fewer vegetables subject to trade restrictions than otherwise would have been the case in the absence of a scientifically researched host list.

A clear contingency plan was in place for exotic leafminers, with varying degrees of usage by industry and state jurisdictions, enabling a response to be mobilised more rapidly.

Newly arrived invasive pests to Australia, such as fall armyworm or leafminers, typically require further research as they adapt to Australian conditions before they can be integrated into business-as-usual farm management practices. This is critical to equip growers to understand and manage the pests and incorporate their management in overall crop management.

For example, monitoring to determine seasonal movement patterns, pesticide resistance, synergies or competition with endemic pests, and the effectiveness of beneficial insects already in the environment are all important knowledge in the pest management toolbox.

What happens in an incursion?

If a pest incursion is confirmed, a committee is formed to decide on the best course of action. This might involve quarantining a farm business and the surrounding area to contain the outbreak and support an opportunity to eradicate the pest.

At the same time, tracing and monitoring is undertaken to determine where the pest is present. The agency leading the response may ask for samples or photos to support accurate identification and monitoring of the pest.

“The time it takes to make decisions and communicate to industry can be challenging for businesses impacted,” said Dr Daniel.

“To combat this challenge, AUSVEG, through the VegWatch program, is exploring the potential to use visitor movement data to speed up the decision-making process and improve the chances of eradication.”

How can you protect your farm business?

• Early detection and reporting: keep an eye out for signs of pests and report any potential issues as soon as possible.
• On-farm biosecurity: implement practices like cleaning equipment, restricting visitor access, and using certified seed.
• Monitoring: regularly check your crops for pests and keep records of your farm activities.

Integrating biosecurity practices on-farm allows growers to be aware of what is ‘business as usual’ on farm, and they are therefore more likely to notice a new plant pest and respond earlier. Limiting how the pest is spread becomes part of the on-farm biosecurity management.

Shakira cited the example of charcoal rot for the strawberry industry in 2020. VSICA Research investigated how the adoption of on-farm biosecurity practices significantly lowered the presence of charcoal rot.

“What this demonstrates is that growers who had a ‘come clean, go clean’ mindset were more likely to reduce the risk of the disease,” said Shakira.

“Many growers use chemistries to protect crops, but we may not always have these chemistries available. We need to think about what practices we can employ to lower our risks. “We would also encourage growers to think about weed management, not only for its impact on crop productivity but also as potential host plants for pests and diseases of concern.”

For vehicles and equipment, on-farm biosecurity practices can include:

• One main farm gate or entrance to restrict movement onto and around the property.
• Cleaning vehicles and equipment, or leaving them outside the farm. Contaminated soil and weed seeds can become caught in tyres, or on the car undercarriage.
• Restrict visiting vehicle movement with designated parking areas and roadways

For visitors, some easily established practices can include:

• A visitor check-in process
• Foot baths
• Shoe brushes
• Disinfectant
• Over-shoe personal protection equipment

Other biosecurity practices that can be employed:

• Source plant material from reputable suppliers.
• Use of certified seed.
• Record farm inputs (e.g. compost).
• Regularly monitor and record crops for plant pests.
• Train staff to be aware of common and exotic plant pests.
• Install traps to aid in pest surveillance.

A recent Hort Innovation levy-funded project, the Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy, known for short as VegWatch, is a collaborative venture to support biosecurity preparedness, profitability and trade. AUSVEG is the coordinator and one of eight organisations participating.

“As part of that project we have partnered with Onside, who have developed a phone app that allows the grower to monitor and control movement of visitors on and off the farm,” said Dr Daniel, who heads up the AUSVEG contribution to the project.

“The app allows visitors to sign in without entering the property; allows the grower to check who the visitor is and what farms they have been to previously and also instruct on what the on-farm biosecurity measures are. In addition, if a plant pest incursion does occur, there is a record of movement for that grower to give to the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP) to establish whether a quarantine zone needs to be established, or if a response plan reimbursement application is eligible.”

Take home message

Remember, on-farm biosecurity doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. By being vigilant and taking proactive steps, you can protect your farm and your crops.

If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Regarding On-farm biosecurity, contact Shakira Johnson at shakira.johnson@ausveg.com.au

Regarding Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy project, contact Dr Rosalie Daniel at rosalie.daniel@ausveg.com.au