Tomato potato psyllid workshop 

AUSVEG hosted an interactive workshop at the TIA Forthside Research Station in Tasmania in collaboration with Biosecurity Tasmania and TIA.  

Dr Melinda Moir, DPIRD-WA, was delivered a comprehensive presentation on Tomato Potato Psyllid, discussing with participants key characteristics used to distinguish TPP from other psyllids, the impact of TPP on the vegetable industry in Western Australia, and management options used by growers. Melinda noted that TPP is currently not considered a major issue for growers in WA. Dr Jamie Davies, Biosecurity Tasmania, detailed how diagnostics for TPP is undertaken in Tasmania.  

Participants also heard from Dr Susanna Driessen, Chief Plant Protection Officer, Biosecurity Tasmania who discussed what would happen if TPP were to be reported in Tasmania, including potential implications for market access (noting that TPP was recently deemed to be established in Victoria). Movement of potatoes from Tasmania to the mainland is not restricted by TPP.  

We demonstrated the use of sticky traps for monitoring for TPP as part of the VegWatch pilot program. This program aims to collect zeroes to demonstrate absence of TPP from Tasmania and detect early to support early response if the pest is found.  

Get involved 

As part of the vegetable levy funded VegWatch program, AUSVEG is piloting a monitoring program for TPP. Growers are invited to get involved in the Pest Monitoring Network by hanging a sticky trap on or around their property. 

Members of the public in Tasmania are also welcome to participate.  

You can sign up here and we will send you a trapping kit. Traps are hung out for 2 weeks and then returned for the diagnostic lab to check for the presence or absence of TPP. Participants play a direct role in safeguarding farms, supporting market access, and strengthening Australia’s biosecurity system. 

Thanks to those growers who have already signed up! Results will be shared back to participants.  

Good biosecurity practices 

Zara Burney has recently joined AUSVEG as Farm Biosecurity Officer. Having good biosecurity practices in place on your farm can reduce the risk of introducing new pests and diseases. Congratulations to everyone there who achieving a 100% success rate in the biosecurity quiz and especially to Nik Saunders who took home the car biosecurity kit as first prize. 

For more information: 

• Check out the new Interactive Farm Biosecurity Planning Guide on the AUSVEG website.  
• Tomato potato psyllid monitoring guide