Plant Protection News - December 2010

In this issue:

Diagnostic Training Scholarships awarded

Nine Diagnostic Training Scholarships have been awarded to plant health professionals in Australia for 2010-11. The selection committee for the Diagnostic Training Scholarships, a group of the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS), awarded the scholarships at its meeting held 6-8 October 2010 in Sydney, Australia.

Of the nine scholarships awarded, each worth up to $10,000, six were for drafting National Diagnostic Protocols (NDPs) for the following plant pests:

  • Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia)
  • Laurel wilt (Raffaelea lauricola)
  • Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Type B)
  • Cotton leafroll dwarf virus
  • Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor)
  • Mites

The remaining three scholarships awarded were for the review and verification of existing draft NDPs for the following plant pests:

  • Huanlongbing (Liberibacter asiaticus)
  • Rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) and wheat aphid (Sitobion avenae)
  • Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)

The NDPs developed through the scholarship program provide a routine set of protocols for identifying an unknown pest, or group of pests, to a defined level. Once verified, the NDPs can be used by plant health diagnosticians across Australia to accurately and rapidly diagnose a pest in a nationally consistent way. This capability is a vital component of pest response and surveillance activities.

SPHDS offers the scholarships as a part of its program to sustain and improve the quality and reliability of plant diagnostics throughout Australia.

The selection committee for the Diagnostic Training Scholarships includes representatives from Plant Health Australia, the Office of the Chief Plant Protection Officer (OCPPO) and SPHDS. The OCPPO provided funds for the scholarships through the Australian Government’s Plant Biosecurity and Response Reform program.

Survey for emerging pest threats in Bougainville

A survey for emerging pest threats to plant health was recently conducted in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

The plant health team from Papua New Guinea’s National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA), as well as plant scientist from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and the South Pacific Community (SPC), conducted the survey from 15-30 November 2010.

The survey team travelled from the north to the south of the island, meeting with local farmers and regional officials, to look for emerging regional plant pest threats. The team’s main focus was on pests and diseases of agricultural commodities that are also important to Australia, such as banana, mango and citrus, as well as weeds and pests of bees.

The Office of the Chief Plant Protection Officer (OCPPO) anticipates that the survey results on emerging regional plant pests will be shared with Australian governments and industry, subject to agreement by NAQIA. The survey results will assist in better assessing and targeting biosecurity activities on emerging plant pests in the region.

The working partnership proved to be very effective, and will continue to be the preferred model for planning and delivering these types of activities.

The NAQIA coordinated the survey, and representatives from the Biosecurity Services Group (BSG) within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and SPC representatives were invited to participate and share their expertise. The BSG representation in the survey was funded and coordinated by the OCPPO.

Chestnut blight eradication program supported

The National Management Group recently released a communiqué announcing that it has supported a nationally cost-shared response program to eradicate the outbreak of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) in north east Victoria.

Eradication of chestnut blight supported by the National Management Group
A communiqué released by the National Management Group on 10 December 2010

Collaborative research in plant biosecurity publication released

The publication ‘Plant Biosecurity: collaborative research initiatives’ has recently been released. Prepared by the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB), the publication provides readers with insight into the innovative and productive collaborative research that the centre has undertaken in the past five years. The publication also includes highlights from the centre’s education and training activities.

The CRCNPB’s projects deliver solutions to Australia’s plant industries and government agencies responsible for delivering plant biosecurity outcomes. The centre is the central coordinating body for plant biosecurity scientific research across Australia.

The Office of the Chief Plant Protection Officer contributes funding to the CRCNPB under the Australian Government’s Plant Biosecurity and Response Reform program.

Plant Biosecurity: Collaborative Research Initiatives

Recent official pest reports to the IPPC

Australia’s recent official pest reports to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) are listed below. The Australian IPPC Secretariat prepares and adds the reports to the International Phytosanitary Portal as part of Australia’s party obligations to the IPPC.

Official Pest Report
Lists recent and past official pest reports from Australia

Last reviewed:
13 Dec 2010
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