Developing biosecurity management plans for WA viticulture
While continuing to develop and promote the use of MyPestGuide Grapes - the easy pest and disease identification and reporting app for WA grape growers - DAFWA has also started to work with WA viticulture industries to develop an up to date WA Viticulture Industry Biosecurity Plan and Manual.
The new biosecurity plan will update the previous HortGuard Viticulture Industry Protection Plan and develop on the National Viticulture Industry Biosecurity Plan to cover pest issues present in Australia, but not established (or under active management) in WA.
The biosecurity plan will consider all potential biosecurity issues and rate them according to likelihood of entry, establishment and impact on industry. From this, a list of key exotic pests will be derived, for which recommendations for surveillance and response actions to any incursions will be developed. This will include funding and cost sharing arrangements.
Industry will be kept well informed and given regular opportunities to provide input into the development of the plan.
In association with the biosecurity plan, a biosecurity manual will also be developed and completed by the end of 2016. This will provide guidelines for industry on how best to prevent and deal with exotic pest incursions.
The WA Viticulture Industry Biosecurity Plan and Manual are being developed by sub-project e-Surveillance for pests and diseases in the WA grape industry which is a part of the Boosting Biosecurity Defences Project led by DAFWA and made possible through Royalties for Regions funding.
For more information, contact Alec McCarthy.