Newcastle disease is a severe viral disease of poultry and other birds. Control of the disease in Australia is regulated and relies upon vaccination, surveillance, prompt reporting and high standards of biosecurity.
A national livestock standstill is when it is nationally agreed that specific livestock species affected by an emergency disease must not be moved. The livestock species affected by the standstill are named when the standstill is announced.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of Australia’s greatest biosecurity risks.
Australia is free of FMD and an outbreak would severely impact Western Australia's access to livestock and livestock product export markets, worth about $2 billion annually.
For bananas on the Ord River Irrigation Area, length of time to emergence and harvesting depend on air temperature, planting time and sucker management.
Ratoon crops are much slower to reach maturity than new crops.
Identification of livestock is required by law under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 [BAM (IMSA) Regulations].
Bananas in the Ord River Irrigation Area face two major insect pests (banana weevil borer and sugarcane bud moth) and two mites (russet and two-spotted). Other pests include nematodes, grasshoppers, fruit bats and rats.
Higher banana plant densities are used in the Ord River Irrigation Area than other growing areas to modify canopy microclimates.
Tissue culture provides the best return, but requires high levels of input and management.
Bananas need a lot of water to grow well. To irrigate the crop efficiently you need to measure soil water content.
In the Ord River Irrigation Area micro-sprinklers are the preferred irrigation method. They provide a cooling effect and raise the ambient humidity inside the canopy.
Tissue culture is the best method for propagating bananas. It ensures they are true to type and free from pests and diseases.
Check with a Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development quarantine officer before bringing tissue culture material into Western Australia.
The Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) is suitable for growing bananas. However, due to the local climate, management is slightly different to other Western Australian growing regions such as Carnarvon.
