CRC for Plant Biosecurity - eradication

Towards measures of the eradicability of rain-splashed crop diseases

CRICHTONA — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 05:29:38 +0000

Towards measures of the eradicability of rain-splashed crop diseases

Mobile traps are better than stationary traps for surveillance of airborne fungal spores

CRICHTONA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:51:28 +0000

Mobile traps are better than stationary traps for surveillance of airborne fungal spores

Optimising eradication strategies for exotic plant pathogen incursions on perennial crops (Phase 2) - Final Report

CRICHTONA — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:36:20 +0000

Optimising eradication strategies for exotic plant pathogen incursions on perennial crops (Phase 2) - Final Report

International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection

CRICHTONA — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:07:04 +0000

The 10th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection (IWCSPP) was held in Estoril, Portugal, from 27 June to 2 July 2010. This round of IWCSPP attracted nearly 300 delegates representing countries around the globe where stored products protection is an ongoing issue. The conference included eight scientific sessions, seven workshops and 92 posters.

The delegates were welcomed with a session on overviews of stored products research across the continents, where Dr Pat Collins, the Leader of Post-harvest Integrity Program of the CRCNPB, represented Australia. This was an interesting session, which revealed that in recent years there has been significant disinvestment by governments globally in the area of stored products research.

Europe has been the worst-hit, whilst substantial funding is still available for research in countries like Australia and the USA, who are at the forefront in this research area. In the USA, currently the research is focused on pest biology, ecology, monitoring and management in small-scale storages including the flour mills; whereas in Australia the focus is on applied research including pest management in bulk storages.

Among a strong contingent of scientists from Australia, Dr Manoj Nayak represented the CRCNPB and delivered an oral presentation titled ‘Developing strategies to manage highly phosphine resistant populations of flat grain beetles in large bulk storages’. The talk was well received by the international delegates and led to further discussions with scientists from Canada, China and the USA, where this pest has either been established as a major problem or emerging as a new problem.

Papers presented at the conference covered a range of topics including biology, ecology, chemical treatments, alternatives to conventional pesticides and fumigants, non-chemical control methods, pest detection methods, quarantine and regulations in relation to export of commodities.

Dr Nayak found the fumigation session the most relevant to the research he undertakes for the CRCNPB. This session had 20 oral presentations, which included a keynote by Dr Emecki regarding fumigants for commodity protection.

Dr Nayak attended only two of the seven workshops, as some ran concurrently while others were not relevant. Both workshops he did attend focused on analysis of stored-product insect monitoring data and ecological data (movement, distribution etc.). The workshops generated excellent interaction with leading researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), CRCNPB and Canada, where different trapping methods and the critical analysis of the trapping data and decision-making processes were discussed.

Dr Nayak also joined an international research group involving researchers from USA, Czech Republic, Croatia and China aimed at developing molecular diagnostics for identification of stored product psocids around the world. The research will commence from October 2010.

International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection

CRICHTONA — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:07:11 +0000

The 10th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection was held in Estoril, Portugal from 27 June to 2 July 2010, under the auspices of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical and the Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon, Portugal.

The aim of the conference was to exchange information on storage from a wide range of agricultural and economic settings, ranging from small farms to large commercial bulk storage and from tropical to temperate climates, and to present innovative solutions to storage problems that are effective, inexpensive, and environmental friendly. The organisers hoped that this conference would help to improve food availability and quality around the world.

Mr Robert Emery attended the working conference and presented on the development and use of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and how they were used to support, audit and validate the eradication of the 2007 khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) post-border detection in Western Australia. Robert’s paper was entitled The use of hand-held computers to audit and validate eradication of a post-border detection of khapra beetle in Western Australia.

Robert’s conference paper focused on the development of pest surveillance data collection software and hardware using PDAs to provide auditing, validation, chain of evidence and increase the volume of data collected as well as its integrity through relational databases and seamless data transfer to corporate systems. The system’s first deployment was during a Trogoderma granarium eradication.

The conference program covered the following topics:

around the world – an overview of different regions, reviews of past, present and future directions of research in different regions of the world
biology and monitoring – insects and mites biology, physiology, ecology, modeling and trapping
engineering – grain drying, handling, aeration and chilled air
fumigation – MA, SF, MB, PH3, other gases and resistance
microbiology and mycotoxins – moulds, control of moulds, mycotoxins, contamination and food safety
non- chemical control – biological control, extreme temperatures and organic pest control
residual insecticides – residual insecticides, DE, plant extracts and resistance
integrated pest management practices – methods to prevent, monitor and control pests in warehouses, processing facilities and museums, and
quarantine and regulatory – quarantine pests, control programs, MB alternatives in quarantine, wood packaging and registration of new pesticides.

As part of the conference Robert also attended a field trip visit to Companhia das Lezírias and the Orivárzea Rice Plant (Benavente), which was still partly under construction. Companhia das Lezírias is a state-run agriculture and forestry company located in the Lezíria do Tejo subregion. The company is an ecological sanctuary and peri urban farming area, near Grande Lisboa subregion - the most populated subregion of Portugal. The company produces rice, wine, cork, and livestock, as well as being a reputed horse breeder.

The International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection brought together close to 500 delegates from 27 countries, which provided an excellent opportunity to forge collaborative ties with a range of scientists, consultants, extension workers and industry, who are involved in the safe storage of the world's durable food commodities such as grains, legumes, spices, dried fruits, herbs and animal feed; and non food products such as museum artefacts and wood.

Techniques for the treatment, removal and disposal of host material during programmes for plant pathogen eradication

K.Scott — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:40:19 +0000

Optimising eradication strategies for exotic plant pathogen incursions on grapevines

K.Scott — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:08:51 +0000

Development of an eradication strategy for exotic grapevine pathogens

VANMEURSA — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:18:03 +0000

Black Rot Eradication Trial

VANMEURSA — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:26:23 +0000

Dr Mark Sosnowski was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity and South Australian Research and Development Institution, primarily to conduct a research trial in the USA in collaboration with researchers at Cornell University, New York Agricultural Experiment Station. As part of the project CRC40139 Developing Eradication Strategies the objectives of the travel were to prepare for and conduct a simulated eradication of black rot disease, caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwellii.

During the simulation, vines were selectively removed from a block to leave two-vine plots which were either drastically pruned to eradicate the black rot or pruned normally as controls. The ground beneath vines was raked to remove the majority of any infected debris and then lucerne hay was laid down as mulch to prevent spores from any remaining infecting new foliage.

Control and treatment vines will be monitored for symptoms of black rot and Dr Sosnowski will revisit Cornell University in August 2009 with funding from a scholarship provided by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to train in and document a formal protocol for the diagnosis of black rot. He will also take the opportunity to assess the eradication trial for any symptoms of black rot.

In addition to the eradication trial, arrangements have been set in place to allow for a supervised summer student to conduct an experiment to monitor movement of ascospores in the vineyard block. Sentinel vines (cv. Chardonnay) in pots will be placed within and around the trial site in a rotation during spring to detect any cross-contamination between treatments or external infection.

It is intended that the trial will continue on for a second season in 2010. Continued management and monitoring for symptoms along with reapplying the eradication treatment will also be done if necessary.

Photo caption: Stem lesions

Top photo caption: Mark Sosnowski and the team remove drastically pruned materials from the treated vines.

CRC40139: Pathogen Eradication Strategies (Phase two)

VANMEURSA — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:46:05 +0000

Program

Impact Management