CRC for Plant Biosecurity - simon mckirdy

CRC bid is successful

MCKIRDYS — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:21:35 +0000

We received the much awaiting phone call yesterday morning and it was confirmed that we would receive funding for six more years and 93% of the total cash we sought would be provided.

Being successful has taken two years and the input of many people. Now we have six months to pull together the program and finalise the signing of agreements.

I have received countless emails congratulating us on the successful bid. There is too many to respond to individually. Hopefully this blog will be read by all and I thank everyone for their kind words and look forward to catching up over the coming months as we prepare for the 1 July start.

Simon

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CRCNPB signs MOUs with China

CRICHTONA — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:53:15 +0000

A recent trip to China by CRCNPB CEO Dr Simon McKirdy, Dr Shashi Sharma from the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA), Associate Professor YongLin Ren from Murdoch University/DAFWA and Mr Robert Emery from DAFWA – followed by a visit from Chinese delegates to Australia – has led to memoranda of understanding with two leading Chinese science agencies and a university. The MOU is to mount joint research programs aimed at curbing losses of grain and other vital crops to insects, moulds and plant diseases.

“Food security is a top national priority for China – and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has
recently made it one for Australia as well. It is becoming a critical issue around the world. This is a deal that makes good sense from every perspective,” Dr McKirdy said.

“When we visited China to sign these agreements, we were told food is in fact the Chinese government’s number two priority overall. And we saw clear evidence of the massive reinvestment and technical tooling-up they are now making in food and agricultural science. Compared with what’s happening in Australia, it is huge – and the new partnership means we now stand to benefit from their investment in science.”

The CRC signed MOUs with the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine and the
Chinese Academy of State Administration of Grain and will shortly sign a third with
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. These provide primarily for increased joint
research, and greater exchange of scientists and PhD students between the partners.

The initial research focus of the new collaboration will be in diagnostics – timely
identification of plant pests and diseases – and in the management of pests in stored grain.

“Worldwide, humanity loses anywhere between 8 and 20 per cent of its annual grain
harvest to insects and moulds – that’s enough food to feed every hungry person on the
planet,” Dr McKirdy explained.

“Australia is recognised as a world leader in dealing with insect pests in stored grain, and the Chinese are keen to partner with us in this area.”

Read more in a recent media release issued by the CRCNPB.

Simon McKirdy signs the MOU as Board members Jim Cullen and John Sandow look on with the Chinese delegates.

Back to The Leaflet.

Interview completed

MCKIRDYS — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:56:34 +0000

It started with a 30 minute powerpoint (presented by John Lovett and myself) and was followed by 90 minutes of questions from a panel.

The panel comprised three members of the CRC Committee plus two technical experts. There was also a number of observers from DIISR. The questioning covered the content of our research programs including some detailed questions on two of our exemplars. The relationship with the new National Biosecurity Flagship was addressed in some detail and there was several questions in relation to the legacy of the CRC after six years.

The team performed well with everyone getting to respond to at least one question. In addition to John and I, the team members were Martin Barlass, Paul De Barro, Jon Durham, Andrew Inglis, Bill Roberts, Shashi Sharma, Alison Stewart and Ruth Wallace. The last week has been busy for the whole team in preparing for the interview and I thank them for their committment to the CRC.

I would also like to thank many other people who have contributed to the bidding process over the last 12 months.

The decision should be announced before Christmas and if it is similar to last year we may hear in the first week of December. We have done as much as possible to be successful this year and given the commitment from our participants across industry, government and academia, the level of cash committed and our international reach we should be optimistic.

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Australia, China join on global food security

CRICHTONA — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:41:24 +0000

The Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB) has developed
memoranda of understanding with two leading Chinese science agencies and a university to
mount joint research programs aimed at curbing losses of grain and other vital crops to
insects, moulds and plant diseases.

“Food security is a top national priority for China – and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has
recently made it one for Australia as well. It is becoming a critical issue around the world.
This is a deal that makes good sense from every perspective,” the CEO of CRCNPB Dr Simon
McKirdy said today.

“When we visited China to sign these agreements, we were told food is in fact the Chinese
government’s number two priority overall. And we saw clear evidence of the massive
reinvestment and technical tooling-up they are now making in food and agricultural science.
Compared with what’s happening in Australia, it is huge – and the new partnership means
we now stand to benefit from their investment in science.”

The initial research focus of the new collaboration will be in diagnostics – timely
identification of plant pests and diseases – and in the management of pests in stored grain.
“Worldwide, humanity loses anywhere between 8 and 20 per cent of its annual grain
harvest to insects and moulds – that’s enough food to feed every hungry person on the
planet,” Dr McKirdy explains.

“Australia is recognised as a world leader in dealing with insect pests in stored grain, and the
Chinese are keen to partner with us in this area.

“Also they really emphasised their concerns about the need to reduce the use of fumigants
and other chemicals used in food production.

“Australia has particular skills in developing clean, green approaches to grain hygiene and
China is keen to find non-chemical solutions to grain pests, so this works well for both of
us.”

The benefits from joint research collaboration can potentially flow on to other countries,
helping to improve global food security in general, Dr McKirdy says.

China is a major market for Australian grain and horticultural exports, with potential to grow
significantly, he adds. The biosecurity collaboration will assist this development. “Australia
will benefit by building a greater understanding of the import requirements for Australian
produce (as they apply to plant biosecurity) which will assist our grains and horticulture
industries develop further markets in China.”

More information:
Dr Simon McKirdy, Chief Executive Officer, CRCNPB, 02 6201 2412
Max Knobel, Communications Manager, CRCNPB, 0402 327 087
http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au

A printable version of the media release is available here.

Dr Simon McKirdy with the Chinese delegates signing the MOU.

Back to The Leaflet.

Wiping out pests without wiping out vineyards

CRICHTONA — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:02:41 +0000

In an international breakthrough for pest control, Australia scientists have developed a new way to wipe out invading pests of tree crops or vines – without having to destroy the crops.

“The usual way to control a major pest invasion in an orchard or vineyard is to dig up all the trees or vines and burn them,” explains the Chief Executive Officer of the CRC for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB), Dr Simon McKirdy.

“This can cause heartbreak, destroy livelihoods and disrupt a whole industry. In the case of vines that may be 100 years old, the loss is irreplaceable. We decided there had to be a better way.”

A team of CRCNPB researchers led by Dr Mark Sosnowski of the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) has joined hands with their American plant biosecurity colleagues to run an offshore trial in which they have proved it is possible to exterminate a dangerous crop disease – without destroying the farm.

Their chosen target was a fungal disease not yet found in Australia, known as black rot – a devastating disease of vines.

“Our approach was to try out various disease control strategies in the field, under real life conditions,” Dr Sosnowski explains “As black rot does not occur in Australia, we had to do the final tests with the live disease in the US, where it is endemic.”

The researchers started their trials in Australia using a local fungal disease called black spot that behaves similarly to black rot. In the first year they cut the infected vines right back to the trunk and sprayed them, while litter on the ground was cleared and burned. This achieved 90 per cent control of the disease. READ MORE

Projects submitted

MCKIRDYS — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:13:27 +0000

The next stage of the bid process was completed at lunchtime today. We submitted the four exemplar projects. The exemplars provide the CRC program with research proposals that illustrate the high level of research that will be undertaken and the calibre of researchers and organisations involved in the bid.

The four projects cover severe weather events and the role they play in spreading pests (early warning), improved bacterial diagnostics (better detection), a new non chemical alternative for killing insects in grain (safeguarding trade) and improved community engagement (secure future).

It has been a hectic two weeks getting these completed and polished ready for submission with each project allowed to only cover five pages (project text) plus refs and cvs. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the process.

Next step is the interview (7-9 Nov). We still have not heard the exact date. The core team has started preparing the ppt for interview.

Simon

To view Simon's Blog in full click here.

How Aussies put the sting on a stripey pest

CRICHTONA — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:03:19 +0000

Media Release: 12 September 2011

An army of keen-eyed Australian families has helped notch up a vital victory in the never-ending war on a ferocious and painful invader.

European wasps have been consistently exterminated from the pleasant homes, gardens, farms and parks of Perth, Western Australia, in the process demonstrating the effectiveness of a national defence approach to dealing with damaging invaders.

“We’re absolutely delighted how effective the wasp control in WA has been,” says Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB) Chairman, Professor John Lovett. “Essentially, like the famous Coastwatch in World War II, it is about ordinary Australians who keep their eyes peeled for signs of invasion. We can then send in the ‘troops’ to defeat it.”

The stripey, aggressive European wasp (Vespula germanica) was first detected in Tasmania in 1959, then crossed to mainland Australia in 1977. It has since become established in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The wasp also showed up in Perth for the first time in 1977, and has done so almost every year since, hitching rides on cargo from the Eastern States.

But in WA, every single one of its nests has been wiped out.

If even one survived, it would breed queens in their thousands, enough to populate the whole State with wasps, a CRCNPB report has found. READ MORE

Progression to interview

MCKIRDYS — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:18:56 +0000

After a tense two months we have finally been informed today that our bid has progressed to the next and final stage. The competition as usual has been strong and only 10 of the 26 applications submitted have made it to the interview stage. A formal letter will be sent to us in the coming days giving further detail of the interview date which will occur between 7-9 November in Canberra.

In the next two weeks we will need to finalise and submit the four exemplar projects which the program team have been working on.

I remain optimistic that we have a very strong bid that will hopefully get us to the winning post.

Simon

To view Simon's Blog in full click here.

Rebid submitted

MCKIRDYS — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:20:18 +0000

After a busy week we hit the submit button at 1:55pm today. The core team are very happy with the flavour of the final bid. We believe it has a more compelling case than in 2010.

We will hear at the end of August if we have made it through to stage 2.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to complete the submission.

Simon

To view Simon's Blog in full click here.