A range of naturalised harmful plant storage pests including beetles, psocids, moths and mites habitually threaten the food safety, market access, trade and the overall profitability and sustainability of the Australian grain industry. Some of these pests have already been detected with resistance to phosphine and the spread of resistance is on the rise annually. In addition, new resistances are also being developed, a recent example being the detection of strong resistance to phosphine in several populations of flat grain beetles.

What is the biosecurity problem?

Australian export regulations require that all grain exported from Australia is free from insect infestation. This ‘nil tolerance’ standard is also adopted by domestic markets.

The Australian grain industry relies on chemicals, particularly phosphine fumigant, as the key tools used to meet the ‘nil tolerance’ standard. A major drawback, however, with this strategy is the threat of resistance in target species.

A major difficulty for the industry is that there is no practical replacement for phosphine and there are very few contact insecticides suitable for application to stored grain. Faced with this scenario, the industry has no choice but to maintain the tools that it has and must adopt a resistance management strategy to achieve this.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• improve understanding of the factors involved in the development of resistance to phosphine
• validate phosphine resistance management tactics
• improve understanding of distribution of species of flat grain beetle species and the role of gene flow in selection for resistance to phosphine 
• validate molecular resistance diagnostic tools and analysis of resistance gene frequencies.  

Who will be the end-users of this research?

The primary end-users will be:

• grain companies, farmers and other grain storers. In particular, individuals with responsibility for managing grain biosecurity
• officers with responsibility for biosecurity research and policy within government and non-government organisations.

This review will provide the CRCNPB with a basis for strategic investment into the technologies that have the potential to be developed into effective insect control systems compatible with grain handling logistics.

What is the biosecurity problem?

The evolution of biotypes of insect pests of stored grain resistant to phosphine within Australia and the possibility that other highly resistant biotypes may enter the country in imported grain threatens to jeopadise the sustainabliity of this key fumigant. Chemical and non-chemical alternatives to phosphine need to be developed to continue to ensure market access for Australian grain.

The main output of this project is to:

Reports on the practicability and potential for adoption by the grain industry of the range of chemical and non-chemical alternatives to phosphine.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

The CRCNPB and the grain industry. This review will provide industry, through the CRCNPB, with a basis for strategic investment into the technologies that will ensure future security and market access for Australian grain.

This project will explore the role of local knowledge in the development and implementation of policy and related regulatory frameworks for biosecurity, including associated environmental risks.

What is the biosecurity problem?

In the context of existing international and national policy affecting biosecurity, the research sets out to examine the specific effectiveness and subsequent implications of the policy condition in Indonesia. 

The main outputs of this project are to analyse existing?

• biosecurity-related policies internationally, and in Indonesia, with a view to identifying optimum policy contexts at all levels of governance, and
• regional and community development paradigms to establish how optimum policy can be developed, which will work with local knowledge.

Who will be the end-users of your research?

These outcomes of this project will benefit the government and local communities. It will also improve the mode and style of their interactions in order to enhance the role of local knowledge in policy making and the operation of government structures.

The average gross value of Australian Horticulture over the past three years is estimated at over $7 billion per year. Most of this is not consumed close to the source, but is transported to domestic or international markets. Access to markets thus underpins the viability of many rural industries. Unfortunately, market access of commodities which are grown in districts exposed to, or potentially exposed to, fruit fly can be highly restricted. Fruit flies are plant pests of global significance, with adult fruit flies laying their eggs into ripe fruit and the resultant maggots feeding in the fruit flesh. As fruit fly eggs and early instar maggots can be transported in apparently healthy fruits, they are of major concern as plant biosecurity threats for nearly all nations.

In Australia, fruit flies represent the single most significant phytosanitary barrier for domestic and international market access for fruit and vegetable commodities and so directly impact on the viability of many horticultural industries. Of almost $780million of horticultural product exported from Australia during the calendar year 2004, known fruit fly hosts accounted for more than $370million, predominantly citrus ($157million), fresh grapes ($85million), peaches and nectarines ($17million) and apples ($16 million).

What is the biosecurity problem?

Single step disinfestation treatments such as heat, cold or post-harvest chemical application are frequently used to meet market access requirements for fruit flies. However, heat and cold treatments can be detrimental to crop quality for some commodities, while chemical treatments (ie dimethoate), currently used in Australian and New Zealand markets, are likely to be severely restricted in the near future due to toxicological concerns. This means that new approaches to gaining market access for growers need to be developed. A systems approach, which relies on a number of risk reduction steps, may provide a tool to help meet fruit fly phytosanitary requirements.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• review the published literature on the ecology and biology of Bactrocera tryoni, concentrating particularly on those aspects relevant to pre-harvest control, and prioritise key gaps of knowledge requiring further research, and
• carry out an investigation of Queensland fruit fly (Q-fly) movement at different scales to determine where flies causing infestations are coming from, and develop strategies for better deployment of male annihilation technique blocks and protein baits in an integrated approach to pre-harvest control of Q-fly which reduces the risk of infestation in produce.

Upon achieving these outputs, it is anticipated that objectives of subsequent work (beyond the scope of this project) would be:

• test the results in Victoria with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries staff where Q-fly invades cropping regions each summer
• build an integrated package for effective Q-fly pre-harvest control based on modelling using the data from the project that will predict the effectiveness of pre-harvest control and can be used as a component in a systems approach to negotiate market access. This could incorporate results from CRC30039 - Fruit Fly Area Freedom and also the models being developed in Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis projects for market access, and
• investigate ecology and biology questions on Q-fly identified as gaps in this project.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

End users will be growers, as well as Biosecurity Australia when needing scientific data to support market access arguments for horticultural
 

This project will develop a model for the assessment of biosecurity and quarantine threats of plant parasitic nematodes. It will also determine appropriate techniques for nematode identification, including traditional, molecular and remote diagnostic tools suitable for quarantine purposes.
Finally the project will evaluate the risk assessment model by testing results against reference data.

What is the biosecurity problem?

Plant parasitic nematodes cause documented losses of over AU$600 million annually to Australian agriculture industry. Australia is fortunate in lacking many of the known damaging species of nematodes, but with increasing volumes and sources of traded goods there is increased risk of these species gaining entry to Australia. In addition, newly-described and poorly-known nematode species have recently emerged as pests.

A comprehensive system of risk identification for plant parasitic nematodes is needed to direct development of risk mitigation, detection and diagnostic measures.

The main outputs of the project are to:

• assess the risk of invasive nematodes to Australia, and develop a standard methodology for this risk assessment.

Who will be the end-users of your research?

Biosecurity agencies, scientific researchers, horticultural industry.

This project will determine what plant pathogens exist in the irrigation channels of the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA), and how they could impact on biosecurity in the region.

A robust sampling system for on-going monitoring of plant pathogens in the drains and supply channels of the ORIA will also be developed.

What is the biosecurity problem?

In Australia current knowledge of plant pathogens in irrigation water is limited, and therefore the risk to biosecurity is not fully understood.

In 2006 the OrdGuard Regional Biosecurity Plan was initiated for the ORIA to minimise the threat of pests and diseases in the region. However, to protect the ORIA from future incursions, knowledge of the pathogen population of the channels is required.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• establish an effective sampling method to detect, and monitor, plant pathogens present in the irrigation water of the ORIA
• determine if those pathogens present in the irrigation water are able to survive, maintain pathogenicity and how they may be spread through the channel system, and
• determine if the expansion of the ORIA will increase the entry of plant pathogens into the irrigation system and/or the capacity for the pathogens to spread.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

Horticultural industry and scientific researchers will both benefit from the outcomes of this project. This research will also be highly relevant to other irrigated areas across Australia and overseas, particularly in respect to crop management. It will also contribute considerably to scholarly knowledge in this field and assist in the refinement and implementation of the OrdGuard Biosecurity Plan.

This project aims to provide a better community awareness of and engagement in citrus biosecurity management.  

What is the biosecurity problem?

Citrus is an important crop for both large scale industries in developed countries and for small farmers in many developing countries. Successful citrus biosecurity management, especially against citrus greening or huanglongbing (HLB) which is currently regarded as the most destructive diseases in citrus, is therefore dependant on the engagement of the entire stakeholders, including local communities and governments.

Regardless of the advance in technology now available for pest and disease management, the
citrus biosecurity will continue to be vulnerable if local governments and communities do not have a common understanding and closely work together.  
 

The main outputs of this project are to: 

• identify policy and community issues regarding citrus biosecurity in the region
• determine factors involved in policy delivery by local governments and local community engagement in biosecurity management in the region
• provide new policy directions derived from the capacity based approach to citrus biosecurity management in the region, and
• produce a PhD graduate with expertise in community management of citrus biosecurity.
   

Who will be the end-users of your research?

The outcomes of this project will assist local governments and communities in developing a better approach to citrus biosecurity management in particular however, it will also assist biosecurity management in general.

Wayan conducting in-depth interviews with one
of the village heads

Wayan having discussion with farmers in their field

HLB Symptom: Yellowing from the base of fruits

This project will identify proteins that are important to the process of infection in Venturia inaequalis, the causative agent of apple scab.

What is the biosecurity problem?

Western Australia is currently thought to be free of Venturia inaequalis however, there is a lack of rapid, effective surveillance methods to confirm this, and a lack of understanding of the infection process.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• develop an understanding of the process of infection in Venturia inaequalis; in particular greater understanding of how different races of Venturia inaequalis infect apple, and why some cultivars of apple are resistant to some races, and
• use proteins and genes that vary across races or between species (such as Venturia pirina and Venturia nashicola) to provide a basis for surveillance tests that can rapidly and easily distinguish races and species.

Who will be the end-users of your research?

The end users of this project will be researchers in the field of fungal pathology, plant disease resistance, apple breeders and biosecurity agencies.

This project will investigate the risk of the South African Citrus Thrips in Australia expanding its host range to include commercial crops, and asses the potential of this insect to damage those crops by placing it in the context of other pest thrips species.

What is the biosecurity problem?

South African Citrus Thrips has been recently detected in Australia, but, so far its spread appears to remain confined to the weed Mother of Millions. In South Africa, however, this insect is a pest of citrus, mango and other crops, and populations in Australia have been shown to feed on these plants. This insect may have value as a weed biological control agent, but the risk it presents to relevant crop growers must be further assessed.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• better asses the potential of South African Citrus Thrips to form new host associations
• improve understanding of other pest thrips in Australia
• communicate risk information to relevant stakeholders
• publish peer reviewed literature, and
• train a PhD student in recognising and working with Australian pest thrips. 

Who will be the end-users of your research?

The end users of this research will be fruit growers and graziers in Queensland and northern New South Wales, weeds officers, pest management professionals and research scientists.

This project will use individual-based modelling to investigate how genetic, biological, ecological and management factors interact to affect the evolution of resistance to the grain fumigant phosphine in the stored-grain pest, the lesser grain borer. This information will help identify optimal management strategies for delaying or avoiding the evolution of resistance.

What is the biosecurity problem?

The evolution of resistance to phosphine in the lesser grain borer.

The main output of this project is to:

• create simulation and statistical models of the population dynamics of Rhyzopertha dominica (lesser grain borer) that will incorporate evolution of resistance to phosphine. These models will be used to evaluate monitoring strategies and management programs to avoid, delay or minimise the evolution of resistance.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

Scientific researchers and agriculture biosecurity policy makers. Public and private extension officers, agronomists and farmers will be indirect end-users through resulting recommendations.