CRC for Plant Biosecurity - PDA

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.

Technology targets biosecurity to boost market access

VANMEURSA — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:24:04 +0000

Joint media release (Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia): 8 January 2010

New hand-held computer technology will be trialled this summer with the potential to improve protection of the nation’s vast grains storage system, generate cost savings and enable greater market access.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are being used to transform manual paper trails into more accurate and efficient systems that will also support biosecurity processes.

The Department of Agriculture and Food is leading the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB) project, in association with the CBH Group, ABB Grain, GrainCorp Operations and other Western Australian agriculture organisations.

Researcher Rob Emery said while the efficiency and accuracy gains alone would be beneficial, the potential for the systems to improve market access would be invaluable.

“In this day and age markets expect credible evidence to validate claims that grains are free from pests and diseases,” he said.

“These new PDA based systems will be able to document expanded surveillance results more accurately and securely to prove freedom from biosecurity risks. This will greatly assist market access for Australian grains.”

Mr Emery said the use of PDAs would also help to improve phosphine treatments of stored grain by allowing more extensive monitoring and on-site evaluation of fumigation effectiveness.

“A map of phosphine levels across grains bulk storage could be created that show potential inconsistencies and leaks, which the grain handler can then act upon before they become a problem - generating considerable cost savings,” he said.

“PDA software allows for a number of surveys to be conducted simultaneously, such as for pest trapping. PDAs could be used to accurately document the GPS location of suspect specimens and send a photograph of the sample via email. A preliminary identification can be performed via the internet before the sample is packaged complete with a bar code printed in the field providing a valuable chain-of-evidence.”

The department has programmed prototype PDAs, which the CBH Group will test in the field to provide feedback and refinement.

“This is a living project and the system is constantly being reviewed, improved and different applications are being considered as they become available,” Mr Emery said.

“This technology is very exciting and could be potentially be used in a range of different industry applications.”

The outputs of this and all CRCNPB projects are shared between its participants, including the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Department of Agriculture and Food, WA, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, Murdoch University, CBH Group, ABB Grain Ltd and GrainCorp Operations Limited.

Photo caption: Department of Agriculture and Food researchers Nicolas Garel and Rob Emery with Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) being trialled this summer which have the potential to improve protection of the nation’s vast grains storage system, generate cost savings and enable greater market access.

Media contacts:

Rob Emery, Research Officer – Phone: (08) 9368 3247
Jodie Thomson – Phone: (08) 9368 3937
Lisa Bertram – Phone: (08) 9368 3325

Instructions for downloading images

To download and save images, right-click on the link and click ‘save target as’. If you experience any problems, please contact Communications Manager, Kate Scott on 0402 299 611 or k.scott@crcplantbiosecurity.com.au

PDA-Assisted Surveillance - Final Report

VANMEURSA — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:20:49 +0000

PDA-Assisted Surveillance - Final Report

PDA workshop in Perth

K.Scott — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:13:33 +0000

Purpose for travel:

Attend Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) workshop in Perth to contribute to the workshop outcomes, develop networks and discussed potential future project collaborations. In addition I presented examples of PDA's used for agricultural research within DPI&F and provide input and technical advice to advance the use of PDAs in the CRC.

How this trip advanced/benefited the applicant's career:

By presenting previous applications of PDAs, the other workshop participants gained a better understanding of my technical knowledge and professional capacity for future potential involvement in CRC projects.

Through project discussions and interactions I developed networks and discussed potential project collaborations with CRC personnel.

The outcomes/benefits for the Australian plant biosecurity system:

A good understanding of the requirements of PDAs within the CRC, for example:

expert systems for pest identification
GPS location, guidance and vehicle tracking
automatic data entry and wireless monitoring e.g. use of Bluetooth, barcodes etc.
form/database with minimal key strokes for data entry.
a mobile platform to rapidly aquire field data.
develop a bigger PDA Plant Biosecurity project

Analysis of likely opportunities/long-term collaborations for the CRCNPB:

Presentation by Ernestos Kostas highlighted issues with monitoring and reporting (in particular phosphine level monitoring over time), travel costs etc.

Antonio Robles talked of Smart traps and trapping grids and utilising embedded systems.

Greg Hopkins reiterated Ernestos's concerns and also spoke of grain inspection and sampling procedures.

We discussed my current MLA funded project on Remote Management Technologies and the possibility of remote monitoring of phosphine levels using a telemetry system. We are considering a project proposal for remote monitoring and to develop and test a system to automate Greg's current grain monitoring procedures e.g. insects, temperature and moisture for grain silos.

CRC30014: PDA-Assisted Surveillance (phase one)

K.Scott — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:57:02 +0000

Program

Surveillance

Recently completed project CRC30014 PDA - Assisted Surveillance has made it possible for field collected surveillance information to be captured digitally.