R&D update: new biosecurity and plant production tools and resources available
13 July 2023
13 July 2023
Tap into new tools and resources
A raft of tools and resources are available for you to access to help tackle plant biosecurity threats, climate change, and supply chain pressures and influences.
The levy-funded National Biosecurity and Sustainable Plant Production Program (NY20001), led by Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA), continues to deliver these resources and more for the industry.
Pest ID Tool
The Pest ID Tool is proving to be a popular resource with more than 230 new users in 2023 growing to a total of 3,010 users overall.
Access the Pest ID Tool for free.
On-site grower visits
For the first time in three years, the project has had a reporting period without the limiting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing industry engagement to increase across the country.
Over the six-months to June 2023, the program Extension Officers conducted more than 600 on-site grower visits.
Extension Officers maintain regular contact with businesses to support growers in adopting best practice, training staff, the use of the digital production management system and the uptake of technical resources.
To organise an on-site visit, contact your local Extension Officer:
- Queensland/northern NSW: Barry Naylor at barry.naylor@greenlifeindustry.org.au
- New South Wales/northern Victoria: Colin Hunt at colin.hunt@greenlifeindustry.org.au
- Victoria: Kimberley Thomas at kimberley.thomas@greenlifeindustry.org.au
- Western Australia/Northern Territory: Steve Blyth at steve.blyth@greenlifeindustry.org.au
- Tasmania and South Australia: Celeste Cook at celeste.cook@greenlifeindustry.org.au
APPS Technical Library website
The Australian Plant Production Standard (APPS) Technical Library website is continuing to expand. There’s more content and more industry users – with close to 4,000 individual uses. The site hosts a huge amount of nursery production technical information as well as the pesticide minor use permits GIA has successfully secured for industry under the NY20001 program.
The APPS is the overarching framework for the Australian nursery industry’s Best Management Practice (BMP) programs.
Visit the APPS website.
Updated specifications and guidelines
The project team has revised and updated the NIASA Landscape Tree Stock Specification. It was released nationally in May 2023, along with the updated National Plant Labelling Guidelines.
Mini Technical Skills Courses
Since the Mini Technical Skills Courses (MTSCs) were introduced at the beginning of the project, they have evolved into a significant extension tool. There are 22 MTSC topics including pesticide resistance management, pest management plans, crop monitoring, site surveillance, pH and EC testing and irrigation system testing.
Over the past six months, Extension Officers conducted 181 MTSCs, training 904 growers and staff.
To find out more about the MTSCs contact your local GIA Extension Officer.
