The Crop Doctor
Grains Research & Development Corporation

Protecting the Australian grains industry from exotic insects and diseases is the responsibility of grain growers as much as it is of Commonwealth quarantine services. While AQIS attempts to screen all passengers, cargo and mail, it is still possible for pests to enter Australia undetected. As no quarantine system can be foolproof, it seems inevitable that some exotic pests will be found first in a crop rather than at the border.

Statistics compiled by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry show that 67 exotic plant pests, diseases and weeds were discovered in Australia in the period 1996 to 2002.

The development of the Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan started in 2002 through a partnership of Plant Health Australia and the grains industry, and supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation. The plan continues to develop internationally-recognised protocols to identify and manage pest outbreaks. Threat summary tables for the 14 highest value grain crops in Australia have been prepared, prioritising the major pest and disease threats for each crop and identifying required management actions.

The biosecurity planning process also involves deciding who meets the costs of new incursions and the responses necessary to deal with them. At the end of May this year, in-principle agreement was reached between government members of Plant health Australia and industry for a Cost Sharing Agreement. Importantly for grain growers, this is the first time grower reimbursement costs for eradication have been accommodated. The agreement is expected to be formally ratified by the end of the year, allowing time for individual Plant Health Australia members to consult with their constituents on this major agreement.

Dr Simon McKirdy, Program Manager with Plant Health Australia, is responsible for overseeing the development of the Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan in conjunction with key grains industry and government representatives. He explains that an incursion impacts at all levels - Australian Government, state governments, grains industry and individual growers.

The biosecurity plan and the cost sharing agreement highlight the responsibility of grain growers. If growers are suspicious about a pest or disease in their crop, they need to have it looked at to determine whether or not it is an emergency plant pest.

Early reporting increases the potential to eradicate a problem, and lowers the costs of doing so. The cost sharing agreement should encourage growers to declare anything unusual, for their own benefit and that of the whole industry.

The flip side of the benefits of biosecurity is defending Australian trade against damaging claims. Such was the case with a shipment of wheat to Pakistan earlier this year.

In response to a claim that the shipment was contaminated with karnal bunt, appropriate diagnostic protocols developed for the grains biosecurity plan were put into action to clearly demonstrate that there was no karnal bunt in Australia. The protocol has international acceptance, and within days, appropriately trained people were able to investigate the claim and conduct laboratory tests resulting in a clean bill of health for the shipment.

For more information please contact Dr Simon McKirdy, Plant Health Australia, on (02) 6260 4322 or visit www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/grains