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What to think about before the end of Financial Year 2021?
The end of financial year is fast approaching; is your business ready?
Instant asset write-off for eligible businesses
Last year, the government expanded the instant asset ...
When it’s difficult to bounce back
Depression is a serious condition that affects your ...
You’ve got 10 extra mental health sessions under Medicare
Maybe it’s time to use them
When will I get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Everyone in Australia will be offered a safe ...
Sea freight LCL service to support WA exporters
IF the service is supported and proves to ...
Coles
announces centralised ordering system to improve food freshness and reduce food waste
Pest surveillance working together to support WA horticulture industry
Identifying brown marmorated stink bug in a laboratory ...
Rapid fall armyworm identification assisted by LAMP technology
Craig Webster and Ben Congdon demonstrate the use ...
Foreign object contamination of fresh produce
MANY so-called pests that give rise to consumer ...
Latest mail on the snail: watch out for this giant pest!
Currently sitting at number 12 on the National ...
A guide for the use of recycled organics in horticulture
Compost is a mixture of recycled organic materials ...
NSW grower trials cover crops
VEGETABLE grower Kim Ngov and Marc Hinderager from ...
Sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane technology for agricultural crop production systems
f AROUND 3,500,000 metric tons of plastic ...
High-speed 3D scanner to inspect fresh produce
THE AVAILABILITY OF a skilled workforce to undertake ...
Success showcasing WA’s local food and beverages
This April, all West Australians were invited to ...
VegetablesWA welcomes new Labour Specialist to boost grower workforce
Several employers have expanded in size due to ...
Win for growers as more Pacific workers secured
In mid-May, a group of much needed seasonal ...
WA consumers hearing the call to ‘buy local’
CONSUMER research showed nearly half of all West ...
Water and fertiliser use efficiency improvement
A VegNET WA extension service update
Transitioning your farm to the latest Freshcare Food Safety and Quality Standard
Edition 4.2
Free employee assistance for Freshcare participants
An industry first initiative, Freshcare is providing free ...
Next in line to achieve global benchmark
THE standards provides certification options for fresh ...
Decoding the Horticulture Award 2020
Individual Flexibility Agreements
Natural disaster support update
On the evening of April 11, 2021, Severe ...
FARM BIOSECURITY FOCUS
THE aim of the project is that at ...
VegetablesWA President’s Report
Hello once again to my fellow growers and ...
Growing horticulture and irrigated agriculture in WA
Horticulture has the highest flow on benefits of ...
Chief Executive Officer’s report
For this, and many more tasty potato recipes ...
WA Potatoes Autumn/Winter Magazine
Tloaded with delicious recipes inspired by classics such ...
Tribute to Brett DeCampo
On February 26, 2021, the life of Brett ...
From the Pomewest Executive Manager Season update
By the time you get to read this ...
Show time launch for apple and pears
Through March and April, Pomewest kicked off the ...
Sam and Vanessa Licciardello Orchard 1 Sixty
Sam and Vanessa Licciardello are the third generation ...
Do you know your exotic pome fruit pests?
EXOTIC PLANT PEST HOTLINE 1800 084 881 E ...
Leading the WA industry to take a fresh look at exports
Boosting exports is a key priority in reducing ...
From the industry
FROST fans for dealing with spring frosts. Two ...
WA Citrus on tour
THE majority of WA production was represented by ...
Digital tools that make a difference in the orchard
Digital tools on farm — saving time, money, and ...
Reducing paperwork and increasing efficiencies
TRACMAP has a cloud-based job management system and ...
In the supply chain
During the industry tour, Terry from Ivankovich Farms ...
Workplace health and safety, learnings from vegetable industry
We would like to extend a big thanks ...
Industry update
PROTECTED Cropping trial at Moora Citrus. Though the ...
Bumper cherry season stems from lower prices
MORE than two-in-five Australian households purchased cherries in ...
Grower profile Dennis Tucker
DENNIS with a handful of Flavour Fall Pluots, ...
Stewed plums
A comforting winter dessert, best served with something creamy...
when things get tough, and your business runs into trouble
Most farming businesses, at some stage in their ...
If you’re an employee in the agriculture industry it pays to learn what you can claim at tax time
YOU can’t claim the cost of trips between ...
WA declared free from Queensland fruit fly
IN response to the Queensland fruit fly ...
Small business check a year into disruption
Small businesses play a major role in economic ...
Your work agreement
Use this template to help make a piecework agreement under the Horticulture Award.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
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Latest mail on the snail: watch out for this giant pest!
BY ZALI MAHONY BIOSECURITY OFFICER, AUSVEG
Currently sitting at number 12 on the National Priority Plant Pests list, the Giant African Snail (Lissachatina
fulica)
poses a significant threat to vegetable growing regions around the country.
This article discusses the snail’s unwanted presence in Australia and the recent increase in interceptions with the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith.
Giant African Snail (GAS) is one of the world’s most invasive plant pests due to its insatiable hunger for over 500 plant species, including many important vegetable crops. Originating from East Africa, the snail has already established itself around the globe, including Asia, the Pacific, the Americas and parts of Europe.
While the snail thrives in non-arid subtropical to tropical climates, it is still active below 10ºC and can survive subzero temperatures by entering dormancy.
Although it is yet to establish in Australia, GAS poses a significant threat to Australian plant production, the natural ecosystem and human health if it were to reach our shores.
An invasive, damaging pest
Giant African Snails can completely wipe out crops with the capacity to eat entire plants, including the stem, leaves, flowers, fruits and even bark.
GIANT African Snails have been observed laying up to 4,000 eggs per year.
PHOTO © DR JESSICA LYE FROM CESAR AUSTRALIA
GIANT African Snails can transmit bacteria, parasites and disease if handled incorrectly.
PHOTO © PEST AND DISEASES IMAGE LIBRARY, BUGWOOD.ORG
The snail has a vast host range from fruit and vegetable crops such as bananas, citrus, beans, brassicas, cucurbits, sweet potato and solanaceous species, to nursery, ornamental and native plants.
In countries where this giant pest is established, horticultural crops experience reductions in yield and quality, and in some instances, entire crop loss can occur early season.
The snail’s high reproductive capacity is the key driver behind our concern for this pest as they are difficult to eradicate.
GAS are hermaphrodites, meaning they are able to self-fertilise. They have been observed laying up to 4,000 eggs per year in laboratory conditions. If a single snail were to enter Australia undetected or unreported, rapid increase in population could easily occur.
These snails can also be detrimental to human health. If handled incorrectly, GAS can transmit bacteria, parasites and disease.
Most notably, GAS is a host of a harmful parasitic nematode (Angiostrongylus
cantonensis)
— commonly known as rat lungworm — that causes meningitis in humans.
Detections on the rise
Expert international hitchhikers, these snails commonly enter Australia as stowaways on imported farm machinery, vehicles and shipping containers, with the eggs transported in soil or plant imported goods.
However, the biggest threat of an outbreak is the intentional and illegal importation of GAS for medicine, food or even as pets.
Since 2013, GAS interceptions at border have been on the rise with 28 in 2020.
At the time of writing, there have been four this year (to April 2021).
Despite Australia’s outbreak history suggesting most GAS interceptions occur at Queensland’s borders, Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, said that the interceptions were made in a variety of imported cargo and at different border locations across the country.
Dr Vivian-Smith also noted that the increasing number of interceptions could be linked to the pandemic.
“There has been a bit of disruption and change in terms of container movement patterns and the ability of countries to apply their normal inspection protocols, so that is possibly one reason why we’re seeing an increase in Giant African Snail detections,” she said.
However, irrespective to the pandemic, Australia does have a steady number of Giant African Snail interceptions at the border each year.
Reducing biosecurity risks
Early detection and reporting are key to keeping these giant pests out of Australia.
Australia’s biosecurity system has strict import conditions and other measures to manage pest incursion risks. Shipping crates and containers from countries identified as high risk for GAS are routinely inspected.
There are several established control procedures that are put in place upon detection of GAS, including physical inspections.
“A salt ring is applied to ensure live snails do not escape. Containers are fumigated, washed and reinspected to ensure freedom from live snails,” Dr Vivian-Smith explained.
Post-border, Australia has nationally consistent response guidelines under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed that can effectively respond to a pest incursion.
Early detection and reporting are key to keeping these giant pests out of Australia.
Dr Vivian-Smith also noted that while our biosecurity system helps manage the risk of GAS and other plant pests arriving in Australia, everyone — from importers and growers to the general public — has a role to play. Being aware of this giant pest increases our chances of detecting them before they start to cause any issues.
“Make sure you follow our conditions when importing cargo to Australia. Keep an eye out and report any potential biosecurity pests such as Giant African Snails,” Dr Vivian-Smith said.
By implementing biosecurity best management practices, growers can greatly reduce the chance of the snail’s entry onto their properties.
MORE INFORMATION
Any unusual plant pest should be reported immediately to the relevant state or territory agriculture agency through the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline (1800
084
881).
For further information, please contact AUSVEG on
(03)
9882
0277
or email
zali.mahony@ausveg.com.au
. The Farm Biosecurity Program is funded by the Plant Health Levy.
This article first appeared in Vegetables Australia — Winter 2021, and supplied by AUSVEG.
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