Priority pest and disease lists

Fruit Growers Tasmania has released draft lists of high priority pests and diseases for a number of fruits and is inviting feedback from growers to help ensure they reflect the issues having the greatest impact on fruit production in the State.

Although national resources outline high priority issues for various fruit sectors, a Tasmania specific view is needed to reflect local conditions. This will help strengthen trade negotiations, improve information resources on pest and disease identification and management and guide future research investment.

We will use grower insights to pursue new solutions to help growers manage high priority pests and disease. For example, at our recent cherry workshop, our survey of attendees indicated that better solutions are required to manage bacterial canker and rust mites. We will investigate Minor Use Permits for chemistries that will help growers better manage these pests and diseases.

The lists are also intended to support growers in meeting their legal obligations under the General Biosecurity Duty within the Biosecurity Act 2019. Growers must be familiar with pests and diseases associated with fruit production and take reasonable and practical steps to monitor and manage them.

The draft lists were informed by work with Biosecurity Tasmania to confirm which pests and diseases are present in Tasmania. They also draw on export protocol requirements for pests and diseases of trade concern, which influence pest management practices, as well as insights from the Strategic Agrichemical Review Process, plant protection guides and other industry resources.

Fruit Growers Tasmania invites growers to complete the short surveys to provide feedback on the list(s) relating to their fruit(s) and rate the impact of pests and diseases and the availability of effective solutions for high impact pests and diseases.

Click on the following links to access the draft pest and disease lists and complete the surveys:

Complete the apple pest survey

Complete the blueberry pest survey

Complete the cherry pest survey

Complete the Rubus pest survey

Complete the strawberry pest survey

Fruit Growers Tasmania is also developing an Industry Guidance document to support good pest, disease and biosecurity practices to help growers comply with the General Biosecurity Duty.