Horticultural pest management strategic plan review and ongoing support (HG08025)

This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

Effective pest management was critical to the success of the Queensland horticulture industry protecting productivity and the local environment. A number of important aspects of pest management were progressed through this project to ensure a sustainable and productive fruit and vegetable industry for the future.

The five key industry project components included:

1. the coordination of horticultural industries’ involvement in silver leaf whitefly
   (SLWF) Bemisia tabaci (biotype B) management in the Burdekin;
2. Development of Pesticide Good Agricultural Practice (PGAP) reports for the pineapple, eggplant and banana industries;
3. Progression of market access issues relating to Queensland;
4. Progression of chemical access priorities for the pineapple industry; and
5. The provision of support to the National Plant Health Coordinators to assist with regulation and pesticide access matters.

Key outcomes from the project included:

• The development of mechanisms enabling greater cooperation and coordination amongst the different industries affected by SLWF in the Burdekin;
• Use of the Pineapple PGAP report to provide valuable information to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) in their review of the herbicide diuron;
• Use of the Eggplant PGAP report to provide valuable information to the APVMA in their review of the insecticide dimethoate;
• The development of programs for the Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera rostochiensis (Woll.) Skarbilovich) containment and the Phylloxera Exclusion Zone respectively.
• The development of eight minor use permits for alternative insecticides to dimethoate to manage fruit fly ; and
• The provision of advice and assistance to the pineapple industry in chemical access matters.

Although the project had reached its conclusion, elements of work developed throughout the project had ongoing capacity to assist Queensland’s horticultural industries. Examples of this were networks such as the Burdekin SLWF Technical Working Group that was in place ready to be reactivated should a serious outbreak of SLWF or other cross commodity pest occur when this report was published. Also, PGAP reports would potentially be used for future chemical reviews, such as fenthion.

It was recommended that other industries undergo the PGAP report production process to ensure they were on the “front foot” when chemicals were reviewed and it was also recommended that the Technical Working Group continue to meet on an as needed basis.

Containment programs and minor use permits generated through this project enabled Interstate Certification Agreements to be made and maintained, enabling market access to continue. Ongoing communication with affected industries and regulatory bodies was required to ensure that this process continued to run smoothly. An ongoing permit program was recommended for the horticulture industry.