Australia: NSW Agriculture Biosecurity and Mine Safety Divis : Potato pest peril
A tiny, microscopic plant pest is on the radar of potato producers across the state, with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) running a series of free potato cyst nematode (PCN) workshops to support our valuable potato industry and ensure NSW
Workshops targeting NSW’s major potato production areas will be held in Berrigan on Wednesday 16 March, Goulburn on Wednesday 23 March and Griffith on Monday 4 April, with additional workshops planned for the rest of the state.
DPI industry liaison officer, Bev Zurbo, said PCN is a serious threat to Australia’s potato industry and a pest which growers and government aim to keep at bay with legislation and movement conditions helping to protect the industry.
Despite the presence of PCN in Victoria since 1991, NSW remains PCN-free thanks to the quarantine boundaries and procedures we have in place,’ Ms Zurbo said.
Growers play a significant role in keeping NSW PCN-free by being aware of the risks and how they can be avoided.
DPI is running interactive PCN workshops to raise grower awareness of the pest, how it spreads, its effects on production and impacts on rural communities.
These workshops will highlight the impacts and costs of a PCN infestation in real terms - lost production, market access, testing and management will all be explored.
PCNs are soil-borne pests which feed on potato plant roots and a ’Come clean - Go clean’ approach is recommended to stop its spread by infested potatoes, soil and machinery.
Ms Zurbo said there are lessons to be learned from the Victorian PCN outbreak.
Wide-ranging impacts and repercussions from PCN infestation continue to have serious financial implications for Victorian potato growers and the industry,’ she said.
Eradication isn’t an option and moving to a new enterprise may be the only option for growers affected by this pest.
A high value earner, the NSW potato industry relies on interstate trade and is supported by strict regulations which govern the introduction of potatoes, soil and associated packaging or machinery brought into NSW through certification and specific import conditions.
Potato growers and industry advisers can register to attend a two-hour workshop by contacting Bev Zurbo, (02) 6938 1976, 0427401656 or email
Additional information is available online
Media contact: Bernadette York 6938 1664, 0427 773 785
NSW Agriculture, Biosecurity and Mine Safety Division issued this content on 08 March 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 08 March 2016 01:55:54 UTC
Original Document: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/all/2016/potato-pest-peril
Fuente: http://www.4-traders.com/news/NSW-Agriculture-Biosecurity-and-Mine-Safety-Divis-Potato-pest-peril--21975751/
