Every time you visit a farm, orchard, or nursery you MUST clean and disinfect your footwear or leave them behind. Anything less almost certainly means spreading weeds as this article from the Progressive Farmer exposes. “We planted the mud from two pairs of boots in a greenhouse flat. “It really wasn’t all that much mud. […]
How much damage can be done by an itty bitty bug you ask? This informative Newsroom article tells an alarming story. Key facts – some US cropping states lost up to 90% of their production when stink bugs arrived their in the 1990’s. Also one researcher killed more than 26,000 of the little crittters in […]
We reckon the Aussies are doing a pretty good job of managing their biosecurity readiness, and there’s a lot we can learn from them. Australian Farm Biosecurity’s free monthly e-newsletter has useful info about what’s happening across the ditch with practical ideas and advice for biosecurity management. This month there’s articles on Getting biosecurity zoning right, Recognising […]
Don’t read this article if you’re the fearful type as this article appearing on the www.aspistrategist.org.au website will give you bad dreams. It points out that both state sposored and non-state sponsored actors could relatively easily use a biosecurity incident to disrupt a national economy. If you’re looking for an example of this you need look […]
AgPest™ is a free tool to assist New Zealand farmers and agricultural professionals in decision-making regarding weed and pest identification, biology, impact and management. Visit the AgPest™ website.
This article reminds us that New Zealand is and has been dealing with many biosecurity risks and incursions on a daily basis. The article mentions Chilean Needle Grass, M. Bovis, Fanworm, Wilding Pines, Myrtle Rust, droplet tunicate, and Kauri Dieback (Phytophthora agathidicida). Read the full article on the Herald’s website.
Words like disinfect and sanitise are often used interchangeably and without much understanding. Here’s a few working definitions for you: Microbe – a microorganism such as a bacterium or virus. A microbe might not cause disease or infection. Pathogen – a bacterium, virus or other microorganism that can cause disease. Fomite – objects or materials which can carry […]
Put together by Horticulture Innovation Australia and the Queensland Government as part of the Better Bananas extension programme, this video explains how a ‘dedicated on farm footwear’ programme providing footwear to visitors works. It’s in Queensland, and they probably don’t encounter mud that often, so we’d suggest a proper boot cleaner to clean used footwear […]
New Zealand has never had an outbreak of Foot and Mouth, but if there is one disease we’re all afraid of, it’s this one. Biosecurity New Zealand has a comprehensive set of resources that outline what the disease is, how to recognise it, how New Zealand has prepared for an incursion, and who to call […]