The best defence against harmful pests, diseases, viruses and weeds for your farm is to implement good farm hygiene. AUSVEG has recently developed a new management guide on how to protect and prepare your farm for pests and diseases.

Farm biosecurity is the prevention and management of pests and diseases that are not yet present in a certain production area but are likely to arrive, either seasonally or through natural spread (e.g. wind). Good biosecurity practices can assist when faced with government-imposed farm quarantine and be used as evidence when applying for ‘pest free place of production’ accreditations.

Six main pathways for pest and disease spread

Use AUSVEG’s management guide to identify these pathways on your own property and see how you can start managing the risks.

1. Vehicles and equipment.
2. Staff and farm visitors.
3. Packaging, bins and pallets.
4. Waste and weeds.
5. Farm inputs.
6. Wind.

The resource takes you through each pathway and discusses the risks involved. Where this guide differs from other resources is that it provides ways to manage, and reduce, the risks of each pathway.

Next steps

Once you have read the guide and are aware of the six high-risk pathways through which pests and diseases can spread onto farm, there are several actions you can take to ensure you are managing them appropriately for your farm, business, or property.

1. Review your farm’s current biosecurity measures and identify the pathways you are controlling well, and those that may require more management.
2. If there are certain pathways requiring more attention, use this booklet as a management guide.
3. If you are managing all pathways well, create a farm biosecurity plan for your property.

Find out more

Please contact Zali Mahony on 03 9882 0277 or email science@ausveg.com.au.

Cover image: Farm biosecurity signs communicate to visitors and staff that there are biosecurity measures in place. Free farm biosecurity signs are available from AUSVEG* (*limits and conditions apply). Image courtesy of Plant Health Australia.