The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), in partnership with Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), is creating new early warning and molecular diagnostic tools which are essential to identify and reduce the impact of exotic biosecurity threats in Australia.
The AUD13.5 million (US$9.1 million), five-year co-investment through the National Grains Diagnostics and Surveillance Initiative is being led by NSW government scientists at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI), with work also underway at the Wagga Wagga, Tamworth and Orange Agricultural Institutes.
The project, which aims to address critical gaps in grains biosecurity, is part of the government’s AUD946 million investment in protecting the state’s primary industries against biosecurity threats.
The work, which is targeting 16 exotic grain pathogens and 62 exotic grain pests not in Australia, aims to prevent billions of dollars damage to the state’s agriculture sector if there were future domestic outbreaks of these threats and includes the development of new tools which will increase the number of samples that can be tested within a given time, and near field diagnostics that will speed up pathology results to inform management decisions, such as when and where to spray crops to control pests and disease.
Targeted pests and pathogens, not present in Australia but causing significant damage internationally, include wheat blast, exotic fusarium wilt diseases and hessian fly.
Overseas, the exotic wheat blast disease, present in South America, Bangladesh and Zambia, has resulted in devastating crop losses of up to 100% when the environmental conditions were conducive.
The possible spread of the wheat blast and other diseases from overseas to Australia has increased in recent years as a result of the international seed and grain trade, Australia sharing similar environmental conditions and global warming.
Exotic pathogen and pest incursions can damage crops, increase production costs and halt exports with the annual cost of control and impacts on trade conservatively estimated to be AUD100.4 million per incursion event.
The National Grains Diagnostics and Surveillance Initiative is a AUD42.7 million national initiative with a focus on biosecurity led by the GRDC.
“Keeping these pests and diseases out is our priority, but if they do get in then we need to be prepared,” said Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty. “The NSW government is committed to protecting our agricultural industries using advanced research and diagnostic capabilities. This key research is essential in supporting the NSW grains industry, assisting grower decisions and strengthening food security.”
