Western Australia
March 27, 2017
The Department of Agriculture and Food has introduced new quarantine measures for horticulture businesses in Western Australia to prevent the spread of the destructive insect pest, tomato potato psyllid.
Department chief plant biosecurity officer John van Schagen said the establishment of three zones to direct the movement and treatment of commercially-produced vegetables and seedlings is a vital part of a national response to contain and control the pest.
Different movement, treatment and control measures will apply in the ‘control’, ‘suppression’ and ‘watch’ zones.
The tomato potato psyllid poses a threat to the State’s horticulture industry, affecting the production and trade of tomatoes, potatoes, chilli, capsicum, eggplant, tamarillo and sweet potato.
The psyllid was first detected in Perth in February, and has since been confirmed on 64 properties, the majority in the metropolitan area with a small number in regional areas. It is the first time the pest has been found in Australia.
“Commercial horticulture producers, wholesalers and retailers have been very supportive, already complying with a range of quarantine and control measures and we sincerely acknowledge their efforts and the impact on their business operations,” Mr van Schagen said.
“Ongoing cooperation by industry and the WA community will be imperative to limiting the further spread of the psyllid.”
Mr van Schagen said the revised measures would provide a more consistent approach for producers in the metropolitan area, where the psyllid was widespread, and strengthen efforts to limit its spread into regional areas.
“This will be coupled with ongoing surveillance and monitoring by the department to locate exactly where the pest is and control it,” he said.
The control zone includes the Perth metropolitan area and surrounds, and will be bordered by the ‘suppression zone’ which extends from Augusta-Margaret River in the south to Dandaragan in the north and to Brookton in the east.
The red ‘control zone’ requires treatment for target plants, and also for produce moving outside of this area.
The orange ‘suppression’ zone requires testing and treatment for some plants and produce moving into regional areas.
The blue ‘watch’ zone for the remainder of the State involves ongoing surveillance and mandatory reporting where the pest is suspected.
As the psyllid is a transmitter of the bacterium Candidatus liberibacter solanacearum, which can severely impact crops including potatoes, tomatoes and capsicums, the testing program for this will be increased. There have been no confirmed detections of the bacterium to date.
Commercial and backyard growers in regional parts of Western Australia are reminded to keep a lookout for the pest and report any suspect detections using the MyPestGuide Reporter app.
Detailed industry advice, along with requirements for backyard growers to assist in combating this pest, is available from the department website.
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