Biosecurity Alerts
Greenlife Industry Australia is a member of Plant Health Australia and is a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD).
With representatives on the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests and the National Management Committee, GIA receives immediate notification of plant pest and disease incursions. If you have any questions relating to the biosecurity alerts, email John McDonald, National Biosecurity Manager at john.mcdonald@greenlifeindustry.com.au
Serpentine leafminer (SLM) - Liriomyza huidobrensis
Serpentine leafminer (also known as Pea leafminer) Liriomyza huidobrensis has recently been found infesting a vegetable farm in Werribee (June 2022). Biosecurity and Agriculture Services, Agriculture Victoria (Ag VIC) will not be mounting a response to delimit (undertake surveillance) the current distribution of the pest due to Serpentine leafminer already being present in Queensland and New South Wales (2020).
LATEST Biosecurity Advice June 2022
This information is current as of 17 June 2022.
Banana freckle - Phyllosticta cavendishii
Banana freckle has been detected at a rural residential property in the Northern Territory’s Top End. Banana freckle is a fungal disease of banana leaves and fruit. There is no risk to human health from eating affected bananas. Banana freckle is a 'wet spore' organism. It generally moves short distances by water droplet splashes and wind-driven rain. The pest is spread over larger distances by people moving infected fruit, leaves and suckers used for planting. Banana freckle causes spotting on banana leaves and fruit.
LATEST Biosecurity Advice June 2022
This information is current as of 1 June 2022.
Serpentine leafminer (SLM) - Liriomyza huidobrensis
Serpentine leafminer (also known as Pea leafminer) was found infesting field-grown vegetables in western Sydney in October 2020. Serpentine leafminer are flies in the genus Liriomyza and can be confused with other species within the genera. Larvae feed internally on plant tissue, particularly the leaf, creating the classic mining trails that are associated with infestation. The pest is known to carry and develop insecticide resistance making it difficult to control. It has a wide host range and can be easily confused with other species of leafminer.
This information is current as at February 2021.
Fall Armyworm -Spodoptera frugiperda
Fall armyworm is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Fall armyworm was detected for the first time in Australia on the northern Torres Strait islands of Saibai and Erub in late January 2020 and on the tip of Cape York (Bamaga) in February 2020. The larvae (caterpillar) is known to eat and destroy more than 350 plant species, including maize, cotton, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat and many vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops and have caused significant economic losses overseas.
LATEST Biosecurity Advice April 2020
This information is current as at December 2020.
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) -Halyomorpha halys
BMSB is an exotic pest which can seek shelter in large numbers in buildings and equipment during the winter months. It has a foul‐smelling odour when disturbed. BMSB was detected in imported cargo at two sites in Western Sydney and at a commercial premise in Perth in March 2018. The BMSB is known to feed on more than 300 hosts, including agricultural crops such as nuts, grains, berries, cotton, citrus, soybean and some ornamental and weed plant species. While feeding, the bug’s saliva causes significant damage to plant tissues.
LATEST Biosecurity Advice February 2019
This information is current as at December 2020.
Citrus Canker - Xanthomonas citri
Citrus canker is a contagious disease of citrus (and some other plant species of the Rutaceae family) caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas citri. Infected trees display unsightly lesions which can form on leaves, fruit and stems. The disease was discovered in the Northern Territory in April 2018. Trees infected with the disease may suffer from low vigour and reduced fruit quality and quantity. Citrus canker is a serious disease impacting on citrus production and is the subject of control and eradication programs around the world.
LATEST Biosecurity Advice June 2019
This information is current as at December 2020.