The latest situation reported by the Fire Ant Control Centre (FACC) is that Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) has been detected at the outlying areas of Lytton and Loganholme (Regents Park). These two new infestations, or sites, are being treated and monitored for further activity by the FACC. Nurseries that had been given area freedom in those areas have been notified by QDPI – Animal & Plant Health Services that their area freedom (for the movement of RIFA host material interstate) has been withdrawn.

The Victorian Government has finally released their Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) import requirements for nursery stock entering Victoria from Queensland. The NGIQ has mailed out to all members the relevant documents that require your attention if you export plant material into Victoria.

NGIQ is endeavouring to provide ChemCert Courses to the industry as a service at a minimal cost. The course structure now requires competency based assessment which can increase costs due to a longer time commitment per person and a decrease in the maximum participant numbers per course. NGIQ is aiming to keep course participant numbers at the maximum number permissible (15) by ChemCert Training Queensland and the course duration of one day (8 hours). Keeping to an 8 hour course with 15 people will help to maintain an acceptable course cost. NGIQ can only deliver this if all ChemCert Course participants adhere to the below requirements.

The Department of Natural Resources & Mines (DNR&M) have, for some time, been investigating the biological management of the weed ‘Mother-of-millions’. The study has so far established three biological management agents available for selection. The department has been trialing the weevil, Osphilia tenuipes and is now considering release of this biocontrol agent.

There have been a number of reports of outbreaks of Lantana bug in production nurseries in the Brisbane area over recent weeks. The bug Aconophora compressa was an approved biocontrol agent for lantana and released in 1995 with the approval of 22 state and federal agencies including AQIS and Environment Australia. The release by the Department of Natural Resources & Mines (DNR&M) occurred after host testing based on nationally accepted protocols and included a representative range of 62 possible economic and native host plants.

Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) is again proving to cause industry serious concerns. As mentioned in the March edition of Leaflet the Interstate Plant Health Regulatory Working Group (IPHRWG) had drafted a set of movement protocols requiring mandatory chemical treatment from within the infested area. This was to be effective on both interstate plant movement and movement of plant material within Queensland.

The ongoing eradication of this pest is progressing strongly according to the Fire Ant Control Centre (FACC) with 90% of monitored sites recording complete cessation of RIFA activity. The program is now in its second year of the three year baiting phase with approximately all treatment areas receiving at least 3 baits so far this round. This is encouraging for industry suffering under the burden of inspections, ARMP and certification. As the drought played havoc with production and retail activity it did assist in the eradication of RIFA in that there have probably been minimal launches of alates (fertile male & female ants) due to a lack of damp humid nights.

The NGIQ initiated in 2001/2002 registration and trial work on a number of pesticides for use against RIFA. The off-label registration of bifenthrin was relatively quick and has been available for over 12 months however the registration of a granular chlorpyrifos (SuSCon Green) for inclusion into growing media required specific data be provided. NGIQ commissioned DPI/FACC to undertake trial work on our behalf and after 18 months the results are in.

There is an increase in activity regarding the interest of interstate authorities in the movement protocols of host material from Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) restricted areas. This interest is broadening to encompass both retail and production nurseries and covers movement within Queensland and interstate.

The South African Citrus Thrips (Scirtothrips aurantii Faure) or SACT was detected at Sherwood in Brisbane in March 2002. The thrips detection was located in the vicinity of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (NR&M), Alan Fletcher Research Station.

The exotic insect pest Spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus disperses) has been in Australia for a number of years first being detected in 1997 in the Cape York area followed by Cairns in 1998.

The NGIQ have been notified of a new exotic pest incursion into Queensland. The recent detection of a nest of Tropical Fire Ants - Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) in a southern suburb of Brisbane has the nursery industry under pressure again. The Tropical Fire Ant is closely related to the Red Imported Fire Ant – Solenopsis invicta (Buren) and is a native ant species of North America. The pest has been in the Northern Territory for some years and is also believed to exist in the Kimberly area of Western Australia. The Tropical Fire Ant was identified in south east Queensland in 2002 and eradicated at that time.

The Agricultural Chemicals Distribution Control Board (ACDC) has approved (pursuant to section 16 of the Agricultural Chemicals Distribution Control Act 1966) the holding of the following qualifications as an alternative to the passing of the examination for a commercial operator's licence under the Act.

Biosecurity is a term that has risen in prominence over the past three to four years in Australia at industry and government level. It is a word that will probably end up being one that falls into the category of ‘overuse’ in the not to distant future however this should not detract from its importance to all ag/hort businesses.

Following on from the information provided in the May edition of Leaflet I would like to provide further detail on the overall strategy of our industry national biosecurity plan. This plan is going to be agreed to by industry and government (national & state) and therefore have formal recognition between all stakeholders.

The activity and hype over the recent incursion of Citrus Canker has died down to a more than manageable level. With the DPI&F Biosecurity Section diligently working away at the infested property, near Emerald, over these past weeks it has been confirmed that all known host material has been removed from the farms production system. After removal from the field all plant material has been burned on site including stumps and roots physically dug from the ground. The cost, to the farm, of this disease incursion is in the millions of dollars with over 250 000 citrus trees having to be destroyed.