PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds

PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)
MAIN STEPS
Efforts to keep
them in check
cause conflict in
both rural and
urban areas
PLAN
PLAN
PLAN
?
CONTROL METHODS
Legislation
Cultural methods
Sanitation
Biological
Resistant varieties
Plant quarantine
Pest-tested material
Physical/mechanical
Pesticides
CONTROL
METHODS
X
Control programs for certain vertebrate pests are ongoing and require diligence year after
year by growers, approved commercial operators and members of the community. Many
pest control companies offer a complete management package. Principles and strategies
of pest management are outlined on the following website:
www.daff.gov.au/brs/land/feral-animals/management/strategies
1. Plan well in advance. Keep records of the crop, eg weather, planting/sowing/
harvesting dates. Define the problem. Determine management objectives and
options, some may be considered unacceptable by the community.
2. Crop, region. Be aware of specific local vertebrate pest problems which may occur
on your own and neighbouring properties, eg
Contacting your local council or shire about the pest problem. Local
community groups may deal with a local problem, eg Indian mynas.
Various Threat Abatement plans, eg rodents, foxes, feral dogs and goats.
The ‘National Rabbit Control Training and Extension Package’ promotes
effective and consistent long term rabbit control by the use of IPM.
3. Correctly identify the pest species. Vertebrate pests themselves are easy to
identify but their damage might not be so easy. You need to know the exact breed of
dog, species of bird etc. Damage caused by possums and rats may appear similar.
Droppings and collections of dead snails may indicate the proximity of rats. You
may need to seek advice (page xiv) or contact a licensed pest controller. Understand
the pest life cycle, how it moves around, what local conditions attract it (food,
shelter, roosting sites, etc), bird behaviour, etc. Obtain a Local Fact Sheet.
4. Monitor the presence of the pest. Monitoring accessories are available from some
pest control companies. Know when, where, what and how to monitor. Monitor
pest numbers or impact? Is the pest protected, noxious, beneficial, new to area,
seasonal or constant, etc. Monitoring and observation of mice numbers early can
provide sufficient warning to prevent much mouse damage. Map the problem.
5. Thresholds will depend on whether treatment is mandatory under State/Territory/
local regulations. Do you need to calculate your own threshold based on economic,
aesthetic or environmental requirements?
6. Action/Control/Decision making. Many control methods will be preventative,
eg minimizing food sources, bird netting. Steps should be taken to prevent pest
numbers exploding. Take appropriate action at the correct time when a prescribed
threshold is reached. There may be legal and/or organic standard requirements.
Pest numbers found may not constitute enough potential damage to warrant any
action. Often area-wide management is necessary to coordinate effects.
For pests not yet in Australia or in a state/territory – entry can be prevented
by quarantine.
For new arrivals spread can be minimized by early detection. Response Programs
assist control of specified pest outbreaks. Noxious pest legislation and other
regulations are most effective during these early stages of invasion, when
eradication could be attempted. Available pest control methods do not eradicate
pests unless they have been selected for a national or state eradication program.
For established pests the best we can hope for is containment using appropriate
control methods, for most eradication is probably impossible. Commercial
harvesting is an option for kangaroo, goats, etc.
7. Evaluation. Review IPM program. Recommend any necessary improvements,
based on information about pest population movements and numbers.
.COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS.
The Australian Government plays a role in coordinating pest animal management
through the Vertebrate Pest Committee, Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
(IACRC) and the Australian Pest Animal Management Program (APAMP):
www.agriculture.gov.au/browse/health/pests/vertebrate
APAMP collaborates with state, territory and local governments, to reduce the
damage to agriculture caused by pest animals:
www.daff.gov.au/brs/land/feral-animals
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC
Act) provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and
internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places.
Threat Abatement Plans must conform to the requirements specified:
www.environment.gov.au/
The Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) is Australia’s largest
integrated invasive animal research program.
www.invasiveanimals.com/.
Guidelines for the control and appropriate treatment of pest animals have been
developed by the National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW):
Vertebrate pests 243