vegetables

The Front Line
29
WHAT IS AREA WIDE MANAGEMENT?
Area-wide management (AWM) is Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) applied against an entire target pest population within a
delimited geographical area.
For the purposes of the NFFS, it will include all fly habitats
within that area, in order to reduce the total Queensland fruit
fly (Qfly) population. A reduced population in all habitats
reduces the likelihood of Qfly moving into farms from habitats
such as backyard gardens and/or native hosts. This means
that any strategies used on-farm should become more
effective, and contribute to lower pest populations over time.
Such an approach is particularly relevant for pest species that
are mobile, have a wide host range, and are locally generated
in the farming system. AWM enables management strategies
on a larger scale which may be more effective than a
paddock-by-paddock approach.
Vegetables Australia September/October 2016
THE STRATEGY
The NFFS is linked to an Implementation Action Plan,
published in 2010. The plan sets out 15 project initiatives
across the commodity supply chain and proposes a national
governance structure. It was followed by an ABARES
Benefit-Cost analysis of the Action Plan in 2012 and a Plant
Biosecurity CRC National Fruit Fly Research Development and
Extension Plan in 2015.
Therefore, by 2015 the recommendations of the NFFS had
been fairly well dissected, discussed, justified, analysed,
assessed, and of course, planned. In 2014, phase out of
dimethoate and fenthion from production systems commenced
and the Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area (PFA) lost
Fruit Fly Free status. Clearly, it was time to put the NFFS
recommendations into practice.
With the restructure of the Fruit Fly Council and a new
injection of funds, recommendations made in the Strategy and
practical actions outlined in the Implementation Plan are likely
to come to fruition.
For more information visit preventfruitfly.com.au.