‘Faces’ of quarantine—challenges facing growers, diagnostic scientists and quarantine managers

Conclusion

Clearly much more can be achieved in preparing Plant Industries and Quarantine Agecies to deal with incursions of soilborne pathogens and pests. Awareness and preparedness strategies for prioritised lists of soil pathogens are required to enhance competencies of stakeholders in knowing what to look for. More sensitive diagnostic tools are needed for risk management to confirm preserice or absence of the target organism. Optimising containment and eradicant treatments should be a priority with the imminent demise of methyl bromide.

Finally, pre-emptive breeding strategies that incorporate resistance genes into commercial cultivars deserve more attention. When successful, this is one of the most cost effective and environmentally acceptable methods of incursion management.

The question of whether current resources, infrastructure and arrangements for quarantine management of incursions of exotic pests and diseases in Australia is a matter receiving close scrutiny by government and industry. Compensation is perhaps the most difficult and contentious issue. Farmers need to know they will not be financially disadvantaged by quarantine action otherwise there is no incentive to report suspicious symptoms, and then it’s too late!