The BOA crop protection group was created to spread knowledge and share current and potential problems. It is open to all members and staff and is a great opportunity to keep your knowledge up to date and share experiences.
Meeting Details:
Date: Tuesday, October 15th
Time: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83937052154?pwd=9yHJadv9GWSvRPC4TmheVG7W72ZKZc.1
Meeting ID: 839 3705 2154
Passcode: 425229
Purpose: To discuss current issues in crop protection, share knowledge and experiences, and identify future needs for crop protection, including Emergency Authorisation of Minor Uses (EAMUs).
Key Topics:
Whitefly in Poinsettias: As poinsettias start to come into colour, Bemisia tabaci (whitefly) is a concern.
The Agricultural and Plant Health Agency (APHA) inspections are due, and two experts, Alex Matthews (Fargro) and Steve Usher (Koppert), will be providing guidance on finding and identifying whitefly in the crops.
APHA Visits & Hold/Destruction Notices: Experiences from APHA visits are encouraged to be shared.
Discussion on Past Inspections:
Brookhouse Nurseries, last year our summer inspections found nothing but our final inspection at the end of October produced this result.
Sample no. 758260. Far bench pure red in colour – 1 dead female suspected Bemisia tabaci.
Sample no. 758261. Far bench pure red in colour – 3 adults of Bemisia tabaci. 1 live male, 2 dead females.
Please find a Hold Notice for all Poinsettias attached.
I have had a chat with the head of horticultural outbreaks who has been dealing with the BT incidents and they have recommended destruction of the infested batch, which unfortunately was the largest batch on site.
This was quite worrying as we had only one batch of red all in the same greenhouse, the stock was ready to go for the 1st week of November and the prospect of destroying all our poinsettias for 1 live male seemed a bit much, in previous outbreaks we were allowed to keep marketing and avoid the affected areas, we argued this and after a second visit when no Bemisia could be found, we could carry on marketing. So our experience of previous outbreaks and a reasonable APHA inspector managed to retrieve the situation, in summary a problem shared is a problem halved, don’t struggle on alone.
EAMU Needs:
The meeting will also focus on deciding future EAMU needs based on the risk register,(attached) and your input is important for identifying current problems.
It would be beneficial to attend, especially to gain insights on managing whitefly in poinsettias, handling APHA inspections, and contributing to future crop protection strategies.
So please come along and join us.
