Apple and Pear Australia (APAL) represents the biosecurity interests of apple and pear producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:
- biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
- liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
- funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
- participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.
Industry overview
There are approximately 550 commercial apple and/or pear grower businesses in Australia.
The major production areas include the Goulburn Valley, Gippsland, Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria; Stanthorpe in Queensland; Batlow and Orange in New South Wales; the Huon Valley and Tamar Valley in Tasmania; the Adelaide Hills in South Australia; and Donnybrook, Manjimup and the Perth Hills in Western Australia.
The four most common apple cultivars are Cripps Pink (Pink Lady™), Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith. Areas of Cripps Red (Sundowner™), Red Delicious and Golden Delicious are declining. A number of newer club apples such as Jazz™, Kanzi™, Envy™, Smitten™, Rockit™ and Bravo™ have been increasing in production recently. Australia’s main apple export markets are Europe, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Biosecurity plans, manuals and resources
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Biosecurity Plan for the Apple and Pear Industry
Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for the apple and pear industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs. Planning identifies procedures that can be put in place to reduce the chance of pests reaching our borders or minimise the impact if a pest incursion occurs.
The Biosecurity Plan for the Apple and Pear Industry outlines key threats to the industry, risk mitigation plans, identification and categorisation of exotic pests and contingency plans. For a copy, please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au.
Orchard Biosecurity Manual for the Apple and Pear Industry
The Orchard Biosecurity Manual for the Apple and Pear Industry contains information to help producers to implement biosecurity on-farm. Manuals usually contain an overview of biosecurity, fact sheets to identify the high priority pests of a crop, tips on crop management, and how to manage people, vehicles and equipment to minimise biosecurity risks. Manuals also contain a biosecurity self-assessment list, and templates to record pest surveillance records and visitors.
More information about on-farm biosecurity for both plant and livestock producers is available from the Farm Biosecurity website.
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Pollination information
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Fact sheets and web links about the pollination of this crop are listed below. Please be aware that some of the information was developed overseas, and environmental and seasonal variations may occur.
Apple pollination fact sheet, The Pollination Program (Agrifutures Australia and Hort Innovation)
Pear pollination fact sheet, The Pollination Program (Agrifutures Australia and Hort Innovation)
Pollination of apples by honey bees, NSW Department of Primary Industries
Apple pollination, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
Crop pollination requirements, The University of Georgia
Pests Expand
Exotic pests (not in Australia)
The following is a list of high priority exotic pests of apples and pears. These pests were identified during the development of the Biosecurity Plan for the Apple and Pear Industry in consultation with industry, government and scientists. They have been assessed as high priority pests based on their potential to enter, establish, and spread in Australia (eg environmental factors, host range, vectors) and the cost to industry of control measures.
PHA has a range of fact sheets, contingency plans and diagnostic protocols relevant to these pests. Pest risk review documents are also available for some pests. Please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au for more information.
Endorsed National Diagnostic Protocols are available from the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network webpage.
Common name | Scientific name | EPPRD Category | Fact sheet | Contingency plan | Diagnostic protocol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple leaf curling midge | Dasineura mali | ||||
Apple maggot | Rhagoletis pomonella | FS FS | DP | ||
Asiatic brown rot | Monilinia polystroma | ||||
Brown rot | Monilinia fructigena | 3 | FS FS FS | DP | |
Brown-marmorated stink bug | Halyomorpha halys | FS FS FS | CP | ||
European canker | Neonectria ditissima | FS FS | DP | ||
Fire blight | Erwinia amylovora | 2 | FS | CP | |
Spongy moths | Lymantria dispar and Lymantria mathura | FS FS FS | CP | DP | |
Manchurian fruit moth | Cydia inopinata syn Grapholita inopinata | ||||
Monilinia leaf blight (blossom wilt) | Monilinia mali | ||||
Nun moth | Lymantria monacha | FS | |||
Oriental fruit fly | Bactrocera dorsalis | 2 | FS FS FS FS FS FS FS | DP DP | |
Peach fruit moth (small peach fruit borer) | Carposina sasakii | ||||
Rosy apple aphid | Dysaphis plantaginea | FS | |||
Spotted wing drosophila | Drosophila suzukii | FS FS FS FS | |||
Tropilaelaps mites | Tropilaelaps clareae and Tropilaelaps mercedessae | FS FS | |||
Varroa mites | Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni | FS FS |
Other pests
The following is a list of documents for other exotic and endemic pests of the apple and pear industry. Please note that this is not a complete list of pests: rather it includes pests for which documents exist in the Pest Information Document Database.
Some of the documents presented here are not tailored to the apple and pear industry and are included for information only.
Common name | Scientific name | EPPRD Category | Fact sheet | Contingency plan | Diagnostic protocol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple proliferation | Apple proliferation phytoplasma | FS | |||
Black stem blight | Erwinia pyrifoliae | FS | |||
Blister spot of apples | Pseudomonas syringae pv. papulans | ||||
Brown rot | Monilinia fructigena | 3 | FS FS FS | ||
Cassava spider mite | Tetranychus truncatus | FS | |||
Cedar apple rust | Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae | FS | |||
Citrus longicorn beetle | Anoplophora chinensis | FS | CP | ||
Green headed leaf roller | Planotortrix excessana | FS | |||
Japanese beetle | Popillia japonica | FS | |||
Mediterranean fruit fly | Ceratitis capitata | FS | DP | ||
Oblique-banded leaf roller | Choristoneura rosaceana | FS | |||
Omnivorous leaf roller | Platynota stultana | FS | |||
Orange tortrix | Argyrotaenia citrana syn A. franciscana | FS | |||
Pacific spider mite | Tetranychus pacificus | FS | |||
Peach fruit fly | Bactrocera zonata | FS | DP | ||
Pear fruit moth | Numonia pirivorella | 3 | FS | ||
Pear psyllid | Cacopsylla pyricola | FS | |||
Plum curculio | Conotrachelus nenuphar | 2 | FS FS | ||
Strawberry spider mite | Tetranychus turkestani | FS | |||
Texas root rot | Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (syn Phymatotrichum omnivorum) | 2 | FS FS | ||
Tomato ringspot virus | Tomato ringspot virus (Nepovirus) | FS | |||
Western flower thrips | Frankliniella occidentalis | FS | |||
Xylella fastidiosa | Xylella fastidiosa including X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex and pauca | 2 | FS FS FS FS FS FS | CP |
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