Plant Health Australia (PHA) is excited to announce the launch of its revamped Growers Guide to Pest Reporting and Responses course on the Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) platform.

The updated, mobile-friendly course is designed to fit seamlessly into the busy lives of growers, farm workers, and agronomists, providing essential biosecurity training at their fingertips.

The free, 20-minute eLearning course aims to boost understanding of pest reporting and response procedures, which is crucial to safeguard Australia’s plant health.

Recognising the need for flexible, accessible training, PHA has optimised the course for smartphones and tablets, allowing users to learn on-the-go.

“We’ve redesigned this course with the user in mind,” said Dr Rachel Mann, PHA’s National Manager, Response. “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for those on the frontlines of plant health to get the information they need, when they need it.”

“Understanding the diverse needs of our audience, users can now select their preferred language, ensuring essential biosecurity training is accessible to everyone.”

Key features:

1. User-friendly design: simplified navigation, enhanced images and interactive graphics.
2. Engaging content: a mix of written, video and interactive graphics to cater for various learning styles.
3. Concise and relevant: focused on practical steps for reporting pests, understanding biosecurity benefits and the joint responses from government and industry
4. Multilingual support: users can select their preferred language, making the content accessible and inclusive.

The course covers essential topics, including the potential impact of pests and diseases on Australia’s agricultural industry, how to protect crops, and the steps for reporting unusual symptoms or pests. By equipping growers with this knowledge, the course enhances early detection and reporting, significantly increasing the changes of effective control and eradication of plant pests.

“Growers are at the forefront of identifying and responding to plant pests in Australia,” said Sarah Corcoran, PHA’s CEO. “Early detection and reporting increase the chances of effective control and eradication.”

PHA encourages industry members and associations to share this resource by linking it on their websites and promoting it within their networks.

Visit Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) | Plant Health Australia to register for your free account. For questions or feedback on the course, please contact the PHA Training team at BOLT@phau.com.au.