AUSPestCheck

The plant pest surveillance virtual coordination centre

The AUSPestCheck dashboard

Plant Health Australia, with financial assistance from the Australian Government, has developed an innovative tool – AUSPestCheck – to collect, analyse and display plant pest surveillance data.

The system can provide users with a real-time picture of pest numbers and spread, and can handle information collected from both general and targeted surveillance activities in agricultural and environmental settings. In-built alerts advise users when the numbers of a target pest increase above a threshold or when a pest moves into a new area.

The AUSPestCheck dashboard features a user friendly graphic interface.

Seamless data uploading and integration

The power of the system is that surveillance data can be collated from multiple sources and in different formats. All the information is integrated to allow seamless mapping and searching for information about types of pests. Standardised data can be uploaded manually using preformatted spreadsheets, or automatically uploaded from pre-existing databases or systems via a programming interface.

Users define permissions

The system features a two-tiered permission system that allows users to restrict who can see their data. There may be unlimited access to some data, while sensitive data can be restricted to particular user groups.

Puccinia psidii (myrtle rust) 1,395 detections

No data or access limits in the cloud

Information is held in a secure cloud environment. As long as you have the right permission and internet access, you can upload new data, view maps or retrieve information wherever you are.

Mapping features

The system can distinguish between confirmed positive or negative samples, or mark the site where a sample was collected while waiting for identification or diagnosis results.

The map shows the spread of myrtle rust as it was monitored in eastern Australia during 2016 using AUSPestCheck. (Red=pest present; Green=pest absent; Yellow=sample diagnosis not confirmed; Blue=multiple detection statuses)

The search function allows users to look back in time to see how pest numbers and spread have changed. Colour coded markers on the example map show where myrtle rust was present or absent at a particular point in time. You can also drill down on a specific marker on a map to see when the pest was first detected at that site.

AUSPestCheck features

  • Data integrated from multiple systems
  • Pre-agreed minimum data standards used
  • User friendly display based on graphics
  • Secure and flexible access
  • In-system mapping of pest presence and absence
  • User updates about pest status based on pest specific criteria
  • Search function allows separation of data in space and time
  • Reports generated according to standard templates
  • Three-tiered, user defined, data access permission scheme
  • Data can be exported for further processing
  • Scalable storage to manage large data sets

Contact us

For more information, please contact Plant Health Australia by email APC@phau.com.au or phone 02 6215 7700.