July 20, 2022
With a combined value of over $3 billion, Australia’s grape and viticulture industries are some of the most valuable horticultural industries in Australia.
Australian grape industries have been fortunate to date in avoiding many of the world’s most devastating grape vine pests and as a result possess some of the oldest vineyards in the world.
Australia remains free from Australia’s number one exotic plant biosecurity threat, Xylella fastidiosa, and the industry continues to work hard to manage the spread of phylloxera. Australian growers enjoy an enviable global reputation of high quality and pest and disease-free grapes.
If an exotic or established pest or disease were to establish itself in Australia, there would be serious impacts to growers (beyond grapes alone) including reduced quality and yield, increased cost of production, impact of the movement of fruit and goods and reduced access to domestic and international markets.
This means that everyone has an important role to play in protecting the viticulture, table grape, dried fruit industries and the wider plant agriculture sector from pests and diseases.
The Vineyard Biosecurity Manual has been developed for everyone involved in the viticultural production chain, including vineyard owners, managers, staff, contractors, researchers and consultants. It outlines simple principles and procedures that can be used to minimise the risk of introducing and spreading exotic and established pests and diseases throughout your vineyard.
Adopting sound vineyard biosecurity practices help to protect individual livelihoods of growers and their staff along with the broader grape industries.
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