Resourcing, Supporting and Assessing Biosecurity in Nursery Production

Endemic and exotic pests and diseases represent a major threat to the health, productivity, and profitability of Australian nursery production businesses. To support a high standard of plant health and biosecurity in production nurseries, a support platform has been established over the last nine years, using a combination of training, resource development, diagnostics, and technical advice involving well-established links to a number of biosecurity bodies. This project aims to support nursery industry best management practices by examining how nursery practices impact on the plants that are grown, including productivity, profitability, and the level of pests and diseases present. The project further supports industry biosecurity through the provision of identification services, and the creation of industry communication materials.