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Managing pests and diseases of plants
Pests and diseases that affect plants can have a major impact on your business's profitability, so it's important to understand the risks and take action to protect your property.
This guide provides an overview of plant and forestry pests and diseases. It outlines general pests and diseases, as well as those affecting specific fruit, nut and vegetable crops.
The guide also contains information on how to protect your farm by reducing biosecurity risks as well as information on reporting the presence of prohibited or restricted matter.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (the Act) a person has an obligation to report the presence of a pest that is listed as prohibited or restricted matter to a biosecurity inspector.
The Act also establishes a general biosecurity obligation (GBO), which means that a person must take all reasonable and practical measures to prevent or minimise a biosecurity risk. The GBO extends to how you manage pests and diseases on your farm to minimise their impact on other growers.
To report any suspected exotic plant pests and diseases, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or phone the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
Protecting your farm
Farm biosecurity practices help protect your farm from the risks associated with emergency plant pests entering or establishing on your property. An emergency plant pest is any plant disease or insect pest that is not currently in Queensland.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 you have a general biosecurity obligation to manage biosecurity risks on your farm. Assessing biosecurity risks and planning to control them can improve your business's profitability and contribute to your local community's economic health.
If you notice an unusual new pest or disease in plants on your farm, report it immediately to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
Major biosecurity risks
Farm visitors
Visitors can bring pests and diseases onto your farm. Visitors include friends, relatives, neighbours, contractors, itinerant workers, agents, salespeople, advisers, shooters, fishers, agronomists, pest scouts and veterinarians.
To reduce biosecurity risks from farm visitors:
- place a sign at the front gate advising visitors to report to your house or office rather than driving over the farm looking for you
- ask your visitors questions about where they have been recently so you can assess any risks
- drive visitors around the farm in your farm vehicle
- keep a record of the names and dates of every visitor to your farm
- provide protective clothing, footwear and disinfectant for visitors inspecting your plants or animals.
Plant biosecurity
Familiarise yourself and farm workers with the most important biosecurity threats to your crops. Farm biosecurity manuals and industry biosecurity plans provide information on pest, disease and weed threats to different crops and industries.
Use clean planting material
Ensure all planting material and other farm inputs are pest, disease and weed free. Always use planting material or seeds that have been tested and certified as pest and disease free.
Be aware of the common pests and diseases that occur on your crops. Checking your plants frequently will help you or your farm staff notice any new or unusual pests, diseases or weeds.
Keep vehicles and machinery clean
Prevent the entry and movement of pests, diseases and weeds on your farm by keeping your machinery, equipment and vehicles clean.
Clean your farm equipment regularly throughout the year to prevent any carryover of pests and diseases between seasons.
Water and food
Water and food can also bring pests and diseases onto the farm. To reduce risks:
- assess water sources for diseases, chemicals or algal bloom
- assess feedstuffs for contamination from weeds, seeds and chemical residues
- know where hay, straw and grain is coming from, and obtain a vendor declaration.
Also consider...
- Learn more about managing plant and animal pests on your property.
- Read about managing weeds and pest animals after a natural disaster.
Plant pests and diseases
By preventing the spread of new and existing plant pests and diseases onto or within your property, you are helping to protect your farm/business and your industry as a whole. Reducing the spread of pests and diseases also helps to maintain Queensland's international reputation for safe products.
Before moving plants, plant products, soil or machinery into or within Queensland, you must ensure that you comply with any relevant quarantine restrictions.
Priority plant pests and diseases
Some pests and diseases are of such concern that you are legally required to report sightings. You can look for and identify priority plant pests and diseases.
If you notice any unusual plant pest or disease symptoms, report them to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
General plant pests and diseases
The following resources contain information about plant pests and diseases that are already present in Queensland:
Pests and diseases of trees and timber
Find out about pests and diseases of trees and timber and learn to recognise symptoms to keep trees healthy.
Also consider...
- Learn more about emergency plant pests and managing farm biosecurity risks on the Plant Health Australia and Farm Biosecurity websites.
- Find out more about plant health from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
- Read more about the safe and correct use of agricultural chemicals.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021