As South Australia prepares to host the 19th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC) from 20-23 July, vineyard owners are reminded of the importance of biosecurity when hosting interstate or international visitors.
With hundreds of wine professionals from across Australia and overseas converging on Adelaide, the risk of introducing pests and diseases to local vineyards increases.
The AWITC, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, is a premier wine industry event featuring plenary sessions, workshops and the WineTech trade exhibition. Vinehealth Australia is attending the event, and Phylloxera Phil might even make an appearance!
If you are hosting visitors from interstate or overseas, implement practical biosecurity measures to safeguard your vines, including:
- Ensure all visitors, equipment and vehicles entering the vineyard are clean and free from soil and plant material.
- Provide shoe covers for visitors if you are taking them into your vineyard, or disinfest footwear according to the protocol.
- Consider other farm-gate hygiene activities.
Vinehealth Australia has a range of free resources on our website to assist, including footwear disinfestation instructions, posters and more: https://vinehealth.com.au/tools/resources/