Vinehealth Australia recognises that growers are working on a daily basis to manage many established or native plant pests and diseases. Some of note include phylloxera, trunk diseases, viruses and fruit fly.
Grape Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera is established in some parts of Victoria and New South Wales. Phylloxera is a notifiable pest in every state and territory. If you suspect you might have phylloxera, you must report it. For more information on phylloxera, click here.
Trunk Diseases
Eutypa dieback and botryosphaeria dieback are major grapevine trunk diseases that threaten the sustainability of Australian vineyards. Causal fungi infect pruning wounds and colonise wood, causing dieback and vine death (Wine Australia, 2016). Click here for information.
Viruses
In biology, viruses are transmissible parasitic biochemical molecules made of protein and a genetic material (DNA or RNA). Despite numerous viruses infecting grapevines, there is recent interest in Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus. Refer here for further information about this virus.
Fruit Fly
Fruit flies are categorised as both exotic and established biosecurity threats to Australia and are one of the world’s most destructive horticultural pests (Farm Biosecurity, 2016).
Queensland Fruit Fly and Mediterranean Fruit Fly are each notifiable pests, but not in every state and territory. Refer to your state’s Plant Quarantine Standards to verify whether either or both fruit flies are notifiable for you given your location. For more information on these fruit flies, click here.
Exotic fruit flies were ranked as the number three plant pest in 2016 (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, 2016a) with the greatest potential cost and impact to the Australian horticulture industry.
The state of South Australia including its horticultural centre – the Riverland, are recognised as being free of both Queensland Fruit Fly and Mediterranean Fruit Fly. South Australia remains the only Australian mainland state that is fruit fly free.
Click here to find out more about recognising Queensland fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly and what an outbreak means to you.
