❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses an outbreak of Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid in Carnarvon, questioning the response time, cause, and containment measures by the Department of Agriculture and Food. The Minister provides detailed responses regarding sampling, quarantine, and preventative actions.
AnsweredQoN 3304Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(a) is the Minister aware of an outbreak of
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
in the Carnarvon horticultural district;
(b) how many plantations in the Carnarvon district were sampled for the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(c) if not all plantations were sampled for the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
, what selection criteria were used;
(d) why were
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
test samples taken on 26 September 2007 not returned to the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office until 2 November 2007;
(e) why were owners of infected properties not advised by the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office until 28 November 2007;
(f) Is the response time between sampling for
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
and notifying growers of infected properties acceptable?
(g) is the cause of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
entering the Carnarvon district known, and if so, what is the cause;
(h) what action is being taken by the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office to quarantine and contain the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(i) have there have been any breaches of any Act or Regulation regarding the outbreak of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(j) if the answer to (i) is yes, what action has been or will be taken; and
(k) what action is being taken to prevent further outbreak of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
in Western Australia?
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
in the Carnarvon horticultural district;
(b) how many plantations in the Carnarvon district were sampled for the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(c) if not all plantations were sampled for the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
, what selection criteria were used;
(d) why were
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
test samples taken on 26 September 2007 not returned to the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office until 2 November 2007;
(e) why were owners of infected properties not advised by the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office until 28 November 2007;
(f) Is the response time between sampling for
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
and notifying growers of infected properties acceptable?
(g) is the cause of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
entering the Carnarvon district known, and if so, what is the cause;
(h) what action is being taken by the Department of Agriculture and Food's Carnarvon Regional Office to quarantine and contain the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(i) have there have been any breaches of any Act or Regulation regarding the outbreak of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
;
(j) if the answer to (i) is yes, what action has been or will be taken; and
(k) what action is being taken to prevent further outbreak of the
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 May 2008
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
28 days
(a) Yes
(b) Seventy plantations were sampled for Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid in the Carnarvon district. The samples included commercial crops, weeds and native plant species.
(c) Original suspect tomato plant sample was submitted by a grower. The primary selection criterion was trace-back of the potentially infested seed lot to nine other plantations, and other plantations growing potential hosts in the proximity.
Also see response to question (g)
(d) The samples were sent to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Victoria for testing and confirmation of viroid identity and molecular sequencing of the viroid. The testing time was in the control of DPI, Victoria.
(e) Owners or occupiers were advised by a letter on 28 November 2007. However, property assessment visits were made by a plant pathologist earlier.
(f) Not preferable but sometimes unavoidable due to the time testing and confirmation takes.
(g) The cause of Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid entering the Carnarvon district is not known. Based on available scientific information, it is suspected that the viroid may have been introduced via importation of potentially infested imported tomato seed.
(h) Actions taken by the Department of Agriculture and Food in response to the detection of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid include:
- Extensive surveys of Carnarvon horticultural area for the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid, and collection and testing of over 1600 samples for the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid.
- Quarantine action on properties infested with Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid.
- Restrictions imposed on movement of farm machinery from the five properties under quarantine.
- Restrictions imposed on cultivation of host plant species on the properties under quarantine.
- Provision for technical assistance to property owners/occupiers to ensure proper destruction of the crop residues and disinfestation of the farm machinery, and suitable cropping options to control the infestation.
- Preparation and distribution of information (including in the Vietnamese language) on symptoms and management of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid, pest alerts and biosecurity guidelines for implementation of farm biosecurity measures.
- Industry consultation (via VegetablesWA) regarding actions to limit and eradicate the infestation in Carnarvon.
- Action against any non-compliance of the quarantine imposed on infested properties.
- National consultation via the national Plant Health Committee regarding the eradication action being undertaken in Western Australia.
- Consultation with Biosecurity Australia to undertake risk analysis for introduction of Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid via tomato seed pathway into Australia.
(i) No. There is no alleged breach of any Act or Regulation that may have resulted in the outbreak of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
(j) -
(k) Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has been contacted and measures are being considered to restrict tomato seed import from overseas to prevent the introduction of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid pathway via the tomato seed pathway.
Growers are being further encouraged to implement farm biosecurity measures to minimise the introduction of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid and similar other pests.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
(b) Seventy plantations were sampled for Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid in the Carnarvon district. The samples included commercial crops, weeds and native plant species.
(c) Original suspect tomato plant sample was submitted by a grower. The primary selection criterion was trace-back of the potentially infested seed lot to nine other plantations, and other plantations growing potential hosts in the proximity.
Also see response to question (g)
(d) The samples were sent to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Victoria for testing and confirmation of viroid identity and molecular sequencing of the viroid. The testing time was in the control of DPI, Victoria.
(e) Owners or occupiers were advised by a letter on 28 November 2007. However, property assessment visits were made by a plant pathologist earlier.
(f) Not preferable but sometimes unavoidable due to the time testing and confirmation takes.
(g) The cause of Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid entering the Carnarvon district is not known. Based on available scientific information, it is suspected that the viroid may have been introduced via importation of potentially infested imported tomato seed.
(h) Actions taken by the Department of Agriculture and Food in response to the detection of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid include:
- Extensive surveys of Carnarvon horticultural area for the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid, and collection and testing of over 1600 samples for the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid.
- Quarantine action on properties infested with Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid.
- Restrictions imposed on movement of farm machinery from the five properties under quarantine.
- Restrictions imposed on cultivation of host plant species on the properties under quarantine.
- Provision for technical assistance to property owners/occupiers to ensure proper destruction of the crop residues and disinfestation of the farm machinery, and suitable cropping options to control the infestation.
- Preparation and distribution of information (including in the Vietnamese language) on symptoms and management of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid, pest alerts and biosecurity guidelines for implementation of farm biosecurity measures.
- Industry consultation (via VegetablesWA) regarding actions to limit and eradicate the infestation in Carnarvon.
- Action against any non-compliance of the quarantine imposed on infested properties.
- National consultation via the national Plant Health Committee regarding the eradication action being undertaken in Western Australia.
- Consultation with Biosecurity Australia to undertake risk analysis for introduction of Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid via tomato seed pathway into Australia.
(i) No. There is no alleged breach of any Act or Regulation that may have resulted in the outbreak of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid
(j) -
(k) Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has been contacted and measures are being considered to restrict tomato seed import from overseas to prevent the introduction of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid pathway via the tomato seed pathway.
Growers are being further encouraged to implement farm biosecurity measures to minimise the introduction of the Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid and similar other pests.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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