Volunteers sought for adopt-a-trap' survey

Fruit Growers Tasmania | Tuesday, 3 November 2020, 2.00pm

Biosecurity Tasmania is calling for volunteers from across Tasmania to participate in the 2020-2021 Adopt-a-Trap Multi-Pest Survey. Survey volunteers will be provided with sticky insect traps to put out on their properties and gardens during November/December 2020 and again during February/March 2021.

This is your chance to be involved in a national surveillance project, which provides confidence to Tasmania’s pest free claims.

The survey aims to re-affirm that Tasmania remains free of a range of exotic plant pests such as Tomato-potato psyllid (TPP), carrot psyllids, African citrus psyllid, Asian citrus psyllid, glassy winged sharpshooter (GWSS) as well as exotic leaf miners including; tomato leaf miner, chickpea leaf miner, serpentine leaf miner, vegetable leaf miner and American serpentine leaf miner.

These pests are a serious threat to Australia’s potato, tomato, carrot, viticulture, citrus, stone fruit, tree nut and nursery production industries. While Tasmania is currently free from these pests it is important that we remain vigilant and the Tasmanian information collected from the survey will be combined with data from other participating states across Australia.

The survey is very simple. Biosecurity Tasmania will provide participants with a complete survey kit including instructions on how to deploy sticky traps on your property. You will be required to post the traps to Biosecurity Tasmania with a completed survey sheet.

The traps will need to be placed near priority plants. In your garden you will need at least one or two plants from the Solanaceae family (including potato, tomato, capsicum, eggplant and tamarillo, boxthorn, Chinese lantern, Chinese gooseberry, and nightshade weeds) or the Convolvulaceae family (such as sweet potato, convolvulus and morning glory). The more plants you have, and the more mature they are, the better.

Commercial producers of potatoes, tomatoes and/or other host produce are especially encouraged to participate in the survey. Special instructions will be provided to any commercial producers who wish to participate.

To register your interest in participating in the survey please email Plant.Survey@dpipwe.tas.gov.au.

This project is important to provide early detection and evidence of freedom from these exotic pests in Tasmania. Your assistance is greatly appreciated by Biosecurity Tasmania.