An overview of exotic plant pest and disease surveillance 2011 2014

Abstract

Active and passive surveillance form the backbone of New Zealands early pest and disease detection system and provide evidence about pest or disease status to support growing and maintaining export markets and trade for plant products Effective surveillance increases the number of options available to emergency management teams to manage new biosecurity risks from eradication and containment to pest management An overview of 3 years of plant pest and disease surveillance data is presented including an update of the surveillance system and potential areas for development The importance of increasing awareness by Intermediaries (a group that includes scientists crop scouts and biosecurity staff) of the Ministry for Primary Industries exotic pest and disease hotline (0800 80 99 66) to enable early risk management is highlighted