Biosecurity Alerts Industry Resources Crop Protection

AUSVEG undertakes a number of extension projects in the biosecurity and crop protection space. These projects aim to improve the management of pests and diseases across the vegetable industry and increase the quality and quantity of resources available to Australian vegetable growers.

Our core focuses include biosecurity, sustainable production, and integrated pest management solutions.

AUSVEG also publishes ‘The Front Line’, a biosecurity bulletin to keep industry up to date with the latest biosecurity news, including upcoming workshops and events, research and development, and pest and disease alerts.

Stay updated on the latest biosecurity news, updates, pest alerts and events for free with AUVSEG’s Frontline biosecurity e-bulletin and AUSVEG’s dedicated biosecurity Twitter account @biosecurityveg.

Sign up to the Frontline biosecurity e-bulletin below:


Biosecurity

Biosecurity provides a mechanism for the vegetable industry, government, and other relevant stakeholders to actively determine pests of high priority, analyse the risks they pose and implement procedures to reduce the chance of pests becoming established.

AUSVEG is involved in a number of extension projects with a core biosecurity focus. These include:

Current projects:

Completed projects:

Pest management solutions

Pest management involves agrichemical, cultural and biological control for pests and diseases. Read more about crop information here.

Completed projects include:

AUSVEG Engagement & Extension team

Zarmeen Hassan | National Manager – Engagement & Extension

Zarmeen brings a wealth of experience across industry and the private sector to her work leading AUSVEG’s science and extension projects, including from previous roles with global organisations like Monsanto, FrieslandCampina, Reckitt Benckiser and Coca-Cola.

Zarmeen has extensive leadership experience, holding multiple roles managing teams and projects across a wide range of disciplines, including agriculture, marketing, communications, business and policy development.

Recently, she has spent time in Pakistan to develop transformative solutions for the agricultural sector, working with multiple stakeholders from industry, government, finance, growers, academia and donor agencies to forge public private partnerships for the development of the agriculture sector.

Rosalie Daniel | Biosecurity Framework Coordinator

Rose Daniel joined AUSVEG in 2023 to coordinate activities within the AusVeg Farm Biosecurity program.  Her role includes preparedness and implementation of best practices in farm hygiene against plant pests and representing vegetable and potato growers on biosecurity related matters.

Rose has a background in plant pathology research, plant biosecurity, development agriculture, project management, education and training.  Rose has been involved in preparedness, response, and management activities for a variety of endemic and exotic plant pests, including: Varroa mite and Polyphagous shot hole borer. She has worked across a number of sectors, both in Australia and overseas, including government, private industry, growers, international donor agencies and universities to improve plant health management options for horticulture.

Prior roles include technical manager and biosecurity for the apple and pear industries at Apple and Pear Australia, Plant Pathologist at NSW Department of Primary Industries, and Research Fellow at the University of Sydney.

Shakira Johnson | Farm Biosecurity Coordinator

Shakira Johnson is one of two Biosecurity Coordinators at AUSVEG, her role is focused on raising awareness of pests and pathogens not currently present, or recently arrived, in Australia that negatively impact the vegetables and potatoes industries.

Previously, Shakira coordinated thethe iMapPESTS RD&E program. Prior to her role in iMapPESTS, Shakira completed a case study on the application of an Area Freedom framework using the Tomato Potato Psyllid and AUSPestCheck to demonstrate the importance of evidence-based, data-driven decisions around the movement of plant products across state borders and international borders.

Shakira is skilled in strategic coordination of collaborative projects, research extension, and science communication.

An active member of the research and extension community, Shakira has a research background in molecular plant pathology. Given her breadth and depth of knowledge of the technical elements of surveillance and molecular diagnostics, as well as her project coordination and engagement experience in iMapPESTS, Shakira is well-placed to continue the legacy of strong collaboration and interaction between industry, government and research previously achieved in the AUSVEG Farm Biosecurity Program.

Cherry Emerick | Project Officer

Engagement and Extension team, Cherry Emerick. Project Officer for the AUSVEG extension component of the Hort Innovation-funded project Management strategy for serpentine leafminer, (Liriomyza huidobrensis) (MT20005).

This project has recently been expanded to include American serpentine leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii) and contains a much larger extension component which will be primarily focused on engagement with the vegetable, potatoes, and melons industries in the north of Australia.

More recently she has been the Senior Project Officer at the North Queensland Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management (NRM) on the Landholders Driving Change project.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role, including an understanding of northern agriculture.

Cherry has previously held the position of Industry Development Officer in North and Far North Queensland and been a part of national farming company with the last position held as an Operations Manager.

Engagement with local, state, and federal government has allowed her to build strong relationships over the years.

Danielle Park | VegNET Regional Development Officer

Danielle Park brings a wealth of experience from a wide range of agricultural industries to the role of VegNET Regional Development Officer, Victoria North, West and South-east.

Danielle has a background in agricultural science and has held several extension roles within private, not-for-profit and government organisations across 20 years. She has experience in supporting decision making in the areas of changing water infrastructure and seasonal climate information in dryland production systems.

Prior to commencing the VegNET role, Danielle had held the role of EnviroVeg Coordinator for two years with AUSVEG.

Grace Winkler | Onions Communications & Extension

Grace joined AUSVEG in March 2023 as an Engagement and Extension Officer after graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Agriculture majoring in plant and soil science in 2022. Prior to starting at AUSVEG, Grace worked on a variety of farms including orchards, greenhouses and a cattle station. Grace’s interests include gardening, riding horses and spending time with her dog Wombat.