Renewed funding for plant biosecurity research

Hort Innovation welcomes the announcement of the Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative program renewal.

This week, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud backed the future for plant health research in Australia with the announcement that funding for the Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) will be renewed in 2020, The International Year of Plant Health.

The PBRI members signed a collaboration agreement for a further three years to coordinate and support plant biosecurity research in Australia. The partnership includes Australia’s seven plant Research and Development Corporations, Plant Health Australia and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

PBRI Program Director Dr Jo Luck said “This announcement is a green light to continue to build on the important work  the PBRI has achieved through the collaboration of the RDCs with Plant Health Australia and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment”.

“We look forward to continuing to address the big issues affecting the biosecurity of Australia’s plant industries using world-class science and innovation”.

“The PBRI has been refunded in the UN-declared 2020 International Year of Plant Health, so we will continue to play a central role in promoting the global message of ‘Protecting Plants, Protecting Lives’ across Australia”

Since its inception in 2017, the PBRI has coordinated the funding of ten collaborative projects with a total value of $50 million, to support stronger biosecurity.

“In three years, we have coordinated investment of over $50 million, supporting biosecurity research for high priority pest threats such as Xylella, which affects over 500 plant species, Fall armyworm and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug” she said.

Large cross-sectoral biosecurity projects supported through the PBRI members include:

• The PBRI Program- Phase I and II
• IMAPpests - A national cross-industry surveillance project to monitor and report on the presence of airborne pests and diseases affecting horticulture, grains, cotton, sugar, wine, and forest plantations
• Improving diagnostics to better prepare Horticulture Industries to detect Xylella fastidiosa and a new Xylella coordinator position to create awareness for industry on the number one biosecurity threat for Wine and Horticulture industries
• Review of the biosecurity plan and manual for the viticulture industry
• Improving plant industry access to new genetics through faster and more accurate diagnostics using next generation sequencing
• Area Wide Management for cropping systems weeds, investigating the weed management, social and economic opportunity
• Boosting national diagnostic capacity for plant production industries
• Biannual plant biosecurity RD&E symposium
• Novel detection methods for brown marmorated stink bug
• International Year of Plant Health 2020 launch and events co-ordination
• Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) signed to support international collaboration with Better Border Biosecurity NZ and Euphresco
• Podcast for fall armyworm management in northern farming systems.

To find out more about PBRI visit: https://www.pbri.com.au/

Or to stay up to date with International Year of Plant Health activities visit: https://planthealthyear.org.au/