A NEW toolkit for farmers on the Northern Adelaide Plains will help battle pest and disease pressures to increase on-farm productivity.
The Greenhouse Biosecurity Toolkit includes targeted pest information for greenhouse growers about established and new pest threats including greenhouse white fly, vegetable leafminer, root knot nematodes, cucumber green mottle mosaic virus and aphids.
Primary Industries Minister David Basham said the toolkit was available for growers on the Northern Adelaide Plains to better identify and manage pests and diseases.
"This Government recognises the importance of investing in biosecurity to support our farmers against emerging threats of pests and diseases," he said.
"When it comes to biosecurity it is vital to stay alert and keep improving farm management practices.
"This toolkit will help growers to implement relevant biosecurity practices to prevent the entry and reduce spread of pests and diseases in greenhouses.
"Having a farm biosecurity plan will enable growers to train and educate their workforce about good farm hygiene practices.
"During International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021, it's important to think about how farmers manage plant health and maintain vigilance."
Vegetable production on the Northern Adelaide Plains generated a revenue of $325 million in 2018-19.
Northern Adelaide Plains farmer Thang Hoang Le said he recognised the benefits of good biosecurity practices on farm.
"The toolkit is great as a guideline to help farmers that speak English as a second language get up-to-date news and information about biosecurity in SA," he said.
The Toolkit is available online and in print at ausvegs.com.au/programs
The toolkit was developed as part of the 'Clean Your Farm' initiative instigated in 2018 and was produced in a collaboration between AUSVEG SA and the state government.
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