APPS PORTAL
Biosecurity
Biosecurity represents a range of activities and measures to assist in preventing, responding to and recovering from pests and disease incursions. Measures can be implemented across a range of levels from international, national, state, regional, local and farm level. Australia has been fortunate in that previously its geography granted a level of isolation from the pests and diseases which affected foreign plant-based industries. This has now changed as faster and more accessible international trade and travel has increased the risk of exotic plant pest incursions.
The nursery industry is particularly at risk from biosecurity events given its broad geographic spread, the wide variety of crops grown, and the trade markets it engages in. Such events may not only put our own industry at risk but also other plant-based industries and the environment.
To enable industry preparedness in prevention, response and recovery from biosecurity events, GIA has adopted a proactive approach. Investment and attention have been expended on biosecurity. Examples include
- The development of the Australian Plant Production Standard (APPS) incorporating a dedicated Biosecurity plant protection program, BioSecure HACCP
- Development of pest fact sheets and contingency plans. Industry threat specific contingency plans have been developed for significant exotic plant pests to inform the development of response plans. These plans can be accessed HERE.
- Signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) and
- Active participation in various management and consultative committees.
This page has resources which have been developed to assist industry in meeting its biosecurity obligations.
Documents
| Title↕ | Description↕ | Updated↓ |
|---|---|---|
| Application of Fungicides [VIDEO] | Application of Fungicides [VIDEO] | 8 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Serpentine Leafminer | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Serpentine Leafminer | 8 Dec 2025 |
| Media release: Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer detected in Perth, Western Australia (12 December 2023) | The polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) was detected in the Perth metropolitan area in September 2021, found outside the initial PSHB quarantine zone established in Fremantle. The Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is taking immediate action in response to confirmed detections of the PSHB, an exotic beetle (at the time of writing, 12 December 2023). | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Media release: Another biosecurity hit for tomatoes: Tomato potato psyllid detected in Victoria: biosecurity alert for Australia’s horticulture industry (17 December 2024) | Growers in Victoria are being urged to keep an eye out for tomato potato psyllid (TPP; Bactericera cockerelli) following recent detection of the pest insect in the southwest of the state. The detection of the psyllid in a protected tomato cropping facility marks the first case outside Western Australia, where it was initially detected in 2017. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Sealing Leaking Dam 2011 | If you have a leaking dam what can you do about it? Depending on the particular situation there are a number of alternatives that can be used to minimise dam leakage. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Quality And Nutrients Nursery Paper 2002 | This Nursery Paper should be read in conjunction with the two accompanying Nursery Papers;‘Supplying crop nutrition through fertigation’, issue number 2002/12, and ‘Supplying crop nutrition through controlled release fertilisers’, issue number 2002/13. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Storage Management 2011 | Water Storage Management 2011 | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Preparedness Plan - Vegetable Leafminer | Preparedness Plan - Vegetable Leafminer | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Management Plan - Exotic Leafminers | Management Plan - Exotic Leafminers | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Testing irrigation water quality | Irrigation water quality is a critical factor for nursery container production. There are many factors which determine the quality of irrigation water, some of which include alkalinity, pH and the level of soluble salts. This fact sheet includes a discussion on the importance of water testing. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Testing Sterilisation Effectiveness 2011 | Good irrigation water quality is a keystone to producing quality nursery stock, and most water supplies requiresome form of treatment to make them suitable for nursery use. Water can be treated for four types of contaminates – particulate matter, pH, salts and pathogens. The following article discusses how to test for the effectiveness of treatments applied to kill or remove pathogens. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Testing Chlorine Levels In Irrigation Water 2009 | NIASA, the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia advocates a ‘free chlorine’ residual reading of 2ppm or 2mg/litre following at contact period of 20 minutes for the successful treatment of irrigation water. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Setting Up New Overhead Irrigation 2012 | Taking some time to plan the size and location of future growing areas, water storages, roadways and structures will save many dollars in capital and operational costs in the future. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Windbreaks Nursery Paper 1999 | Windbreaks, an investment in quality and profitability | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery BMP growing benches | Constructing production nursery growing benches to the standard recognised and encouraged under NIASA, the nursery industry best management practice (BMP) program, provides a range of significant benefits not always easily identified. The fact sheet offers some suggestions on managing growing benches for best results. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Retention Efficiency Of GM 2010 | Water retention efficiency (WRE) is a measure of the ability of a growing media to hold water applied from irrigation and this influences how long the irrigation must be run to wet up the media. An Australia wide survey has shown that the WRE of commercially available growing media varies considerably, and suggests that the choice of growing media can influence water consumption and the quantity of nutrient runoff produced from a sprinkler or drip irrigation system. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Property Planning 2010 | Property Planning 2010 | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Potting Labour Nursery Paper 2000 | Research into the labour costs associated with the potting process, funded by the Nursery Industry Association of Australia (NIAA), the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation (HRDC) and the QDPI, has revealed that many nurseries can reduce potting labour costs and increase profit margins by improving the efficiency of their potting production systems. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Plant Labeling Nursery Paper 2010 | Plant labelling – The first point of contact in knowing about the plant | 7 Dec 2025 |
| ACDC Legislation - Regulation [LINK] | AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS DISTRIBUTION CONTROL AMENDMENT REGULATION (No. 1) 2000 | 7 Dec 2025 |
| ACDC Legislation - Explanatory Note [LINK] | AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY CHEMICALS LEGISLATIONAMENDMENT BILL 2002 | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Whitefly | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Whitefly | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Thrips | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Thrips | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Soilborne Root Pathogens | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Soilborne Root Pathogens | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Scale Insects | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Scale Insects | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Mites | Pest and Disease Management Plan - Mites | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - HLB | Pest Contingency Plan - HLB | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Gypsy moth | Pest Contingency Plan - Gypsy moth | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Guava rust | Pest Contingency Plan - Guava rust | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Glassy winged sharpshooter | Pest Contingency Plan - Glassy winged sharpshooter | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Giant African Snail | Pest Contingency Plan - Giant African Snail | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Fireblight | Pest Contingency Plan - Fireblight | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Brown Marmorated Stink Bug | Pest Contingency Plan - Brown Marmorated Stink Bug | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest Contingency Plan - Aphid transmitted viruses | Pest Contingency Plan - Aphid transmitted viruses | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Nematodes | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Nematodes | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Two Spotted Mite | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Two Spotted Mite | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scarab Beetle | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scarab Beetle | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Leaf Beetles | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Leaf Beetles | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scale Insects: Hard and Soft Scale | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scale Insects: Hard and Soft Scale | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scale Insects | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Scale Insects | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Green Peach Aphid | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Green Peach Aphid | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Glassy Winged Sharpshooter | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Glassy Winged Sharpshooter | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Gall Producing Insects | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Gall Producing Insects | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Cycad Blue Butterfly | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Cycad Blue Butterfly | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Asian Citrus Psyllid | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Asian Citrus Psyllid | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Aphids | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Aphids | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Phytophthora ramorum | This fact sheet reviews the biology, host range, symptoms, distribution and potential impact of the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum on Australian greenlife production. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Fungal Leaf Spot | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Fungal Leaf Spot | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Phytophthora | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Phytophthora | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Gummy Stem Blight on Cucurbit Transplants | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Gummy Stem Blight on Cucurbit Transplants | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Dutch Elm Disease | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Dutch Elm Disease | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Downy Mildew | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Downy Mildew | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Colletotrichum | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Colletotrichum | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Alternaria | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Alternaria | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Pierces Disease | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Pierces Disease | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Huanglongbing (HLB) | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Huanglongbing (HLB) | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Fireblight | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Fireblight | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Bacteria | Pest and Disease Fact Sheet - Bacteria | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pest and Disease Management Plan - Myrtle Rust | This Myrtle Rust Management Plan has been developed by the Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland (John McDonald – Nursery Industry Development Manager) for theAustralian Nursery Industry. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| aaa N/GIA - Nursery Industry Minor Use Permits July 2021 | aaa N/GIA - Nursery Industry Minor Use Permits July 2021 | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Recycling Benefits Case Study 2012 | Benaraby Junction Nursery, located near Gladstone, is a production nursery supplying their own retail facility as well as landscaping projects in the region. Over a period of 21 years Colin Olsen and Judy Turner have implemented a number of water efficiency measures both prior to, and during the Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiative (RWUEI) project which have amounted to cost savings of $92000/annum. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Wild Valley Propagation: Building to Best Management Practice (BMP) | Wild Valley Propagation specialises in contract growing, producing a range of quality, sun hardened ornamentals, ground covers and grasses for production nurseries, landscapers and retail nurseries across the eastern states of Australia. This fact sheet describes the expansion plans of the business and its improvements in irrigation and water management with the use of an Irrigation, Drainage & Energy Management Plan (IDEMP), developed through the the RWUE-IF initiative. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Use Nursery Paper 2006 | How do the new water rules affect your business? | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water balance | Water quality and quantity is essential for nursery production to facilitate the growing of healthy crops in a reasonable time frame. Water conservation and crop water use are discussed in this fact sheet. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Selecting an overhead sprinkler | One of the key factors for an overhead irrigation system to continue to operate effectively and efficiently for many years, is the careful selection of the sprinkler. The sprinkler selected is a crucial part of having a system that operates to industry Best Management Practice (BMP), but is only part of the puzzle to be put together to ensure many years of comparatively trouble free operation.The steps involved in selecting the appropriate sprinkler are outlined in this fact sheet. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Scheduling Irrigation Using Evaporation Pan 2009 | An evaporation pan is one relatively simple method of obtaining reliable and consistent information on evaporation that can be used to aid grower irrigation scheduling decisions. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Use Efficiency Case Study 2012 | Improving Water Use Efficiency – A case study | 7 Dec 2025 |
| General Pest Control Nursery Paper 2004 | Nursery crops are extremely vulnerable to pestand disease incursions, resulting in anything from retarded crop growth to plant death.And keeping in mind it is likely that up to a 20% reduction in crop growth will go undetected, without an optimal growthcomparison, prevention will always be better and more profitable than cure. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| IPM Management Plan - Western Flower Thrips | IPM Management Plan - Western Flower Thrips | 7 Dec 2025 |
| IPM Management Plan - Scale Insects | IPM Management Plan - Scale Insects | 7 Dec 2025 |
| IPM Management Plan - Mites | IPM Management Plan - Mites | 7 Dec 2025 |
| IPM Management Plan - Fungus Gnats | IPM Management Plan - Fungus Gnats | 7 Dec 2025 |
| IPM Management Plan - Aphids | IPM Management Plan - Aphids | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Water Filtration For Irrigation 2012 | Filtration is an essential component within an efficient and effective nursery irrigation system. It is vitally important that filtration systems intended to operate in nursery production are designed by a professional to ensure the end product performs as required. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Slow Sand Filtration 2012 | Slow Sand Filtration Design, Construction and Use | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Slow flow filtration design, construction and use | When compared to other disinfestationmethods, slow flow filtration (SFF) systemscan be constructed from a variety ofcomponents without specialist skills beingrequired. This fact sheet discusses SFF design, construction and use. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Screen Filtration 2013 | Screen or mesh filters are popular because they are relatively inexpensive, versatile, easy to install, simple to use, have options for semi or fully automated cleaning, and are compact in size when compared to other filter types. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Preparation Checklist - Heatwave | Nursery Preparation Checklist - Heatwave | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Preparation Checklist - Frost | Nursery Preparation Checklist - Frost | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Preparation Checklist - Flood | Nursery Preparation Checklist - Flood | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Preparation Checklist - Cyclone and Severe Wind | Nursery Preparation Checklist - Cyclone and Severe Wind | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Preparation Checklist - Bushfire | Nursery Preparation Checklist - Bushfire | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Implementing Plant Protection Programs | Implementing Plant Protection Programs | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Tree Ferns (Cyathea Spp.): Reproductive Versus Fungal Spores | This fact sheet compares the reproductive spores of the plant with the fungal spores that cause the disease tar spot. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nursery Paper – Nursery Production Pest Monitoring, Inspection And Surveillance Methodology (Version July 2015 Issue No.6) | In 2013 NGIA commissioned a project to investigate statistically valid systems and protocols for on-farm monitoring, inspection and surveillance for pests of biosecurity concern within production nurseries. The project, completed in 2014, has investigated national and international information and systems and has developed recommended monitoring, inspection and surveillance protocols that have the highest probability of success | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Tree ferns (Cyathea spp.): reproductive versus fungal spores | Tree ferns belonging to the genus Cyathea are very large ferns with tall trunks and they are native to eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. This fact sheet compares the reproductive spores of the plant with the fungal spores that cause the disease tar spot. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Case Study - Trandos Hydroponic Growers, Pest Free Production | Case Study - Trandos Hydroponic Growers, Pest Free Production | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Case Study - Quality breed success at Touchwood Nursery | Case Study - Quality breed success at Touchwood Nursery | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Case Study - Success starts with a clean source, Eyles Citrus | Case Study - Success starts with a clean source, Eyles Citrus | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Comparison of Water Disinfestation systems | Comparison of Water Disinfestation systems | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Cylindrocladium Nursery Paper 2012 | This nursery paper provides an overview of the fungus Cylindrocladium and how to prevent and control this disease of nursery plants. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Nematodes in Nurseries Fact Sheet 2015 | Nematodes are a diverse group of microscopic, nonsegmented round worms that are tapered at each end. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Scale Insect Fact Sheet 2015 | This factsheet covers the biology of the most common species likely to be encountered in a production nurseries in Australia, (i.e. Coccidae, Margarodidae and Eriococcidae). | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Powdery Mildew Fact Sheet 2015 | Powdery mildew is a widespread and important disease of many nursery plants and ornamentals. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Downy Mildew Fact Sheet 2015 | Downy mildews are obligate plant parasites that attack a wide range of plants and are responsible for some of the world's most destructive plant diseases. They also cause considerable losses to the nursery production of ornamental and vegetable seedlings. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Cycad Blue Butterfly Fact Sheet 2015 | Cycad blue butterfly, Theclinesthes onycha, is actually represented by two sub-species that are very similar in appearance. This fact sheet provides information about this species identification and management. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Biosecurity Manual for the Nursery Production Industry | Biosecurity Manual for the Nursery Production Industry | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Pythium Species: A Constant Threat To Nursery Production | This fact sheet considers Pythium recognition and detection, life cycle, symptoms, spread, management and biosecurity issues. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Bacterial Leaf Scorch: A Nursery Industry Biosecurity Threat | Bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, a slow-growing bacterium that blocks xylem and produces water stress symptoms. | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Asian Citrus Psyllid Fact Sheet 2013 | Asiatic citrus psyllid - a biosecurity threat | 7 Dec 2025 |