The iMapPESTS team has recently deployed its mobile surveillance unit Sentinel 4 to Horsham, Victoria, where it is monitoring high priority pests and diseases which affect both grains and vegetables.
In addition to providing valuable information on pests and diseases, the team will be screening the insect trap samples using a high-throughput metabarcoding technique, enabling identification of targets of biosecurity importance.
They’ll also will be documenting the diversity of insects around this monitoring site, focusing on the presence of beneficial insects, to learn more about the biodiversity of insect populations in the region. The results will be shared via the data dashboard on the iMapPESTS website here.
Project background
iMapPESTS: Sentinel Surveillance for Agriculture is a research project aimed at boosting on-farm pest management through rapid and accurate monitoring and reporting of airborne pests and diseases that affect our crops.
The project is led by Hort Innovation, through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program, with contributions from 17 partner organisations.
Find out more and view results of previous trials here.
