BIOSECURITY
iMapPESTS SEN T I N E L AT S U N I TAF E S U C KS S P O R ES F O R A CAU S E
A new technology that could significantly improve the speed and accuracy at which high priority pests are detected is currently being tested at Sunraysia’s SuniTAFE SMART Farm.
able to generate reports providing
The sentinels could be of particular
actionable information to growers,
benefit to viticulture as they monitor
agronomists, and governments
levels of botrytis bunch rot and
for any region in which it operates.
powdery mildew spores. Over time,
This information could assist in
these results could potentially be
coordinating cross-industry responses
combined with weather data and used
to exotic pest and disease incursions.
to predict the level of disease pressure
It’s called a sentinel and it aims to
SuniTAFE, automatically collects and
However, the project does not solely
simply the monitoring of airborne
labels samples of insects and spores
monitor for pests and diseases,
pests and disease through the
from the surrounding environment
but also beneficial insects and
automated collection of insects and
and stores them for analysis. These
biodiversity. AVR has developed a high
fungal spores.
samples are then sent to SARDI and
throughput diagnostic process, based
Developed by the South Australian
Agriculture Victoria Research (AVR)
on a technology called metabarcoding,
Research and Development Institute
to be screened for high priority pests.
that can identify an enormous range
(SARDI), the sentinels are part of a
Once analysed, the data can be used
of insects. These include valuable
large multistakeholder project called
by industry to guide the direction or
predators, such as lacewings and
iMapPESTS. Still in its development
intensity of scouting efforts and pest
ladybugs, and parasitoid wasps. This
phase, iMapPESTS will eventually be
management activities.
information could be used to assist in
30 VINE MAGAZINE
Sentinel 4, currently installed at
faced in a vineyard.
