PROTECT
Biosecurity Watch Constellation staff raising biosecurity awareness. JIM HERDMAN
AS FEATURED in last month’s Winepress, New Zealand Winegrowers has recently produced some new biosecurity resources to assist members with biosecurity awareness and planning for their vineyards. The resources include a Vineyard Biosecurity Plan template, a Vineyard Biosecurity Guidelines for Best Practice flip chart, a Vineyard Biosecurity Pest and Disease Identification Guide, a Notice to Contractors template and a Biosecurity Sign template. The resources have been designed to make it easier for vineyard managers and owners to protect their vineyards from biosecurity threats - both overseas threats, and threats that already exist in New Zealand. They are also designed to broaden awareness and knowledge of biosecurity issues among industry members. Gemma Woolley works for Constellation Brands as their sustainability coordinator here in Marlborough and is working with Constellation staff to raise biosecurity awareness within the wider team. She has recently received 17 packs of the new New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) biosecurity resources to distribute to vineyard managers. I sat down with Gemma and her colleagues, Jeff Sinnott (national technical viticulturist), and Stephen Bradley (head of viticulture) to discuss how they might use the information. Constellation vineyard in Awatere Valley
Stephen said there needed to be an emphasis on education and early detection of new pests and diseases, emphasising the importance of keeping an eye out for the most unwanted. The training material included in the pack (the Vineyard Biosecurity Guidelines for Best Practice flip chart, and the Vineyard Biosecurity Pest and Disease Identification Guide) would enable them to raise awareness among Constellation staff and contractors working in the vineyards. He also liked the idea of being able to design their biosecurity plan around risk. As an example, Constellation Brands have experience dealing with biosecurity controls in place in their Awatere vineyards where Chilean needle grass (CNG) is present, so they already have strict protocols in place. Extra vigilance is required in cleaning down machinery and vehicles coming out of the Blind River area due to the CNG controls. However, there is currently less biosecurity risk associated with machinery movement between Constellation vineyards in the Wairau Valley, so the clean down protocol does not need to be as stringent. Stephen liked the idea of having levels of risk similar to the Covid levels we now are all familiar with: where the biosecurity risk is higher, stronger interventions need to be in place to manage those risks. This kind of approach can be documented in the new biosecurity plan template. Stephen also acknowledged the need for some type of contractor awareness and the need to include some sort of documentation when contractors were engaged. The Notice to Contractor template included in the biosecurity resource pack can be edited to suit each vineyard’s individual circumstances. Jeff sees biosecurity as fundamental in good vineyard management. He also sees awareness as one of the main ways to prevent a prolonged serious biosecurity incursion. Having family involved in the kiwifruit business, he was
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL
CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT . Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 28 / Winepress September 2020
