by Judy Bellati, former South Australian Grains Biosecurity Officer
Farm biosecurity and integrated pest management (IPM) complement each other and many of their practices overlap.
While they have different focuses both farm biosecurity and IPM aim to protect crop health, often using whole of farm and integrated approaches to crop production and storage management.
Farm biosecurity is a set of practices and activities which prevent, minimise and control the introduction and spread of plant pests onto and around a property. In contrast, IPM primarily involves strategically using practices to control a pest that is present in a cropping system or poses an imminent threat.
Both heavily rely on planning and an understanding of pests that are present in or threaten a cropping system including how they may be introduced and spread.
Developing a relevant plan for your farm will ensure you implement farm biosecurity and IPM practices in an organised and consistent way. For example, a good plan will ensure that you are able to keep production areas and equipment clean and use basic practices to prevent the movement of pests and diseases getting into the production zones on-farm.
Within IPM programs preventative practices make up most management strategies which can be used to help mitigate the use of applying a control or treatment. So, it is no surprise that many IPM strategies are synonymous with biosecurity best practice. For example, both require practices such as: systematic monitoring for pests; record keeping; inspecting farm inputs; implementing hygiene measures; quarantining; controlling green bridges; managing crop debris; and controlling the movement of people, equipment and vehicles through production zones on your property.
Modern farming relies on a more integrated pest, disease and weed management approach that will include strict biosecurity protocols to mitigate the risk of them entering your property in the first place.
This is a good thing because prevention is cheaper than treatment. Steps required to put in place preventative biosecurity measures, like keeping it clean and reducing the movement of people, vehicles and equipment, often don’t require major capital investment and can be implemented through a change of mindset and management