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Foot-and-mouth disease
Flooding, storms and bushfires can leave lasting impacts on grain properties well after the immediate danger has passed. Alongside damaged infrastructure and disrupted operations, severe weather can also introduce new biosecurity risks.
Extreme weather can move soil, plant material, pests and weeds in unexpected ways. Water, wind, livestock and recovery activities can all contribute to the spread of biosecurity risks between paddocks and neighbouring properties. Taking a few practical steps during recovery can help reduce longer-term impacts on crop production.
Check your property before returning to normal operations
Once it is safe to return, take time to assess biosecurity risks before resuming normal activities.
Inspect paddocks, access tracks and storage areas for deposited soil, plant material or debris that may carry pests or weeds. Pay close attention to gateways, fence lines, water flow paths and low-lying areas where material may have collected.
Before planting or moving machinery back into affected areas, check for unfamiliar weeds, unusual crop symptoms or pest activity.
Regular monitoring is one of the most effective ways to detect problems early. Use a pest surveillance record to help track what you observe over time.
Clean down machinery, vehicles and equipment
Recovery often involves increased movement of machinery, contractors and support vehicles between properties.
Clean machinery and equipment before entering and leaving your property, especially tyres, undercarriages and harvesting equipment. Remove soil and plant material using wash-down areas where possible.
If contractors are assisting with recovery, make biosecurity expectations clear before work begins. Use the Visitor Biosecurity Risk Assessment Tool to help manage these risks.
Where possible:
Monitor crops and stored grain closely
Wet conditions and plant stress following severe weather can favour pest and disease development.
Increase crop monitoring during recovery and early regrowth stages. Look for unusual symptoms, patchy growth or unexpected pest activity. Follow the advice in the crop monitoring fact sheet and the stored grain monitoring booklet.
Record and report anything unusual
If you notice anything unusual or see something that could be a suspected exotic pest, call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. Early reporting increases the chance of effective control, minimising the spread and long-term impact on your farm.
If you find an unusual pest:
Use recovery as an opportunity to improve biosecurity
Rebuilding after a severe weather event is challenging, but it can also be an opportunity to reduce future risks.
When repairing or replacing infrastructure, consider whether changes could improve farm layout and biosecurity. This might include repositioning fences, improving water flow management, separating high-traffic areas from production zones, or establishing designated delivery and visitor areas.
Some growers use recovery works to introduce practical improvements such as machinery wash-down areas, clearer access points, quarantine paddocks or better laneways between production zones.
Recovery is often a long process. Use this opportunity to review your farm biosecurity arrangements. Download the Biosecurity Manual for Grain Producers and use the Farm Biosecurity Plan for Grain Producers template.
For further information and support, contact your local GBO.
This article was originally published on the Grains Farm Biosecurity website.
Launched in 2007, the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program (GFBP) is managed by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by growers through Grain Producers Australia (GPA). The GFBP is an initiative to improve the management of, and preparedness for, biosecurity risks in the grains industry at the farm and industry levels.
