Recent Work
Dutch Elm Disease Management - Auckland, New Zealand
Dutch elm disease (DED) is a vascular disease of elm trees (Ulmus spp.) caused by the fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. This fungus is usually carried by Scolytid elm bark beetles.
Chatham Islands Biosecurity and Quarantine
SPS Biosecurity has developed biosecurity and quarantine systems to protect islands and high value areas from pests. This programme has been successfully implemented for the Chatham Islands where it has now been actively managed for over 10 years. The approach has also provided the template for protecting other significant island nature reserves internationally, including biosecurity and quarantine guidelines for a significant number of ACAP island breeding sites for albatross and petrels.
Surveys for new pests at 'high risk' sites
Intensive inspections of over 7,000 fixed transects are used to detect new pests at high risk locations, parks and sentinel trees in New Zealand. SPS Biosecurity provides the field surveillance for this programme, requiring staff to maintain high levels of expertise in plant and pest identification.
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/surv-mgmt/surv/high-risk
Key programme clients and partners are Ministry for Primary Industries, AsureQuality Ltd and Scion Research.
Paropsine beetle Wellington, New Zealand
SPS Biosecurity provided advice and delimitation surveys for the Ministry for Primary Industries after the Australian eucalyptus pest Paropsisterna beata was found in Upper Hutt near Wellington. The adult beetles and larvae feed on the foliage of eucalyptus. An eradication programme was initiated by MPI and consequently the pest has now been eradicated.
Genoese & Nadi Bay Herbs: Market Access and Biosecurity risk management programme - Fiji
Genoese is a Pesto food business based in New Zealand which imports fresh basil into New Zealand from Fiji. SPS Biosecurity is providing advice and technical support for Market Access and a Biosecurity risk management programme.
Plantation forestry biosecurity audit and review - NSW - Australia
SPS Biosecurity Ltd was selected to provide specialist technical audit services to O’Connor Marsden. Forestry Corporation NSW manages over 230,000 hectares of softwood plantations producing 3.6 million tonnes of softwood log products annually with a combined value of around $200m(AUD).
Pest management and spoilage reduction in the food supply chain - Libya
SPS Biosecurity worked with the former Libyan Government on a programme to reduce spoilage to fresh produce occurring between the places of production and market. Despite being of very high quality, up to 40% spoilage was occurring, primarily due to rodents.
Biological control project - Chile
A collaborative project with Servicio Agricola Y Ganadero (SAG) in Chile has seen SPS Biosecurity called on to provide collections of live insect parasites of the Sirex wood wasp to send to Chile and Argentina.