Conditions were prime for the recent Dieback Working Group Green Card Training, where on-ground staff learned more about ins and outs of Phytophthora dieback.
The training session was developed with input from the Department of Parks and Wildlife and many other stakeholders including Dieback Interpreters and members of the Dieback Working Group Committee.
The day’s training involved a theory session where participants learnt about the nature of the disease, how it spreads, how it is managed and ran an overview of relevant guiding dcollaboraocuments.
Up next was the practical session where on-ground staff learnt the skills to follow signage and clean and inspect a vehicle for soil, animal and plant material, which was then followed on by a site visit where participants saw evidence of Phytophthora dieback and an example of its management.
Learning about Dieback
NACC staff learnt that the presence of Phytophthora Dieback is determined by observing deaths in plants that are considered susceptible to the disease.
Common susceptible plants include Jarrah, banksia, grass-trees, zamia palms and hakea species.
Arguably the best indicator species for Phytophthora Dieback in WA are the Banksia species. For a list of species of Western Australian natives susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi please visit Dieback Working Group’s website.
We also learnt that to manage Phytophthora dieback in bushland on your property, you need to avoid its introduction, minimise its spread over your property if it is present and treat infested areas with phosphite.
For a property with a significant area of bushland, the first step to successfully managing the disease is to know where it is and where it isn’t.
NACC’s Sustainable Agriculture Officer Callum Love said: “The Green Card Training was a great way to get the skills NACC staff need to manage our risk of spreading Phytophthora Dieback and also the knowledge to share with our local community.”
“We all love being out in the bush and on farms, but we don’t want to be spreading the problem. No we can have the tools at hand to Stop the Rot.”
For more information about Green Card Training please the Dieback Working Groups’s website.