EDITION 2 | DECEMBER 2022
Know your network
The National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network is the nationally integrated network for plant diagnosticians in Australia.
Our initiatives:
- Professional development
- Diagnostic Residential Program
- Annual diagnostician's workshops
- National Diagnostics Protocols
- Proficiency testing
- Tropical diagnosis
National Diagnostic Protocol Webinar
On 23 November 2022, the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) held a member webinar explaining how National Diagnostic Protocols (NDPs) are developed and how they are used to improve Australia’s ability to identify plant biosecurity threats.
Future events
The following events and activities will be delivered in 2023 for network members, with calls to participate and EOI advertised on the NPBDN website.
- Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop – May 2023
- Call for Diagnostics Residential Program – July 2023
- Webinar 2 – date TBC
- Skills development workshops - date TBC
- EOI for verification and review in early 2023 for the plant pests: Cotton leaf curl begomovirus, Ceratocystis species (Mango disease etc), Tilletia indica (Karnal bunt)
- Draft National Diagnostic Protocols that have been submitted include Xylella spp., Xanthomonas fragariae and Grapevine Red Blotch Virus.
Manuals available for the identification of Miridae and Lygaeoidea
Two free manuals are now available to help the identification of Australian plant bugs of economic importance (Miridae: Heteroptera) and Lygaeoidea (Heteroptera).
Career profiles
This month we highlight the career journey of Benjamin Schwessinger, a Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University (ANU), and Karen Kirkby a Plant Pathologist at New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI).
Benjamin Schwessinger
What advice would you give anyone starting or changing their career?
Benjamin: “That is a tough question really. I think so much is luck, privilege, serendipity, and finding the right supporters. The latter two one can kind of influence and I suggest to focus on these.
Find people that support you and carry you along when you need it and allow you to do the same for them. Else breed opportunity whenever you can.”
Karen Kirkby
What advice would you give anyone starting or changing their career?
Karen: “Take every opportunity to develop your network and skills. Attend training whenever there is an opportunity and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something. Know your own skills and capability gaps and work on those and the rest will come with experience.”
Vacancies
The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is recruiting Biosecurity Officers. For more information visit DAFF website.
Plant Health Australia will be closed from COB Wednesday 21 December 2022 and reopen on Wednesday 4 January 2023.
