Territory Stories

Annual Report 1989-1990 Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

Details:

Title

Annual Report 1989-1990 Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

Other title

Tabled Paper 41

Collection

Tabled Papers for 6th Assembly 1990 - 1994; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT

Date

1990-12-06

Description

Deemed

Notes

Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.

Language

English

Subject

Tabled papers

File type

application/pdf

Use

Copyright

Copyright owner

See publication

License

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00044

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/307335

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/345504

Page content

the Scheme. A disease diagnostic and advisory service was maintained for the nursery industry. More recently, meetings with the industry have investigated future direc tions for the Scheme and ways of promoting it. Chemical Registration for Disease Control Now that the NT Chemical Registration Scheme is in operation, it is essential that only registered chemicals are recommended for disease control. Plant Pathology section has taken on the role of identifying instances where needed chemicals have not yet been registered. Such deficiencies are then referred to the Pesticides Registrar. If chemicals fulfil the requirements for local use, registration is completed. A questionnaire was designed and has been sent to NT nurseries to determine present pesticide usage and deficiencies in the range of registered pesticides currently available. Quarantine Plant Pathology involvement in quarantine comprises inspectorial and diagnostic services and provision of specialist advice for quarantine policy at the local and federal levels. Activities of special interest during the year included quarantine of date palms at Katherine and surveys of Heliconia properties. Date palms imported from California USA require inspection every 1 to 2 months during their quarantine period at Katherine. This service has been provided since their arrival in November 1989. In late 1989, an exotic disease was detected in Heliconias in Queensland. The disease is caused by the same bacterium that causes the serious Moko disease in bananas. It was detected in Heliconias imported from Hawaii. This necessitated inspections of Heliconias in the NT, some of which had originated from the same nursery in Hawaii. Fortunately the inspections revealed no sign of disease. 6. CHEMISTRY The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) which is expected to markedly increase the output of soil and plant analysis, particularly plant analysis, was commissioned and is currently used to analyse boron in plant and soils, and calcium, magnesium and sulphur in soils. Unfortunately there were unavoidable delays in its development through the pilots strike, and malfunction of a high solids nebuliser. Plant analysis development is expected to be completed early in 1990/91. Al least 3000 samples are in backlog. The laboratory is being upgraded for the purpose of improved safety. Work began in January 1990 and is still continuing, this has caused considerable disruption and inconvenience. Fume cupboards, safety showers, eye-washes and fire safety are principal objectives.