Accurate identification of plant pests, pathogens and weeds is crucial
to implementing proper management strategies for the problems that they cause. This is particularly
relevant when considering integrated pest, weed and disease management. AFBI retains skilled personnel
who are trained and experienced in entomology, plant pathology and plant identification.
Often, a pest, disease or weed problem is presented as a sample collected from a
crop or product. Typically, these are then assigned to the relevant laboratory for identification, ensuring
that all samples are properly labelled and logged for traceability.
The wide range of problems presented necessitates many diagnostic techniques. These
include consultations with growers or plant health inspectors to assess the source and symptoms of the
problem, expert laboratory examination of samples and high-level molecular tools for species and strain
identification. The results of these procedures are then brought together to provide practical answers
to the problems concerned.
