Graduate Certificate in Plant Biosecurity

(4 UNITS, 1 SEMESTER FULL-TIME STUDY)

Graduate attributes (= expected learning outcomes) for award:

Technical

• Knowledge and understanding of plant biosecurity at levels that are internationally recognised and at the highest level of industry requirement, specifically, the ability to:
  • identify emergency plant pests (EPPs) and associate them with likely import pathways and hosts
  • implement surveillance, detection, triage diagnosis and reporting of EPPs
  • effectively develop and implement plant biosecurity procedures and regulations if delegated to, and/or employed to do so by an appropriate regulatory body
  • proficiently use appropriate technologies within a plant biosecurity context.

Generic

• Ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from scientific and regulatory sources, and apply effective solutions to problems within changing contexts
• Acquisition of the capacity to learn and maintain commitment to continuous learning in order to maintain the professional standards required for plant biosecurity
• Commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour
• Capacity to communicate effectively and to work both independently and cooperatively

Unit requirements:

PICK two from the first three units that cover pest biology:

1. Biosecurity Plant Pests - Invertebrates

• Introduction to major groups of invertebrate pests (insects, mites, molluscs, nematodes)
• Biology and Life-cycles
• Host/Pest/Environment interactions

Successful students will be able to:

1. identify broad categories of invertebrate organisms (at various life stages) that may become emergency plant pests;
2. associate key emergency plant pests with their likely import pathways and hosts;
3. explain pest/host/environment interactions and their implications for biosecurity.

2. Biosecurity Plant Pests - Pathogens

• Introduction to major groups of plant pathogens (oomycetes, fungi, phytoplasmas, bacteria, viruses)
• Biology and Life-cycles
• Host/Pathogen/Environment interactions

Successful students will be able to:

1. identify broad categories of pathogens (at various life stages) that may become emergency plant pests
2. associate key emergency plant pathogens with their likely import pathways and hosts
3. explain pathogen/host/environment interactions and their implications for biosecurity.

3. Biosecurity Plant Pests - Weeds

• Definition of 'weed'Biology and Life-cyclesWeed/Environment interactions

Successful students will be able to:

1. identify broad categories of weeds (at various life stages) that may become emergency plant pests
2. associate key weeds with their likely import pathways
3. explain competitive and environmental interactions and their implications for biosecurity.

4. Detection and Diagnostics

• Decision making tools: inspection, control
• Surveillance Technologies: sampling methods, surveys/monitoring, surveillance science
• Diagnostic Technologies: microscopy/molecular/biochemical/etc diagnostics, introduction to multiple characters
• Certified diagnostic laboratoriesReporting Tools/Information Management/Databases and Networks
• Pest Free Areas
• Import and Export

Successful students will be able to:

1. design appropriate surveillance strategies and select suitable monitoring tools
2. conduct triage diagnoses
3. choose the most appropriate test for particular emergency plant pests,and
4. implement appropriate reporting procedures.

5. Plant Biosecurity in practice

• Plant biosecurity within the broader context of human, veterinary and environmental regulatory health issues.
• International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM)
• Phytosanitary Measures: underlying theoretical principles, pre-emptive (plant breeding, off-shore measures), pre border / post border, transparency/communication
• The Drivers: market access/export certification; crop sustainability and amenity preservation
• The Plant Biosecurity Continuum:
  • Pre-border (off-shore management options; Risk Assessment including risk analysis, categorisation of pests, industry priorities, likelihoods and consequences, Import Risk Assessments [IRAs], risk management)
  • Border (containment facilities; logistics of inspection and surveillance; import and inspection compliance, monitoring and surveillance)
  • Post-border (Pre-emptive planning including contingency planning, Emergency Response Plans, e.g. Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed [EPPRD; PLANTPLAN], eradication, control/management; detection; surveillance)

Successful students will be able to:

1. understand the contextual framework required for effective plant biosecurity practice;interpret, and
2. within the appropriate regulatory framework apply, plant health regulations in relation to market access (import and export).