Agriculture Victoria is offering free assessments of fruit and vegetable samples for guava root knot nematode (Meloidogyne enterolobii) to horticulture producers in an effort to rule out the presence of this highly pathogenic nematode species in Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria Senior Diagnostician Chantelle Girgan said guava root knot nematode (GRKN), a plant-parasitic roundworm, is a concern for horticulture producers because of its rapid spread globally.
'GRKN is primarily found in tropical regions and was first detected in Australia in 2022 in the Northern Territory and Queensland; however, we're trying to work out if it is present elsewhere in Australia,' Dr Girgan said.
Senior Diagnostician Chantelle Girgan
'It's important that we establish the status of this pest and where it's located to support growers with management decisions.'
The pest can infect a wide range of fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant and chilli, cabbage, bok choy and pak choy, melons, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins, and snake and soy bean.
Signs of a GRKN infection include galling ranging from one or 2 wart-like lumps to extremely lumpy roots and. in tuber vegetables, blemishes or cracks.
Crop Health Services
If growers suspect they have root knot nematodes in their crops, they should submit a root and soil sample to Agriculture Victoria's Crop Health Services for a free diagnosis and report, including a basic soil health analysis.
Send root samples in approximately 50 g of surrounding soil in a plastic ziplock bag and cover the sample with an extra bag for protection.
Fill in a Crop Health Services sample submission form at https://go.vic.gov.au/49U9TcD and send the sample to:
AgriBio Specimen Reception
Main Loading Dock
5 Ring Road
La Trobe University
What you need to know
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If growers suspect they have root knot nematodes in their crops, they should submit a root and soil sample to Agriculture Victoria's Crop Health Services for a free diagnosis and report, including a basic soil health analysis.
Where this fits
The further produce travels, the more compromise is involved, which is why local supply still shapes menus in ways that price alone cannot explain.
What to remember
- Agriculture Victoria is offering free assessments of fruit and vegetable samples for guava root knot nematode (Meloidogyne enterolobii) to horticulture producers in an effort to rule out the presence of this highly pathogenic nematode species in Victoria
- Agriculture Victoria Senior Diagnostician Chantelle Girgan said guava root knot nematode (GRKN), a plant-parasitic roundworm, is a concern for horticulture producers because of its rapid spread globally
- 'GRKN is primarily found in tropical regions and was first detected in Australia in 2022 in the Northern Territory and Queensland; however, we're trying to work out if it is present elsewhere in Australia,' Dr Girgan said
- The pest can infect a wide range of fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant and chilli, cabbage, bok choy and pak choy, melons, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins
- Signs of a GRKN infection include galling ranging from one or 2 wart-like lumps to extremely lumpy roots and. in tuber vegetables, blemishes or cracks
Questions worth asking
What should you know about Crop Health Services?
Fill in a Crop Health Services sample submission form at https://go.vic.gov.au/49U9TcD and send the sample to.
Why does it matter?
Agriculture Victoria Senior Diagnostician Chantelle Girgan said guava root knot nematode (GRKN), a plant-parasitic roundworm, is a concern for horticulture producers because of its rapid spread globally.
In short
As always in the produce section, the gap between what gets announced and what actually reaches people is where the real story will be decided.