Field days, trial inspections and crop tours provide growers, agricultural professionals and extension workers with the opportunity to learn about new farming techniques, technologies and varieties.

However, these events also pose potential biosecurity risks due to the movement of people, machinery, vehicles and other materials. Human-assisted movement is the main way that pests and disease are spread.

In preparing field day events, it is important to consider biosecurity risks.

Key risks include introducing pests or diseases, or visitors taking a pest or disease back to their property and spreading pests or diseases throughout a district. Visitors, growers and event organisers all have a duty of care to reduce biosecurity risks.

Simple practices include foot baths at entry and exit points, keeping a register of all attendees, and making sure vehicles, equipment and machinery moving on-farm and off-farm are clean.

For example, when machinery is moved for demonstration purposes, it is crucial to perform thorough clean-down procedures before moving between sites. This includes cleaning wheels, tyres, front grills and floor mats where seed, plant material and soil can collect. Having a dustpan and brush to clean the inside of the cabin, wheel arches and general exterior is also useful and can form part of a vehicle biosecurity kit for on-the-go hygiene.

Any movement of equipment through green crops also poses a threat as it can facilitate the spread of diseases such as rust, along with other fungal diseases, bacteria and soil pathogens. A simple wash-down with water or non-hazardous disinfectant can effectively limit the spread of pests and diseases.

Attendees, especially those from interstate and overseas, should ensure their clothing and footwear are clean, as fungal spores can survive on these materials for many days.

Adopting a ‘come clean, go clean’ philosophy for the movement of machinery, products, livestock and people is an effective protection strategy.

Also consider the following measures:

• Messaging – ensure a strong biosecurity message that outlines best practices for attendees to follow, such as arriving with clean footwear and clothing, is included in event communications.
• Tracking attendance – keep a register of attendees to assist in tracing contacts in the event of a biosecurity incident.
• People movement – using a bus to transport people can significantly reduce the risk as it reduces the number of vehicles on-site.
• Designated parking – setting up a designated parking area, preferably off-site, helps contain any pests transported by vehicles to a specific area, which can be monitored post-event.
• Sanitation stations – place footbaths at entry and exit points to reduce the transfer of any soil-borne pathogens.
• Vendor considerations – remind caterers and vendors, such as coffee vans and trade representatives, to also consider biosecurity when setting up displays or catering points.  ο

More information: Is your field day a biosecurity risk?, Grains Farm Biosecurity

The Grains Farm Biosecurity Program is managed by Plant Health Australia and funded by growers through Grain Producers Australia together with the New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian, Victorian and Western Australian governments.

Vehicle biosecurity kit

It is recommended that vehicles carry a biosecurity kit that includes:

• stiff brushes for cleaning tyres;
• dustpan and brush for cleaning inside vehicle cabins;
• plastic/steel scraper for removing dirt from boots or weed seeds from tyres;
• a plastic footbath suitable for disinfecting boots;
• a minimum of 10 litres of water;
• an approved disinfectant material for cleaning down equipment/machinery (such as Castrol Farmcleanse®);
• methylated spirits (see point below);
• small hand sprayer to spray boots/clothes with a solution of methylated spirits and water (70/30) if staff are required to walk through crops; and
• personal safety gear such as rubber boots, rubber gloves, safety glasses, disposable overalls and boot covers (where applicable).