Integrated Weed and Pest Management Plan

Purpose. This plan sets out how Greenfield monitors and controls declared weeds, crop and nursery pests and pest animals across the home farm, the nursery and orchard and the reserves it manages.

1.Scope and objectives

This plan covers declared and environmental weeds, insect and disease pests of crops, orchard and nursery stock, and pest animals including rabbits, foxes and feral pigs. Its objectives are to meet obligations under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Victoria), protect yields and plant quality, reduce chemical use through integrated methods and protect native vegetation and wildlife.

2.Monitoring

Every enterprise will monitor on a fixed schedule: weekly crop and orchard scouting in season, monthly nursery pest and disease inspections, quarterly weed mapping of reserves and paddock boundaries, and annual spotlight counts for rabbits and foxes. Results are recorded in the Field Activity Log and reviewed at the monthly safety and environment review.

• Weekly crop and orchard scouting
• Monthly nursery inspections
• Quarterly weed mapping
• Annual pest animal counts

3.Priority weeds

Priority weeds on managed land include serrated tussock, Paterson's curse, blackberry, gorse and African boxthorn. Each has a mapped extent, a control method, a treatment window and a responsible team. New infestations must be treated within the season they are found.

4.Integrated control methods

Control will combine cultural methods such as competitive pastures and crop rotation, mechanical methods such as slashing and grubbing, biological controls where available, and chemical control as a targeted final step. Chemical control must follow the Agricultural Chemical Management Policy and the Chemical Preparation and Application Procedure. Pest animal control must use humane, approved methods and must be recorded in the Chemical Use and Storage Register where baits are used.

5.Nursery and orchard pests

The nursery will use thresholds for aphids, thrips, mites and fungal diseases before spraying, rotate chemical groups to manage resistance and use beneficial insects in the propagation houses. The orchard will follow a seasonal program for fruit fly monitoring and brown rot control.

6.Roles and review

The Natural Areas Coordinator owns this plan. The Farm Manager, Nursery and Orchard Manager and Parks and Landscape Supervisor own the schedules for their areas. The plan will be reviewed every July and after any new incursion or control failure.