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.
'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.
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
Bundoora 3083
