1. Guidelines for Plant Pest Surveillance in Asia and the Pacific
Graeme Evans & Teresa McMaugh

2. Regional agricultural trade setting
The WTO SPS agreement
Trade is constrained by deficiencies in the basic infrastructure underpinning plant health, particularly in developing countries
Many lack technical capacity and resources to:
survey for pests to provide baseline data on pest status;
accurately and rapidly identify pests;
database records of pests and retrieve this information;
detect and control invasive pests.

3. OCPPO regional plant health program
Focuses on building pest collections
Arthropod pests
Plant diseases / pathogens
A capacity to survey for plant pests is critical to populate collections
OCPPO has been collaborating with countries of the region to build capacity to survey for plant pests.
A set of guidelines for surveying for plant pests in south east Asia and the Pacific was seen as a useful approach.

4. Funding Project is funded by two Australian government bodies:
ACIAR – the Australian Centre for International Research
RIRDC - Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation

5. Overview of the Guidelines
PRIMARY AIM: a set of guidelines for planning a survey of crop or forest pests
Based on similar toolboxes for animal surveillance
Covering: weeds, insects and allies, plant pathogens, crops, forests
A Reference Group of regional and national plant pest experts were convened in Canberra, November 2004
- the scope was finalised
- attendees committed to volunteer case studies

6. Reference group’s recommendations
Align with international standards and requirements, such as the IPPC ISPMs, where possible

7. Reference group’s recommendations
Align with international standards and requirements, such as the FAO ISPMs, where possible
Provide clear guidance as to how to comply with the standards

8. Reference Group’s recommendations
Align with international standards and requirements, such as the FAO ISPMs, where possible
Provide clear guidance as to how to comply with the standards
Be instructive and simple

9. Reference group’s recommendations
Align with international standards and requirements, such as the FAO ISPMs, where possible
Provide clear guidance as to how to comply with the standards
Be instructive and simple
Provide ‘guidance’ rather than be a prescriptivea ‘manual’ which could be enforceable and constraining

10. Reference group’s recommendations
Align with international standards and requirements, such as the FAO ISPMs, where possible
Provide clear guidance as to how to comply with the standards
Be instructive and simple
Be ‘guidance’ rather than a ‘manual’ which could be enforceable and constraining
That the guidelines not provide detailed information on statistics or specimen collection as this information can be found elsewhere

11. Contents of the Guidelines
In accordance with international standard definitions, the guidelines has chapters on:
Designing Specific Surveys
Designing General surveillance plans
With more details in chapters on:
Detection surveys
Monitoring surveys
Delimiting surveys
Reporting the results
Supported with real case studies from SE Asia and the Pacific

12. Chapter layout of the guidelines
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 2 – Specific surveys
Chapter 5 – Delimiting surveys
Chapter 4- Monitoring surveys
Chapter 7 – Reporting the results
Chapter 6 – General Surveillance
Chapter 3 – Detection surveys

13. The 21 Steps
The guidelines for specific surveys are set up as 21 Steps:

14. The 21 Specific survey Steps

15. 1 Choose a title and determine contributors
2 Determine the purpose of the survey/surveillance: pest list, host list, early detection, pest freedom, areas of low pest prevalence, pest management, delimiting, community network reporting system.
Target pest(s) known?
Yes No
3 Detail the pest(s) : names, lifecycle, dispersal modes, diagnostic characteristics
Are host plants involved?
Yes
4 Detail the host: name, lifecycle, distribution No
5 Detail alternative hosts
6 Review any surveys in similar conditions, literature etc

16. 7 Identify the survey Area
8 Identifying the district
9 Identify type of survey Place, Field sites, Sampling sites and Sampling Points.
10 Identify how sites will be chosen
Need a statistical approach?
Yes No
11 Calculate sample sizes
12 Determine the timing for survey

17. 14 Methods of collecting pest specimens
13 What data to collect
14 Methods of collecting pest specimens
15 Data storage
16 People involved
17 Obtain permission to visit sites and any permits required
18 Perform a pilot survey
19 Perform survey: collect raw data and samples
20 Analyse data
21 Report results

18. Availability
The final draft has been completed and is being edited by the funding body, ACIAR
The guidelines are to be translated in Thai, Vietnamese and Bahasa in CD format
ACIAR will publish and distribute the guidelines
The guidelines will be made freely available to people in developing countries (and also to anyone on the first distribution list)