Current Status

Current status

The Northern Territory (and Australia) have been declared free of Grapevine Leaf Rust. The eradication program has finished.

Statistics:

Native Vitaceous Species

After the laboratory initiated infection of Ampelocissus acetosa and Ampelocissus frutescens, a survey and sampling process was conducted in Darwin and Palmerston covering all previous Grapevine Leaf Rust hot spots including the last 40 positive grapevine removals.

This involved ground surveying 61 remnant native woodland areas, parks and properties, visually inspecting Ampelocissus species and collecting a random sample of approximately one in every 25 plants, as well as sampling any unusual symptoms. Over 1 100 individual plants were surveyed and 54 long-term monitoring sites were selected. These have been included in the normal monitoring of the eradication program. The NGLREP does not consider that the native Vitaceous species are a long term alternative host.

Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference

The Project Director attended the 2004 Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, presenting a poster and provided information to the key industry and research stakeholders about the eradication program and research. Industry awareness and feedback on the disease and eradication program was good, with many people commenting on the success so far and obviously wanting the eradication program to be successful.