AU: Infopest – Agvet solutions only a few clicks away
It not only requires accurate knowledge of a particular pest and its host but also knowledge of the range of alternative agricultural chemicals registered for use, their mode of action, their formulation type and their possible effects on beneficial organisms and the environment.
Mistakes can be harmful - and expensive.
Over the years, specialists in the area have come to depend on Infopest, an easily searched, comprehensive database of all approved agricultural and veterinary chemicals and Material Safety Data Sheets, originally developed and distributed by the Queensland Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (formerly DEEDI).
Infopest is now owned, managed and distributed by Growcom, a peak agricultural industry body based in Brisbane.
"Growcom has recognised the importance of the Infopest database as a reliable tool for the agricultural and veterinary industries," said Growcom’s CEO Alex Livingstone.
"We are committed to continuing this valuable work by maintaining and enhancing the benefits of the database for its customers at a reasonable price."
Pest Management Industry Development Officer Janine Clark has used Infopest since the 2000s in her work in developing Growcom’s first Pest Management Plan for the horticulture industry and in providing access to approved chemicals for horticulture growers via off-label permits and label amendments.
"Infopest is unsurpassed in providing an easy and convenient way to find out what products are registered for particular situations, what pests can be controlled by various products and what information is on a product label," said Ms Clark. "At a glance you can see the list of products registered for a particular active, compare active content and formulation type, and the registered pack sizes," she said.
"It takes just minutes to search, view and sort whole data sets of agricultural chemical listings allowing for convenient, easy and quick pesticide grouping, selection and rotation planning. The ability to search by crop, or crop groups, for registered and permitted uses is invaluable. Similar functionality is provided for searching by host or pest type.
"The system allows you to cross-tabulate your results and produce reports that assist you with your record keeping.
"Infopest has been recognised as the go-to, tried and trusted resource for helping Australia’s primary industries and other agencies achieve disease and pest free produce and animals.
"The Infopest DVD also helps primary producers comply with legal obligations by providing company supplied Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), what to do in case of a spill, transport and storage requirements, personal protective equipment, toxicity information and potential environmental impact.
"Since Infopest was last released by DEEDI in July 2011, more than 900 new and/or updated products and/or permits have been registered or approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The new 2012 Infopest DVD contains more than 11,500 agvet chemical products and permits, all of which can be searched easily and conveniently.
"Growcom is pleased to be able to make Infopest available to the agricultural and veterinary industries again."
Infopest is still available in its familiar DVD format for ease of operation in remote areas where internet connections are not reliable. DVDs may be purchased for only $198 (inc GST, postage and handling) via www.infopest.com.au, by ringing Growcom on 1300 367 911 or by emailing [email protected]
For more information:
Alex Livingstone
Tel: +61 (0)7 3620 3844