Dr Aviv Dombrovsky is an internationally recognised plant pathologist from the Volcani Institute in Bet Dagan, Israel. His area of expertise for the last seven years has been CGMMV and he has arrived in the Territory to provide technical input and insights to the current response by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries (DPIF) in the fight against CGMMV.

CGMMV was detected in Israel in 1991 and while no attempt was made to eradicate the virus, ongoing research and development has enabled management techniques to be developed that are being used on commercial farms to reduce the impact of CGMMV in Israel.

While in the Territory Dr Dombrovsky will conduct a series of workshops, site inspections and sessions in Katherine and Darwin for local growers and departmental staff. He will discuss all aspects of CGMMV and the research and field trials that have been conducted in Israel and overseas, including what application they may have for the current CGMMV response in the Territory.

Dr Dombrovsky is a member of that small team of researchers who have developed those management techniques so has firsthand experience as a researcher and in the field.

The Territory’s Chief Plant Health Manager Stephen West says Dr Dombrovsky’s visit gives all parties who are impacted by CGMMV the opportunity to hear about the experience of Israel and another countries and the expertise they have developed in dealing with CGMMV over many years.

“CGMMV has spread to a number of countries in recent years including Canada and the USA. In Canada they are using management techniques for CGMMV, whereas in the USA they are seeking eradication of the virus, which was detected in their 2013 and 2014 growing season in isolated incursions.

Dr Dombrovsky’s visit is sponsored by the NT Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, joined by E.E. Muirs & Sons, the Australian Melon Association and the Queensland and New South Wales departments of Primary Industries. Dr Dombrovsky will travel to Queensland and NSW to meet with the Primary Industry Departments and the melon industry in those states for presentations on CGMMV.

Since CGMMV was discovered in the Northern Territory in September 2014 DPIF biosecurity staff have conducted surveillance of all Territory commercial cucubit crops. Melon and pumpkin crops at ten properties were confirmed to be infected by the virus with eight of these in the Katherine area. Infected crops were destroyed and a quarantine put in place. With the melon season now over the response continues to investigate the outbreak’s origin and to look at potential management and eradication options.

NB: Dr Dombrovsky and Stephen West will be available for interview this Friday (Jan 9th) at Berrimah Research Farm in Darwin. To arrange an interview time, please contact DPIF Communications on 0419106309