Cotton Australia, the industry body responsible for biosecurity, reports that the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP), which is the technical body for coordinating national responses to Emergency Plant Pest incidents, has confirmed the detection.

Cotton Australia says that in 2008, samples from the Bowen and Burdekin regions were analysed and the presence of Whitefly Q Biotype (Bemisia tabaci) was confirmed.

Then in 2009, Q biotype was found in collections from Wee Waa, NSW, and Goondiwindi, Qld.

As eradication is not feasible, the discussion will now focus on how we manage whitefly because of the new biotype's resistance potential and its capacity to vector (transmit) plant pathogenic viruses, primarily begomoviruses.

Although its resistance status in Australia is yet to be characterised, Cotton Australia says the overseas experience is that where insecticides are used to control Bemisia tabaci (whitefly) in cropping systems that the Q biotype displaces the Silver Leaf Whitefly B biotype.

It has a similar spectrum of insecticide resistance to Silver Leaf Whitefly B biotype with the concerning addition of Admiral (pyriproxyfen) resistance overseas.

Importantly, the Q Biotype cannot be visually differentiated from the Silver Leaf Whitefly B biotype.

Cotton Australia and the CRDC have already commenced planning for the management of this pest:

• Further assessment of the population distribution in cotton growing areas through the CRDC funded QDPI&F Toowoomba based project.

• Additional late season samples will be collected to clarify the population distribution.

• CRDC funded Scientific Exchange for whitefly researchers to visit Arizona in August.

• Fully updated whitefly extension package for next cotton season including regional pest management information.

• Positioning registered chemicals for Whitefly control in the Insecticide Resistance Management Strategy.

• Cotton Australia will bring forward an Industry Biosecurity Group meeting this winter.

• The role of cotton in north Queensland will now be an issue for Whitefly management, especially the interaction with horticulture. A Whitefly ‘stakeholder’ group has been formed to steer this in Nth Qld.