Pest READI IPM Module

Helping growers assess their own preparedness for pests and pathogens​

Pest READI has been working closely with Growcom’s hort360 team to develop a bench marking tool for growers and advisors to assess their preparedness for diseases and pests on their farms, their use of Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management (AW-IPM) practices, and the risks they may be facing when it comes to pest management.​

The Co-Innovation Process

The Pest READI project is a $12 million 5-year collaborative project led by CSIRO that aims to work with communities to co‑create healthy, abundant landscapes by transforming the way pests and diseases are prepared for and managed at the farm and regional levels. ​

In 2024-25 the team conducted a Rapid Diagnostic study involving interviews with 38 growers and advisors across multiple horticultural commodities in the Northern Rivers. From this, we gained an understanding of the challenges growers are facing and how they compare across industries. This will inform the development of digital tools to support sustainable management practices.

Interviews, workshops, demonstrations, and farm tours are a key part of the co-innovation process.

Preparedness and Pest Risk

Overwhelmingly, our study participants highlighted that there is a lack of consistent and reliable information on IPM practices beyond chemical options that underpin preparedness, such as biocontrol agents, beneficial insects, and cultural control. This led to the development of a new IPM module in hort360 by the Pest READI project team.

The “IPM” Pyramid emphasises the importance of preparedness first, with effective chemical use as a last resort

The Pest READI IPM Benchmarking Tool

As a grower or advisor, you can access the IPM module as one of a suite of benchmarking tools offered by hort360 here: https://www.growcom.com.au/hort360/

After completing a series of questions, it enables you to spot any gaps in your pest and disease management, build on what’s already working, and make a simple action plan to improve your approach and long-term farm sustainability.  The outputs will show:

  1. Which areas of IPM can be improved, and what you’re doing well
  2. How you compare with others who have used the IPM tool
  3. Customised information about the risks of some practices, and advice on actions you can take to improve IPM including verified links to further free online resources.

Example outputs from the Pest READI IPM module report on hort360

You can get involved

We’re looking for growers and advisors to get involved with the project and give their input on the tools we’re developing.

Get in touch with the team via email: pestreadi@csiro.au