As a geographically isolated and island continent, Australia has historically been protected from the impact of many damaging plant pests found overseas. However, the advent of modern transport systems and greater global trade in live plants, seed and plant products is increasing the movement of pests including invertebrates, pathogens, and weeds. Exclusion of these threats through an effective biosecurity system is essential to support and protect Australia’s agricultural producers and unique flora. Biosecurity measures must balance risk-based regulation with successful trade of goods, including live plants, seed and plant products. Although achievement of zero biosecurity risk is not a broadly practical outcome, geographic exclusion of threats is an effective approach to support and protect Australia’s unique environment. This is particularly important in the trade of live plants as nursery stock. Latent infection presents a significant hurdle for detection of plant pathogens in border inspections to exclude their entry with imported plants. Post-entry plant quarantine enables latent infection to be expressed as visible symptoms, while providing sufficient time for targeted testing of asymptomatic plants. Here we provide a synopsis of the pivotal role plant quarantine has and continues to play in Australia’s biosecurity system.

作为一个地理上孤立的岛屿大陆，澳大利亚历史上一直免受海外发现的许多破坏性植物害虫的影响。然而，现代运输系统的出现以及活植物、种子和植物产品全球贸易的扩大正在增加包括无脊椎动物、病原体和杂草在内的害虫的移动。通过有效的生物安全系统排除这些威胁对于支持和保护澳大利亚的农业生产者和独特的植物群至关重要。生物安全措施必须平衡基于风险的监管与成功的货物贸易，包括活植物、种子和植物产品。尽管实现零生物安全风险并不是一个广泛的实际成果，但地理上排除威胁是支持和保护澳大利亚独特环境的有效方法。这对于作为苗木的活植物贸易尤其重要。潜伏感染给边境检查中检测植物病原体以排除其随进口植物入境带来了重大障碍。入境后植物检疫使潜伏感染表现为可见症状，同时为无症状植物的针对性检测提供充足的时间。在这里，我们概述了植物检疫在澳大利亚生物安全系统中已经并将继续发挥的关键作用。