National Farm-Level Biosecurity Planning Guide - Proactive Management of Plants Resources

Table of Contents

A) Background

• Why Is Crop Biosecurity Important?
• What Is Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity?
• Who Is Responsible for Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity?
• Why Are Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity Planning and Implementation Important?
• Pest and Crop Production

B) A Generic Guide

C) Developing Your Farm Biosecurity Plan

D) Definitions

E) Elements of a Farm-Level Biosecurity Plan

1. Farm Location and Layout

1.1 Geography
1.2 Layout
1.3 Traffic Flow
1.4 Landscape

2. Operational Routines

2.1 Biosecurity Zones
2.2 Movement of Employees and Visitors
2.3 Movement of Vehicles and Equipment
2.4 Construction and Maintenance of Facilities and Property
2.5 Irrigation Water
2.6 Compost, Manure and Soil
2.7 Biological Vectors of Pests
2.8 Planning and Training

3. Crop Health Management

3.1 Good Management Practices
3.2 Pest Surveillance
3.3 Pest Response Plans

Appendix A: Farm-Level Biosecurity Checklist for Crops

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A) Background

"Crop biosecurity" is a general description for a set of measures designed to protect Canada's plant resources from crop pests at the national, regional, and individual farm levels. A pest is considered any thing that is injurious or potentially injurious, whether directly or indirectly, to plants, or to products or by-products of plants, and it includes any plant prescribed as a pest.

Why Is Crop Biosecurity Important?

Maintenance of the highest possible plant health status is vitally important to the sustainability and profitability of the Canadian agricultural sector. The success of Canada's agricultural exports is linked to the excellent phytosanitary status of our crops and crop products. Access to existing markets and to new and emerging markets will increasingly depend on our ability to demonstrate the minimal phytosanitary risk that Canadian products pose to our trading partners. Increasingly, crop biosecurity standards may be needed to meet processor demands, to retain market access, and to ensure market competitiveness for Canada's agricultural products.

For the following reasons, it is important to keep pests away from your operation:

• they reduce productivity;
• they complicate pest management;
• they increase production costs;
• they reduce the value of farmland;
• they close or limit export markets;
• they affect domestic consumption; and
• they reduce the prices that producers receive for their products.

The best defence against pests is to implement sound biosecurity practices at the farm level.

What Is Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity?

The focus of this guide is farm-level biosecurity, although it is recognized that biosecurity interventions are necessary along the continuum of production systems, at all levels: regional, national, and international.

Farm-level crop biosecurity is a series of management practices designed to reduce the introduction of pests onto a farm (bioexclusion) and to minimize their spread within the farm and beyond (biocontainment). This includes pests not established in Canada, pests established in limited areas of Canada, and pests widely distributed that can spread from farm to farm. Pests can reduce productivity, affect farm incomes, increase labour costs, reduce the value of farmland, close export markets, affect domestic consumption, and reduce prices that producers receive for their products. In addition to adverse effects on the agricultural economy, pests can negatively affect the environment and human health.

Who Is Responsible for Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity?

All owners and managers have the ultimate responsibility to protect the health of the crops under their care, and therefore should consider developing a written farm-level biosecurity plan for their operation. This can be accomplished by working in close cooperation with crop specialists, consultants, and local universities, as well as with provincial and federal departments of agriculture. Quick and simple measures built into your everyday management practices will go a long way toward protecting your farm and your future from the costly consequences of pests.

Biosecurity may be considered as a whole-farm approach to good crop management. The cooperation of visitors and agri-service personnel is an important part of the plan, but, ultimately, the owner or manager must be willing to do what is necessary to ensure that family members, employees, and visitors follow protocols.

Why Are Farm-Level Crop Biosecurity Planning and Implementation Important?

Implementing biosecurity practices to keep crops healthy has been a long-standing and successful practice on many Canadian farms. Today's more intensive farm operations may be more susceptible to economically damaging crop pests, and thus will often require stricter biosecurity protocols. Agricultural best management practices – including crop rotation, along with the use of resistant varieties and pesticides – have traditionally played a major role in eliminating and controlling crop pests. Now, however, it is widely accepted that, in isolation, these cannot prevent losses caused by all pests. Modern farming demands a more integrated pest-management approach.

Protecting your farm and crops is about understanding the risks to your operation and the ways in which your crops may become exposed to crop pests, and taking steps to minimize those risks. The steps required to put sound biosecurity practices in place often do not require major capital investment and can be implemented through management and planning changes. A well-designed and implemented crop biosecurity program maximizes profits by maintaining the resistance of various varieties of crops to pests, by minimizing the development of pest populations that are resistant to control measures, and by avoiding the introduction and establishment of new pests on the farm.

Biosecurity on Canada's farms is not new. There is, however, a move toward applying biosecurity practices in a more systematic way; that is, by implementing across numerous commodities that reach from the farm to the national level.

Pest and Crop Production

A wide variety of organisms can be injurious to plants or plant products, namely, viruses, bacteria, fungi, weeds, nematodes, and phytoplasma. Depending on their biological nature, introduction of these pests onto a farm occurs through a wide range of pathways. Knowing the pests of concern for your farm and identifying the pathways by which they are introduced and spread are key elements of a biosecurity plan. Pathways of introduction include the following:

• seeds and plant materials;
• vehicles and transportation;
• equipment;
• family and staff and visitors;
• irrigation water;
• compost, manure, soil;
• insects, birds, wildlife and other animals; and
• wind and blown dust.

The capacity of a crop industry sector to withstand an outbreak rests not only on the collective efforts of the sector, but also on individual biosecurity plans and their effective implementation.

B) A Generic Guide

The purpose of this guide is to identify the key elements, considerations, and critical points of biosecurity intervention that apply to producers and handlers of agricultural crops. It is designed to assist government, national associations, and producers in developing and implementing biosecurity programs. These preventive guidelines are not all-inclusive, but are generally accepted as beneficial management practices for most agricultural crops. Adopting these practices does not guarantee protection from all potential pests, but an effective plan will help protect your investment in your farm.

This guide is intended to encourage producers to implement the use of sound crop production practices that protect crop health and maximize profits. Production operations differ significantly, and sector needs vary geographically. Biosecurity considerations may be regulated federally, provincially, regionally, or municipally. One biosecurity plan will not fit the needs of every farm operation, and thus biosecurity plans should be developed to meet the specific needs of each farm. Each operation should incorporate these practices into daily routines that are appropriate for specific high-risk pests. Producers should review their production practices in relation to pest prevention on a frequent basis and ensure their strategies are carried out. An effective biosecurity plan is one that is flexible and open to new knowledge and technology as it becomes available.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has developed a similar approach to protecting Canada's animal resource base. The animal guide has been designed in parallel with the plant resource guide, but with a focus on biosecurity measures for animals. The National Farm-Level Biosecurity Planning Guide – Proactive Management of Animal Resources can be accessed on CFIA website.

C) Developing Your Farm Biosecurity Plan

Developing a biosecurity plan should be a team effort between the owner or producer and a veterinarian, with input from other sources. Establishing a practical farm biosecurity plan involves a rational risk assessment and careful planning to manage the targeted risks.

The following steps are typically involved in developing a farm-level biosecurity plan:

• identifying potential concerns or problems;
• evaluating who and what enters and exits a farm;
• determining the risk level for specific diseases of concern;
• evaluating how diseases could enter and spread within and off the farm;
• targeting diseases against which the biosecurity plan will operate;
• identifying preventative biosecurity measures that will manage or minimize the risk factors for a disease entry or spread;
• consulting federal, provincial, regional, and municipal regulations;
• setting limits and standards for your farm;
• establishing uptake of the plan; and
• implementing the biosecurity plan.

At a minimum, a biosecurity plan should focus on biosecurity interventions that minimize the following:

• the risk of entry of pathogens and pests into the animal production area;
• the risk of transmission between production units; and
• the risk of release of pathogens and pests from the farm.

D) Definitions

Biosecurity zone: an area with defined boundaries where biosecurity measures are to be implemented to control access, exit, and movement to prevent the introduction and spread of pests (e.g. a field, greenhouse, or storage area).

Crop: throughout this document, "crop" is used in a widely inclusive sense to include plants, plant products, and other products that may be generated by a grower, producer, or operator for profit, including annual and perennial crops, fruit, vegetables, and horticultural plants, specifically, trees and mushrooms.

Employee: a person paid or otherwise expected to work on the farm for the producer.

Farm: a tract of land held for the purposes of cultivation, crop production, and/or the rearing of certain animals. Throughout this document, "farm" is used to denote a physical location that generates crops, plant products, and other products, and it includes nurseries, greenhouses, and plant propagators.

Pest: according to the Plant Protection Act, any thing that is injurious or potentially injurious, whether directly or indirectly, to plants, or to products or by-products of plants, and including any plant prescribed as a pest.

Producer: one who owns, leases, or rents land for cultivation, crop production, and/or the rearing of certain animals.

Production area: a field, greenhouse, or other area designated for cultivation or crop production or the rearing of certain animals.

Property: the land on which the production area(s) are located, including residential buildings and all farm buildings and structures.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): a set of written instructions that document a routine or repetitive activity followed on a farm.

Visitors: any non-farm personnel who arrive at the farm (e.g. salesmen, inspectors, delivery people, contractors, friends, and relatives of farm personnel).

E) Elements of a Farm-Level Biosecurity Plan

When developing a farm-level biosecurity plan, consider these three areas:

• facility, location and layout;
• operational routines; and
• crop health management.

The producer is encouraged to design measures that are practical, outcome-based, and flexible. The order or organization of the concepts is not as important as the consideration of all concepts. As a biosecurity plan is developed, certain limitations (e.g. geographic, economic) may prevent implementing ideal practices. In these circumstances, increased emphasis and rigour in other elements may be indicated.

1. Farm Location and Layout

While greater emphasis may be placed on operational routines and plant health management practices in applying biosecurity principles, some minor upgrades to farm facilities can significantly improve farm biosecurity. At the very least, it is important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing farm facilities, so these may be factored into operational routines and biosecurity strategies.

1.1 Geography

The natural environment surrounding your farm is an important element in identifying the source and nature of potential pests in your area. Understanding the layout of your operation and neighbouring farms is vital to reducing the risk of pest introduction and spread.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Make available a farm map, detailing property lines, roadways, borders and fencing, buildings, production areas, and any waterways.
• Be aware of the proximity and nature of neighbouring farms and operations.
• Be aware of prevailing wind direction.

1.2 Layout

An illustration of the layout of your operation can assist in training new employees, directing visitors, and planning future production processes. Understanding the logic of crop movement and work patterns is important in developing, implementing, and modifying a biosecurity plan.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Modify various farm buildings and production areas to minimize pest introduction and spread.
• Locate washing facilities for cleaning and disinfecting equipment, boots, vehicles, personnel, etc., considering the capacity for high-pressure water supply and waste water collection, in an area that prevents pest introduction and spread.
• Situate holding and disposal areas for crop waste or residues, and compost and manure in an area that prevents pest introduction and spread.
• Appropriately locate designated receiving areas for inspection (and cleaning and treatment, if necessary) of farm inputs and new off-farm acquisitions (used or borrowed equipment, seed, feed, livestock, etc.).
• Establish a visibly demarcated boundary around the property and production areas (e.g. fencing, signs, tree lines).

1.3 Traffic Flow

Vehicles and the surfaces on which they travel can be vectors for the introduction and spread of pests. Thus, it is important to control and, if necessary, restrict the movement of vehicles on your premises.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Ensure that traffic flow routes are well defined and provide direction for visitors, vehicles, and farm equipment.
• Use appropriate signs to direct visitors to parking areas, farm offices, transition areas, and delivery and drop-off points.
• Provide designated parking areas for vehicles not entering the production area.
• Ensure that the main entrance gate to the premises and production area has appropriate signs and that it can be secured.

1.4 Landscape

Natural features including vegetation, waterways, and topography can benefit a biosecurity plan by providing natural barriers and drainage. These features on your property provide an economical and practical way to assist in implementing biosecurity measures.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Use natural barriers along roadways or neighbouring farm boundaries (e.g. windbreaks or hedges).
• Ensure that weeds within or around the production area are easily manageable.
• Make use of landscaping to assist drainage and reduce standing water in the production area.

2. Operational Routines

This area focuses on day-to-day farm activities which can optimize the overall biosecurity status of the existing farm facilities and which may help to compensate for some infrastructure that does not exist. It focuses on producer and manager organization, as well as observational skills, sound judgement, and the need for knowledgeable and trained employees who understand why biosecurity guidelines exist and are competent in implementing the farm-level plan. Conscious day-to-day activities, regular maintenance practices, and clear understanding of biosecurity principles will help ensure that a biosecurity plan is successful in controlling the introduction, spread, and movement of crop pests, such as weeds, insects, and pathogens.

2.1 Biosecurity Zones

Biosecurity zones are areas where biosecurity measures are implemented to control access, exit, and movement. To be effective, these zones must be visible and controlled, and their importance must be understood.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Classify biosecurity zones based on use, status, access, and the level of protection needed.
• Provide appropriate signs at main entrances and field approaches to indicate various biosecurity zones, and provide contact numbers.
• Control entry and exit points for moving people, animals, equipment, and vehicles into and between various biosecurity zones.

2.2 Movement of Employees and Visitors

People moving between different farms or between different biosecurity zones within a farm can spread pests on boots, clothing, and equipment. The most obvious risks are pests carried in soil and plant debris. However, one can develop and implement measures to reduce these risks through protocols and strictly controlled access to biosecurity zones.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Have visitors contact the producer before visiting a farm, and have them report to the farm office to document the visit and to receive a briefing on the biosecurity measures in place.
• Clean, as well as disinfecting (if necessary), the clothing and footwear of all personnel, family members, and visitors who enter a farm or a biosecurity zone, ensuring that it carries no soil or crop debris.
• Provide, if needed, disposable or farm-dedicated protective clothing and footwear.
• Place cleaning facilities at appropriate access points for protective clothing and footwear removal, or for cleanup and disinfection.
• Require all people (employees, family, and visitors) to follow established workflow procedures into and between production areas and biosecurity zones.
• Ensure that movement is always from clean to dirty areas.
• Document the pertinent activities and movement of family and staff on the farm.

2.3 Movement of Vehicles and Equipment

Vehicles and equipment entering and moving within your farm pose a serious biosecurity threat; they can carry pests, soil, and crop debris. The risk is increased with shared, contracted, and second-hand vehicles and equipment, due to their use on other farms with unknown biosecurity status. Care must also be taken with non-agricultural vehicles and equipment that must travel within your farm (e.g. earth-moving equipment, gas exploration equipment, utility service vehicles). A good biosecurity plan considers incorporating protocols and controls to mitigate these risks.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Park off-farm vehicles, when feasible, in a designated area or lot, and use a farm vehicle to transport visitors about the premises.
• Clean off-farm vehicles and equipment entering a farm or a biosecurity zone to entirely remove soil and crop debris, and disinfect (if necessary) in a designated area.
• Clean farm vehicles and equipment moving between various biosecurity zones to entirely remove soil and crop debris, and disinfect, if necessary.
• Clean vehicles and equipment exiting a farm or a biosecurity zone to entirely remove soil and crop debris, and disinfect, if necessary.
• Minimize movement of vehicles and equipment over wet soil.
• Require field operations to follow a pattern of moving from clean production areas to those more likely to harbour infestations or pose a biosecurity risk.
• Limit recreational vehicle use on the premises.
• Use equipment logs to document machinery use, cleaning, and any use restrictions in place.

2.4 Construction and Maintenance of Facilities and Property

A well-constructed and maintained operation strengthens a biosecurity plan by aiding cleaning and disinfection processes and by reducing the risks associated with visitors, service personnel, and pests.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Put in place a routine facility and property maintenance program.
• Conduct routine visual inspections of equipment and buildings for damages.
• Keep buildings and mechanical equipment in good repair.
• Have signs, fences, and boundaries in good repair.
• Make sure that buildings are easily cleaned and disinfected.
• Ensure that gates and buildings are lockable.
• Keep premises' roads and walkways in good repair, and ensure they are constructed with all-weather material to reduce the transportation of soil and organic material.
• Build parking areas of concrete or asphalt to promote adequate drainage.
• Maintain good hygiene in and around storage areas.

2.5 Irrigation Water

Water used for irrigation can carry plant pathogens, especially when water is taken from ponds, streams, or other surface water sources. Managing water quality is important for the maintenance of healthy crops.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Regularly test water storage, and monitor surrounding vegetation for the presence of pests.
• Keep area around water storage free of crop waste and other potential sources of infestation.
• Filter water from wells, streams, ponds, and lakes, and treat if required.

2.6 Compost, Manure and Soil

Compost, manure, and soil can carry different crop pests. Composting to an appropriate temperature and length of time can destroy disease-causing agents and weed seeds.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Adhere to provincial and municipal waste, agriculture, and environment guidelines when managing compost and manure.
• Compost off-farm manure and compost inputs prior to application to destroy possible pests.
• Use on-farm-produced compost and manure only after the producer is satisfied that it contains no disease-causing agents or weed seeds that could pose a biosecurity risk to the intended production area.
• Properly dispose of infested crop residues, rather than composting.
• Avoid moving soil between fields and biosecurity zones.
• Record purchases of manure and compost.

2.7 Biological Vectors of Pests

Animals, insects, and birds create a unique set of risk situations. Animals can spread pests via feet, feces, and fur. Some insects can also serve as vectors of disease-causing agents, such as viruses and bacteria. Weeds can also be alternate hosts for pests that infect your crops.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Manage the introduction and movement of animals on the farm to prevent or limit spread of pests, diseases, and weed seeds.
• Implement control measures for rodents, pests, and wildlife (e.g. fencing, traps, repellents).
• Control weeds within and around production areas.
• Monitor rubbish dumps and debris piles that could attract vermin or wild animals.

2.8 Planning and Training

Knowledge makes it possible to effectively control operations on a farm. It also allows for future planning as situations or production processes change. Developing and implementing a training program provides employees with a sense of involvement and pride, and helps to avoid complacency.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Assess your farm pest risks, and develop your farm-level biosecurity plan, in consultation with a professional agrologist, provincial or industry plant health specialists, family members, and employees.
• Decide on the biosecurity goals and standards you want to maintain.
• Document all biosecurity procedures, events, and actions.
• Ensure that each production facility has a copy of the biosecurity plan.
• Monitor, review, and change the plan as situations change and when new knowledge becomes available.
• Develop SOPs for routine biosecurity practices.
• Ensure employees and family members receive the theoretical and practical training to implement and maintain your plan.
• Maintain periodic training and discussion sessions with staff and family members.
• Share your biosecurity plan with neighbours, visitors, industry associations, and service providers.
• Stay up to date on plant health developments (local, regional, national, and international).

3. Crop Health Management

This area involves decision making that directly pertains to crop production and cultivation practices, as well as to the biology of weeds and disease-causing agents that can pose biosecurity threats. It is at this stage that any biosecurity breaches will be revealed, and thus careful observation and background knowledge are critical.

3.1 Good Management Practices

Developing, implementing, and maintaining good management practices allows a biosecurity plan to operate effectively and maintains or improves crop productivity.

Biosecurity considerations for the producer or owner:

• Check that all employees concerned have good knowledge of crop production and handling procedures.
• Make available those individuals who are familiar with weeds, pests, and diseases; their biology; and federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal legislation relating to their management. This will allow for early detection and problem management.
• Ensure that seed, crops, and crop products that arrive at the farm are from reputable suppliers, and are certified in terms of quality and pest-free status. (Where possible, choose suppliers that meet the phytosanitary standard established for each farm operation.)
• Maintain cropping records for each field. Include crop, variety, seeding rate and date, pesticide use, fertilizer and manure use, irrigation, etc.
• Prior to renting, leasing, or buying a field, inquire about its biosecurity status (historical land use and ownership, pest status of the area, etc.). Apply strict biosecurity protocols to all rented land.
• Before renting land to another producer, ensure that a strict biosecurity protocol will be applied to protect the biosecurity status of the property.
• Best management practices:
  • Plant resistant varieties, when available.
  • Ensure a crop rotation plan is in place.
  • Have a weed and volunteer plant control strategy in place.
  • Plant cover crops to control weeds and to reduce soil movement by erosion.
  • When feasible, plant trap crops to protect the main crop.
  • Use modern pest management tools (chemical, biological, physical).
  • Put in place a routine crop inspection program.
  • Implement a pesticide resistance management strategy (e.g. rotation between products when possible, use of the appropriate rates).

3.2 Pest Surveillance

Early detection of pests is vital to minimizing their impact and containment in an isolated production area.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Establish a routine monitoring program to regularly assess the biosecurity status of all areas on the farm (production area, storage area, etc.), particularly in terms of weeds, diseases, and insects.
• Record pest surveillance activities, even when nothing is found.
• Examine farm inputs (seed, feed, manure, plants, plant products, etc.) and any accompanying documentation prior to moving into production areas. Quarantine if necessary, or if the status is questionable.
• Consult a professional agrologist or other professional, as required.

3.3 Pest Response Plans

The ability to react quickly and effectively to a pest situation is vital to minimizing its effect on an operation and preventing its spread.

Biosecurity considerations:

• Investigate suspected problems to identify pests and implement appropriate management practices. Report any unusual finding to appropriate authorities.
• Ensure that a new biosecurity threat discovered on the farm triggers next steps for farm managers and employees to contain any outbreak, and modify plans for that particular zone or production area to ensure that the situation is quickly brought under control and resolved.
• Develop and implement a disposal system for weed seeds, crop waste, and potentially infected crop material.
• Require that key or emergency contact information be on hand for any biosecurity risk or event.

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Appendix A
Farm-Level Biosecurity Checklist for Crops

Section 1 Farm Location and Layout

1.1 Geography

1.2 Layout

1.3 Traffic Flow

1.4 Landscape

Section 2 Operational Routines

2.1 Biosecurity Zones

2.2 Movement of Employees and Visitors

2.3 Movement of Vehicles and Equipment

2.4 Construction and Maintenance of Facilities and Property

2.5 Irrigation Water

2.6 Compost, Manure and Soil

2.7 Biological Vectors of Pests