Sentinels without borders: how a global pandemic inspired the diversification of iMapPESTS’s mobile surveillance suite

The Rural Research and Development for Profit program (RRD4P) boosts funding to Australia’s rural research and development corporations (RDCs) for nationally coordinated, strategic research that delivers real outcomes for Australian producers. In 2017, iMapPESTS: Sentinel Surveillance Systems for Agriculture (iMapPESTS for short) saw each of Australia’s plant RDCs join forces to change the way airborne pests and diseases are detected. Using new and emerging technologies, iMapPESTS are investigating advanced surveillance and diagnostic methods to monitor and report the presence of exotic and endemic pests that threaten major agricultural sectors across Australia, including grains, cotton, sugar, horticulture, wine and forestry industries. The project has delivered a suite of new surveillance and diagnostics tools. These tools are driven by industry needs following extensive research and development into a flexible, cost-effective system using the latest technologies. iMapPESTS has delivered a suite of seven sentinels that have been adapted to provide a range of options to meet various industry needs. The sentinels range in size, deployment method (trailer, skid, modular unit) and composition of traps. The new edition units – Sentinels 4 to 7 – are smarter, smaller, lighter, and more flexible compared with earlier sentinels, which is important in a period where movement of people and goods can change quickly, and especially important for responsiveness to biosecurity incursions.