We have been invited to participate in a study to better understand how gardeners can help in improving the health of plants in urban environments.
This research is being conducted by Citrus Australia and Redefining Agriculture Pty Ltd and is the second phase of a study funded and published through the Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation – titled, ”Urban plant biosecurity: Using a foundational approach to understand emerging risks, support resilient cities and safeguard rural industry”. The report can be found here.
How will we use this survey data?
Importantly, no personal details are collected from our survey.
A healthy plant is much better equipped to withstand attacks from exotic pests and diseases, so it is important that urban residents have good knowledge to support their gardening efforts. We will supply a summary of survey results to participating community gardens and Melbourne local councils, for use in future gardening education planning. This study will also provide insights into the level of engagement that community gardens achieve with the wider community, and these insights will be shared with policy makers to leverage continued support and resourcing of our community gardens as important community networks. We will also use insights from the study to recommend engagement methods to improve plant biosecurity and plant health outcomes for all gardeners and growers in Melbourne.
The link to the survey is here. surveymonkey.com/r/DKLWMSG
In the lead up to Springtime gardening, you may also be interested in circulating our past webinar series ‘The Urban Green Series’ among your members. This webinar series is free – links and descriptors are provided below.
The Urban Green Series
Session 1 – We explain our current research investigation looking at plant biosecurity potential in cities before delving into the world of exotic crop pests and how staying vigilant can help protect our food crops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-3tEvX2t6w&t=15s
Session 2 – We’re talking garden ecology, with a particular focus on spider biology and how to identify other beneficial species. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d89HeCuXB0
Session 3 – We discuss tactics to monitor for plant pests in your food garden, share a useful tool for learning more about your garden ecology, and highlight some common pests you may see on your crops over springtime.
Session 4 – We’re talking garden hygiene, and how you can set up your food garden for plant health success.
Barwon Heads Community Arts Garden 