Fruit carrying characteristics of travellers into a quarantine zone in New South Wales in 1999/2000
B.C. DominiakA and N. CoombesB
A NSW Agriculture, 161 Kite Street, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia.
B NSW Agriculture, Private Mail Bag, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 2650, Australia.
Abstract
Data was collected from 11 955 travellers entering the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone. There was a continuing decline in the proportion of travellers with fruit however carriers continued to carry about six items of fruit as in past years. Generally the highest fruit carriage occurred at the start of the program and we postulate that regular travellers know that fruit fly road blocks do not occur in winter, and these travellers were caught with fruit when the program restarts each spring. Travellers originating from near the road block site were less likely to carry fruit. Retirees were more likely to carry fruit although fruit carriage by all traveller types declined compared with previous years. The most commonly carried fruit were pome (mainly apples), tomatoes, citrus, bananas, stone fruit and tropical fruit in that order. The continuing decline in the proportion of traffic carrying fruit was seen as a contributor to the overall fruit fly management of the Zone.
Plant Protection Quarterly (2009) 24 (1) 14-19.