ABSTRACT
Plant biosecurity can be defined as ‘a set of measures designed to protect a crop, crops or a subgroup of crops from plant pests at national, regional and individual farm levels’ (Anonymous, 2016b). Ensuring sound biosecurity in sugarcane production is extremely important for crop health, for maintaining or improving yields, and for increasing the production. Managing biosecurity includes management of the endemic pests as well as preparedness for exotic pests and incursions. A pest is defined as ‘any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal, or pathogenic agent, injurious to plants or plant products’ (www. IPPC.int), and this definition includes insect pests, pathogens and parasitic weeds. In this chapter a pest is considered to be endemic if it occurs in the country (an established pest), and exotic if it occurs outside the country, or outside the area of production. Biosecurity has a role to play in preventing and controlling emerging diseases – for a recent review of emerging plant viral diseases see Rodoni (2009).
