We conducted a risk analysis for the release of the rust fungus Puccinia rapipes for the biological control of African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum).
We conducted the risk analysis in two key steps:
- Released the draft report of the risk analysis for the release of Puccinia rapipes for the biological control of Lycium ferocissimum on 11 October 2021, via Biosecurity Advice 2021/P12 for a 30 day consultation period, closing on 10 November 2021.
- Released the final report of the risk analysis in December 2021, following consideration of stakeholder submissions.
The final report recommends that the release of P. rapipes be permitted, subject to standard quarantine conditions associated with the import and release of exotic biological control agents.
The final report has determined the overall risk associated with the release of P. rapipes to be Very low. A risk estimate of Very low achieves Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP).
The assessment of risk to off-target plants included consideration of the testing methodology used and the plant species test list, including non-target species tested in described experiments. The biology of P. rapipes, field host-specificity studies, fungicide trials and the goji berry grower/producer consultation carried out by CSIRO were also considered.
The final report also contains details of the risk assessment process used for consideration of potential off-target effects associated with the proposed release of P. rapipes.
Two submissions were received from stakeholders during the consultation period for the draft report. Both submissions supported the proposal to release P. rapipes.
The application from CSIRO was included as an attachment to the final report.
Application for the release of Puccinia rapipes for the biological control of Lycium ferocissimum
The risk analysis assessed the application made by CSIRO to release the rust fungus Puccinia rapipes to control African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) in Australia.
The published application report may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines as it has not been prepared by the department.
Download application
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Application for the release of Puccinia rapipes for the biological control of Lycium ferocissimum PDF  |
66 | 2.3 MB |
Download final report
Download draft report
Available until December 2022
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Next steps
Publication of the final risk analysis report represents the end of the risk analysis. If we approve release of the biological control agent, a letter will be sent to the applicant providing conditions of release.
Keep Informed
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Contact us
For more information, email imports or phone 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1).