Disinfecting and wash-down facilities

Disinfecting and wash-down facilities are used to clean and disinfect vehicles and machinery that access your farm and shed. The design and location of these facilities will depend on your farm’s layout and zoning.

Remember, disinfectants can’t penetrate large clods of soil, mud or planting material. Therefore, it’s important that vehicles and machinery are clean prior to being disinfected. With this in mind, disinfecting facilities are used to treat lightly contaminated vehicles and machinery that require access to your shed, for example, trucks that pick-up fruit or deliver goods. Disinfecting facilities range from 1000 litre pod systems to drive through dips and automated spray grids.

A wash-down facility is used to thoroughly wash and disinfect vehicles and machinery that require access to banana paddocks within your farming zone. 

If you would like more information on disinfecting and wash-down facilities refer to page 24 of the Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity or contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Image gallery of grower practices

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.