Author Archives: Melina Miles

Are there Russian wheat aphid in your wheat or barley? A short guide to checking and identifying.

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Key points Conditions suitable for the usual cereal aphid species will also be suitable for RWA. Aphid populations typically build rapidly in late July and August.  Do not assume aphids in cereals are just the usual oat and corn aphid. In the event of a Russian wheat aphid (RWA) infestation, early detection in spring is critical to prevent yield loss…. Read more »

Update on Russian wheat aphid outbreak in South Australia.

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The National Management Group (NMG), comprising all Australian governments, Grain Producers Australia and Plant Health Australia, met on 8 June 2016 to discuss the incursion of Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) in South Australia. Acting on advice from the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP), the NMG agreed that it is not technically feasible to eradicate Russian wheat aphid… Read more »

Industry alert – Russian wheat aphids found in South Australia

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The South Australian government are currently responding to detections of Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia), which was initially found on a property in Tarlee in South Australia on 13 May 2106. Since the first detection, Russian wheat aphid has been found on a further 22 properties within 1,400 square kilometres, and the number is expected to rise. Investigations are underway… Read more »

Pest Alert: Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia)

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Call Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 if you see this pest Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) has been found on over 1,400 square kilometres of land in the mid-north of South Australia. Russian wheat aphid is a major pest of cereal crops which injects toxins into the plant during feeding, retarding growth and killing the plant. Russian wheat aphid… Read more »

New APVMA permit for use of dimethoate to control mirids in faba beans.

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In response to the recent confirmation of the damage potential of green mirids in faba beans, Pulse Australia has successfully applied to the APVMA for a permit to allow the use of dimethoate for the control of mirids in faba beans (PER82378). The permit is active from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2021, and is applicable in all states,… Read more »

Confirmation of green mirid damage potential in faba beans

Over the past two winters, agronomists and growers have been asking whether the green mirids that they are finding in faba beans are doing any damage. Until now, the short answer to that was that we simply didn’t know. In 2014 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Entomology conducted a preliminary trial to determine if green mirids could cause the… Read more »

Thrip damage to early summer crops

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Emerging and vegetative summer crops in close proximity to unharvested winter crop are at risk of thrip damage, but the damage is largely cosmetic and rarely warrants treating. Thrips breed up in winter cereals, and particularly after rain, will move out of the winter crops in huge numbers. Most of you will be familiar with the joys of thrips biting… Read more »

Predicting helicoverpa development rate in finishing and late pulse/canola crops

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As the early and moisture stressed crops finish up, and those that were under a storm kick on, it is challenging to try and estimate whether small helicoverpa larvae in the crop should be controlled, or whether the crop will finish up before they get to a damaging size. There are a few things to keep in mind when making… Read more »

Helicoverpa armigera emergence from diapause boosts trap catches.

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Helicoverpa moth activity to 19 October, 2015. Over the past 1-2 weeks we have seen increasing H. armigera catches in the pheromone traps across Queensland (Qld) and northern New South Wales (NSW). The series of graphs of H. armigera and H. punctigera trap catches from August to 19 October are below. Included with these graphs are the current predictions for… Read more »

Monitoring for establishment pests prior to sowing.

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Where there is a history of soil insect damage resulting in poor crop establishment a pre-sowing inspection of the affected fields is warranted to determine the likely risk to the upcoming summer crop. Grain baits are an effective way of monitoring for soil-dwelling insect pests of summer crops, and is preferable to sampling with a shovel, which is both time… Read more »