Insect management in grain crops workshop for advisers and growers (September 2014) These 1-day workshops for advisers and growers will explore effective and sustainable management strategies, with a focus on pests of local significance. The morning sessions are indoors, and the after lunch sessions in the field (weather permitting) to discuss practical aspects of pest identification, scouting and management. Wednesday… Read more »
As the warm weather persists, insect activity is remaining high. DAFFQ Entomology has received numerous reports of aphids, and leaf-feeding caterpillars. The aphids have been identified as cowpea aphid and the caterpillars as one of the summer-active armyworm species, Spodoptera exigua (lesser armyworm). The concerns about these are for the potential for crop loss caused by direct feeding damage/defoliation or virus… Read more »
Over the past couple of weeks there have been reports of whitefly adults infesting canola in the Central West and Lachlan regions of NSW. This is not an occurrence that has been recorded before, so we don’t know conclusively what the outcome will be of these infestations. What I have done is pulled together information on whitefly that will help… Read more »
DAFF Queensland Entomologist, Hugh Brier, is the 2014 Northern region recipient of GRDC’s Seed of Light. The Seed of Light is presented each year to someone who makes a significant contribution to communicating the outcomes of research.
Rutherglen bug (RGB) are best known for the damage they can cause in sunflower and sorghum during grainfill, but they can also damage and even kill seedlings when present in large numbers. In 2012 RGB damaged establishing spring crops in areas of southern and northern NSW. This spring, in some crops there are large numbers of RGB in the canola… Read more »
Armyworm in barley and wheat. A number of reports of armyworm in crops have been received over the past couple of weeks. Numbers range from 30 to 50 per square metre (extreme) to a more typical 5 to10 larvae per square metre. Assessing larval density is done using a sweep net, bucket or beating a section of row into a… Read more »
Contributors: Susan Maas (CRDC), Lewis Wilson (CSIRO) There are currently reports of high numbers of Rutherglen bugs (RGB) in cotton across a number of growing regions (Downs, Namoi, Gwydir), and questions being asked about whether this pest can cause damage to reproductive cotton. This season has seen large spring migrations of RGB into cropping areas from Emerald to the Liverpool… Read more »
As crops come into head and start to fill grain, sorghum midge and helicoverpa will start to infest crops. Making a decision about when control is warranted is made somewhat easier with the availability of economic threshold calculators now available on the Beatsheet Blog (https://thebeatsheet.com.au/sampling-2/); or use the ready reckoners in this article. MANAGEMENT OF SORGHUM MIDGE How to count… Read more »
Since early November, large numbers of Rutherglen bug (RGB) have been migrating into cropping regions from northern NSW through to Central Queensland. Whilst the exact origin of the bugs is unknown, it is likely that they are being carried on storm fronts from inland regions where they have bred up over winter and spring on native host plants that are… Read more »
Calculating the economics of control is critical to making a decision about if and when Helicoverpa populations in chickpeas require treatment. This season, for the first time, growers and agronomists have access to an on-line calculator to help them make these decisions. The calculator overcomes the need to try and remember the formulas in the field. Best of all,… Read more »
