Just when you thought things were going along pretty well, something else pops out of the woodwork to bring you back down to earth. Some cotton consultants and their grower clients are concerned about the high numbers of thrips in their young cotton seedlings. Are they are problem? Do we need to control them?
The Resistance Roadshow visited regional areas during late August and presented the latest resistance monitoring results for a suite of important pests. Presentations covered resistance to conventional insecticides in cotton aphids, mites, silverleaf whitefly and helicoverpa, and helicoverpa resistance to the Bt toxins in Bollgard II.
Go soft early Go soft early is a basic integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to avoid using non selective pesticides for as long as possible. This approach encourages a build up of predators and parasites to keep early pests in check and buffer the crop against attack later in the season. This strategy is particularly important in soybeans because of… Read more »
There are reports of large infestations of silverleaf whitefly (SLW) from the Narrabri/Moree region. Exponential growth in whitefly numbers coupled with honeydew on leaves indicates that the whitefly are probably SLW and not East Australian native Bemisia or Greenhouse whitefly (GHW). It is thought that increased host plant availability from a wet winter/spring, warm conditions and a decline in natural… Read more »
Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) is a serious pest of cotton. It reduces yield and quality of cotton due to feeding damage and excretion of honey dew. It is a difficult pest to manage due to its ability to rapidly increase in numbers and the development of resistance to many insecticides. Resistance testing for the 2007-08 season indicated no alarming results for… Read more »
With the Festive Season almost here and an irrigation pending, is there value in applying a spray for mirids for peace of mind? This decision to apply an insurance spray needs to be carefully considered because it has the potential to cost much more in the long run. Where do mirids come from? Mirids overwinter as adults on wild hosts…. Read more »
David Murray, Toowoomba Farm hygiene is an important component of integrated pest management (IPM), particularly when it comes to managing pests such as cotton aphids and Cotton Bunchy Top (CBT) disease. Recent surveys of cotton-growing areas indicate the presence of aphids and CBT, and wetter conditions through the coming winter could favour the growth of weeds that are… Read more »
In the last week, reports from the Downs are suggesting that silverleaf whitefly (SLW) numbers have increased rapidly, and now there are a number of fields that have a population at or exceeding the treatment threshold. This posting has been compiled from information and discussion with Richard Sequeira (Principal Entomologist, Emerald) and Paul Grundy (Senior Entomologist, Ayr) who have considerable… Read more »
Reports of increasing numbers of whitefly are filtering in from across the Downs. In some cases, numbers are sufficient to suggest that control of Silverleaf Whitefly (SLW) may be warranted. Correct identification and regular monitoring of populations is essential to determine if intervention is necessary. Which whiteflies are out there? Results of whitefly samples identified from Downs cotton crops… Read more »
There is an increasing number of reports of whitefly in cotton crops on the Downs. Typically, whitefly start appearing in crops in mid to late summer, once populations have built up on weed hosts or other host crops (e.g. sunflower) adjacent to cotton crops.So far this season we have been able to make collections of whitefly adults and immatures (scale)… Read more »