However, in some years, very high pest activity results in more severe cob damage, with larvae often tunnelling into the sides of cobs. In such cases grain samples may contain fungus-affected grains and mycotoxins, causing a downgrade in the quality of harvested grain.
Outbreaks of mealybugs have recently been reported from a number of cotton farms in central Queensland. While mealybugs are considered a minor pest of cotton, they have, on rare occasions, reached minor outbreak levels or ‘hotspots’ in commercial crops in central Queensland
The quick finish for winter cereals this season has resulted in the majority of crops escaping infestations of armyworm. Headers are already into some fields, but there are reports of armyworm making their presence felt in some of the later crops.
With the approach of spring, helicoverpa start to become active. In CQ, chickpea crops are attractive to moths, and it is timely to revisit some of the key points related to making decisions about control of this pest in crops.In this article, I wanted to discuss a couple of the recommendations which some growers and agronomists have found a bit… Read more »
The most critical issues we face in managing cereal aphids currently is the lack of local knowledge about the likely impact of infestations on yield and quality (the damage thresholds). (http://thebeatsheet-ipmnews.blogspot.com/2008/09/cereal-aphids-in-wheat-and-barley.html).
Field crickets High numbers of field crickets have been reported across the Darling Downs in the last couple of weeks, with some large aggregations of adults attracted to lights at night. Are these crickets doing damage to crops? The answer may well be yes. .
Mirids can cause significant crop losses in mungbeans with yield reductions of up to 25-50% common where high mirid populations (eg 10/m2) are left uncontrolled. Mirids can reduce yields by 60 kg/ha for every mirid/m2 of crop. Mirids can be present in mungbeans at any stage from seedlings to podding. Budding, flowering and early-podding crops are at greatest risk. Low… 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 »
Revised thresholds for helicoverpa in flowering/podding mungbeans are based on a rate of damage of 35 kg/ha per larva per square metre in podding crops. The new thresholds are nearly double the old threshold of 1/m2, and make allowances for variations in control costs and crop value. For a typical scenario with pesticide control (including aerial application) costing $40/ha and… 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 »