Grain growers and agronomists in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland have a unique opportunity to be involved in a Rutherglen bug (RGB) project to better inform RGB management strategies by either: reporting Rutherglen bug sightings online or signing up for a sampling kit to collect Rutherglen bugs for DNA analysis. A native migratory species, Rutherglen bug causes occasional… Read more »
History of FBA in Australia Faba bean aphid (FBA; Megoura crassicauda) originated from East Asia. First recorded in Australia in October 2016 in Sydney, FBA was confirmed in northwest NSW (Tamworth and Breeza) in September 2017. The aphid outbreak was controlled using Aphidex (500 g pirimicarb/kg). FBA was not observed again until 2020, where it was recorded on faba bean… Read more »
Leafhoppers (also known as jassids) rarely cause damage in cotton, so some unusual symptoms (leaf chlorosis that presented a little like cotton bunchy top disease) across several cotton fields in Queensland’s Burnett region last month that appeared to be associated with leafhoppers had both taxonomists and virologists searching for an explanation. Both the damage and leafhoppers present shared many of… Read more »
Since early 2020, growers and agronomists have been nervous about the prospect of fall armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) invading their crops. So far, the majority of significant and damaging FAW infestations have been recorded from sweet corn, maize, and sorghum crops, with some isolated outbreaks in horticultural crops such as ginger and capsicum. Occurrences in other crops have been a… Read more »
Fall armyworm (FAW) are still active across the Northern Grains Region, but inland Central and Southern Queensland have not experienced continuous population build up in crops since the first immigration of moths in September–October. One of the major contributors to this continuing low pressure is probably the very high natural enemy (beneficial) impact on FAW. A number of very common… Read more »
Most people check the outlook for storms, but have you checked the outlook for swarms recently? After the widespread plague locust activity in southern Queensland and northern NSW in late spring to early summer in 2020, and given the recent rain in some districts, you might be interested to know what the outlook is for locusts and grasshoppers in your… Read more »
With the detection of fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) throughout Queensland and now in major cropping regions in NSW, growers are wondering about the best management options for protecting their summer cereal crops. The latest research from NSW DPI provides information that can assist growers in deciding the most appropriate course of action for managing outbreaks of fall armyworm if… Read more »
Helicoverpa outbreaks in wheat are relatively rare events. The last big outbreak, in 2016, was the first significant event for several decades, so treating helicoverpa in wheat is not something that many agronomists are familiar with. However, 2020 looks to be a year when helicoverpa infestations in some crops may warrant control. Wet winters are well correlated with outbreaks of… Read more »
Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is an exotic pest that was first detected on the Australian mainland in February 2020. State and federal biosecurity organisations have determined it to be unfeasible to eradicate this pest and it is now classified as endemic. In response to this incursion, the Queensland Government has funded a network of traps to better understand the… Read more »
The annual Helicoverpa spp. pheromone trapping program for the Northern Grains Region commenced last month. During the first few weeks of trap catches, trap operators have detected flights of both H. punctigera and H. armigera in pheromone traps across the Northern Region. As we have seen in the last six years of our trapping program, H. armigera flights are consistently… Read more »