Category Archives: Pests

Detecting FAW in sorghum and corn

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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 »

On the lookout for swarms

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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 »

Latest FAW research – what to consider when making management decisions

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 in wheat – does it warrant control?

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 »

Large flights of fall armyworm detected in the Mackay region

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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 »

Flights of Helicoverpa armigera & H. punctigera detected throughout the Northern Grains Region in July and August

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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 »

Faba bean aphid is back in our faba bean crops this winter

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Faba bean aphid (FBA, Megoura crassicauda) was first noted in Australia on broad beans (Vicia faba L. cv. Coles Early Dwarf) in October 2016 in a Sydney suburb, (Hales et al., 2017). FBA was then recorded in September 2017 at two faba bean trial sites: NSW DPI Tamworth Agricultural Institute (TAI) and Liverpool Plains Field Station Breeza (LPFS Breeza). These… Read more »

Helicoverpa insecticide resistance levels so far this summer

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Each year NSW Department of Primary Industries conducts a Helicoverpa insecticide resistance surveillance program in the major summer cropping regions of NSW and QLD, focussed on detecting Helicoverpa resistance to the insecticides indoxacarb, emamectin benzoate and chlorantraniliprole. The program provides growers and advisors with an early warning system for potential resistance hot-spots in the northern region, and is essential for… Read more »

Leaf feeding beetle attacking millet

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Over the past week, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has received a number of enquiries about leaf damage in millet crops. The culprit is a native beetle (Oulema spp.), a member of the chrysomelid (leaf beetles) family. The larvae of the beetle are doing the leaf feeding. They are small, slimy-looking grubs with a hunched appearance. Fun… Read more »

A new approach to silverleaf whitefly sampling

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The first major outbreak of silverleaf whitefly (SLW) in Australia occurred in 2001-02 in central Queensland. Although it hasn’t occurred again in such biblical proportions, SLW has spread across Australia and is still a pest to watch in many cotton crops, as the honeydew it secretes contaminates the lint. The original SLW threshold matrix developed in central Queensland recommended looking… Read more »