The Beatsheet

Autumn insect webinar
2023-05-04 14:00 - 15:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
Join NSW DPI and QDAF experts in this online webinar, providing updates on key summer pests (fall armyworm, corn earworm, Rutherglen bug) and prospects for the upcoming season on aphids, establishment pests, and other things to be aware of.
Download the flyer (780kb pdf)
Register for this webinar (via zoom)

GRDC Spray Days – Osborne
2023-03-28
Technology and social licence are changing how we spray fallow and crops. Come to the GRDC Spray Day at Osborne in March to discuss the latest spray technology innovations and stewardship with industry experts.
In the afternoon trade display session, growers can focus in on the technologies they are most interested in, with direct access to leading industry technology providers.
Cost is free (morning tea and lunch provided), but registration essential for catering purposes.
For more information and to register, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Spray Days – Narrabri
2023-03-23
Come to the GRDC Spray Day at Jondaryan in March to discuss the latest spray technology innovations and stewardship with industry experts.
In the afternoon trade display session, growers can focus in on the technologies they are most interested in, with direct access to leading industry technology providers.
Cost is free (morning tea and lunch provided), but registration essential for catering purposes.
For more information and to register, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Spray Days – Jondaryan
2023-03-22

Improving powdery mildew management in mungbean: field walk and workshop – Toowoomba
2023-03-20
20 March 9am-12 at UniSQ
Powdery mildew is a disease that impacts mungbean crops annually and if left unmanaged can cause yield losses of up to 40%. With little genetic resistance in current varieties, management relies on the application of fungicides. As a result of a previous GRDC investment, a decision support tool, the PowderyMildewMBM app was released to help guide fungicide application decisions by providing the most likely economic returns from making a fungicide application (or two). The project entitled ‘Improving Powdery Mildew Management in Mungbean’, co-funded by GRDC and UniSQ, was initiated to realise the benefits of the app and to minimise the impact of this disease to the mungbean industry.
For more information, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Grains Research Update Mullaley
2023-03-02
8:30 am – 3:10 pm Thursday 2 March 2023
For more information and to register visit https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2023/03/grdc-grains-research-update-mullaley

GRDC Grains Research Update – Goondiwindi
2023-02-28 - 2023-03-01
9:30 am Tuesday 28 February – 3:10 pm Wednesday 1 March 2023
Includes a presentation on ‘Fall armyworm impacts by crop, management strategy & resistance by Melina Miles (DAF Qld)
For more information and to register visit https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2023/02/grdc-grains-research-update-goondiwindi

GRDC Grains Research Update – Dubbo
2023-02-22
9:30 am – 3 pm Wednesday 22 February 2023
For more information and to register visit https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2023/02/grdc-grains-research-update-dubbo

GroundUp Agtech Showcase Day – Toowoomba
2023-02-16 14:00 - 18:00
Discover some of the latest innovations in the grains sector at the Agtech and Logistics Hub’s GroundUp Agtech Showcase Day at the Agtech and Logisctics Hub, corner of Witmack Road and Vision Street, Wellcamp, Toowoomba, QLD 4350
Drones, drift reduction technology and farm safety software are just some of the cutting-edge agtech that will be on display.
GroundUp Agtech Showcase Day Flyer
For more information and to register, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Grains Research Update – Corowa
2023-02-16
8:30 am – 3 pm Thursday 16 February 2023
For more information and to register visit https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2023/02/grdc-grains-research-update-corowa

GRDC Grains Research Update Wagga Wagga
2023-02-14 - 2023-02-15
9:30 am Tuesday 14 February – 3 pm Wednesday 15 February 2023
For more information and to register visit https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2023/02/grdc-grains-research-update-wagga-wagga

Insect workshop (Chinchilla)
2022-11-30 09:30 - 15:00
A workshop on insect identification and management will be held at Chinchilla on Wednesday 30 November.
Previous workshops were held in Toowoomba and Narrabri in October.
To register your interest and secure a place visit https://thebeatsheet.com.au/workshop-registrations-2022

GRDC online update - the new inversion tower network and reducing spray drift risk
2022-11-29 08:00 - 09:30
Managing spray logistics is a challenge. Knowing when conditions are suitable for spraying to avoid spray drift is a critical part of this puzzle. The new inversion tower network will help take the guess work out of when you can and can’t spray and potentially open more spraying hours with greater certainty.
This technology will help define when you can and cannot spray and when combined with understanding the tweaks you can make to boom setup to reduce drift risk, will help in getting over your country in an efficient and timely manner.
Join us to hear from Gordon Cumming from GRDC, Harry Pickering from Adama and Andrew Hewitt from the University of Queensland on these spray technologies.
Topics:

The inversion tower network to identify the presence of hazardous temperature inversions. How this network can be used to benefit on-farm decision-making. Gordon Cumming (GRDC)
Reducing drift risk – best practice and relative importance of boom speed and height, nozzle type, droplet size and water volume. Harry Pickering (Adama)
Fine tuning drift reduction. Andrew Hewitt (CPAS, UQ)

New nozzles and their performance
Wind tunnel studies

Register at the GRDC website.

GRDC Spray Days – Emerald
2022-11-22 08:30 - 15:30
GRDC Spray Days cover the latest developments in spray application technology and stewardship for grain growers and their advisers. GRDC Spray Days provide a platform for growers to interact with industry to hear about, see and discuss spray technology innovations with industry experts, enabling growers to make more informed decisions on spray equipment investment and how to use technology for optimum benefit.
Mornings are formatted as presentations and discussions with topics selected by a local panel. In the afternoon trade display session, growers can focus in on the technologies they are most interested in, with direct access to leading industry technology providers.
Cost is free (morning tea and lunch provided), but registration essential for catering purposes.
For more information or to register, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Online Update – Wet conditions, high insect pressure and changed behaviour
2022-10-27 08:00 - 09:15
Exceedingly wet conditions in 2022 will mean different, and in some cases more, insect pests than we have become used to in the drier years.
Helicoverpa is already in very high numbers, with numbers likely to increase as the summer progresses. Helicoverpa armigera, which was last seen in wheat in 2016, is already in high numbers in Central and southern Qld. The Helicoverpa infestations add to the armyworm infestations in most regions. Other key pest species that are favoured by wetter years include sorghum midge, Rutherglen bug, aphids and the suite of summer pulse pests. QDAF principal entomologist Melina Miles will cover best advice on how to identify, monitor and manage insect pressure as we head into summer 2022/23. Topics will include:

Helicoverpa armigera in wheat
Expectations of high pressure of H. armigera and H. punctigera
Impact of wet weather on pests including Rutherglen bug, armyworm in barley, sorghum midge and summer pulse insects
DARABUG – a tool to forecast larval growth rates and damage risk for insect monitoring and spraying.

Register at the GRDC website.

FAW field day (sweet corn) at DAF Bowen
2022-10-19 15:30 - 17:30
The DAF horticulture team are holding a FAW afternoon from 3:30-5:30 pm at the Bowen Research Station, showcasing their sweet corn demonstration sites.
The 2 hour session will include:

Fall armyworm research updates
Demonstrations of drone spray application in sweet corn
Displays of parasitoids, predators, pathogens found in the field, & fall armyworm management information.

For more information, visit the fall armyworm management on sweet corn site on DAF’s engagement hub, or see the event flyer. (1MB pdf).

Insect workshop (Narrabri)
2022-10-19 09:00 - 15:00
A workshop on insect identification and management will be held at Narrabri’s RSL on Wednesday 19 October.
This is the second of three to be held in 2022, with the first occurring in Toowoomba on Wednesday 12 October, and the third TBA.
To register your interest and secure a place visit https://thebeatsheet.com.au/workshop-registrations-2022

Insect workshop (Toowoomba)
2022-10-12 09:00 - 15:00
A workshop on insect identification and management will be held at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Tor St complex on Wednesday 12 October.
This is the first of three to be held in 2022, with the second occurring in Narrabri on Wednesday 19 October, and the third TBA.
To register your interest visit https://thebeatsheet.com.au/workshop-registrations-2022

GRDC online update: Stripe rust
2022-09-28 09:00 - 10:30
Theme: Stripe rust update for spring 2022 – what’s happening?
Topics

Stripe rust pathotype update – what’s out there and implications for current cultivars (Robert Park, University of Sydney PBI)
High inoculum loads and the economics of spraying high yield potential crops for stripe rust (Nick Poole, Far Australia)
Stripe rust – what’s happening in the paddock in this very high pressure year? (Steven Simpfendorfer, NSW DPI)

Adult plant resistance (APR) reaction under high inoculum load
Temperature and APR expression – is there an issue?
Pathotypes – is there field evidence of changes, or are field observations in line with seasonal inoculum loads?

Webinar starts at 9am (AEST) on 28 September and is free of charge.
Register at the GRDC website.

GRDC Spray Days - Temora
2022-09-13 08:30 - 16:00
Technology and social license are changing how we spray fallow and field crops. Come to a GRDC Spray Day in September to discuss the latest spray technology innovations and stewardship with industry experts.
Spray Days will assist growers to make more informed decisions on spray equipment investment and how to use technology for optimum benefit.
In the afternoon trade display session, growers can focus in on the technologies they are most interested in, with direct access to leading industry technology providers.
For more information or to register, visit the GRDC website.

GRDC Spray Days – Narromine
2022-09-12 08:30 - 16:00
Technology and social license are changing how we spray fallow and field crops. Come to a GRDC Spray Day in September to discuss the latest spray technology innovations and stewardship with industry experts.
Spray Days will assist growers to make more informed decisions on spray equipment investment and how to use technology for optimum benefit.
In the afternoon trade display session, growers can focus in on the technologies they are most interested in, with direct access to leading industry technology providers.
For more information and to register, visit the GRDC website.

Webinar: Pest prospects for spring 2022
2022-09-08 13:00 - 14:00
With the wetter winter and prospects of another La Niña in 2022-23, it is worth taking a look at what this is likely to mean for insect pests and their management.
Wetter conditions typically allow many insect species to survive over winter because there are more plant hosts available. This often leads to earlier build-up of pests, and potentially higher pressure through summer.
And it’s not only local pest build-up that impacts crops; wetter conditions in other regions can promote an abundance of migratory pests like Helicoverpa punctigera, native armyworm species, Rutherglen bugs and some aphid species. We are therefore likely to see issues with pests that have been relatively uncommon over the past few years.
In addition to pest abundance, wet conditions can exacerbate losses in insect-damaged plants and pods. Wet conditions can also impact crop monitoring and prevent timely treatment. On the plus side, many biocontrol agents (such as Metarhizium) are more commonly seen in wet seasons.
The webinar was held on Thursday 8 September from 1-2 pm (AEST) and included timely information on likely pest activity and impacts, along with some tricks and tips for monitoring in wet seasons (including how to use the DARABUG2 insect growth model).
Speakers included Melina Miles, Hugh Brier and Adam Quade from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Zorica Duric from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
A recording of this webinar can be found on the Beatsheet’s Presentations page.

Insect workshop - Goondiwindi
2021-07-21 09:00 - 15:30
DAF, with support from GRDC, will be running several insect identification and management workshops in June and July.
These workshops will cover:

hands-on sessions and group discussion
efficient and effective sampling
an overview of insect development and identification tips
thresholds and how to use them
a look at specific crops (including a session on insects in stored grain)
information on available resources

The content will be targeted to early career agronomists, but registration is also open to those looking for a refresher in the above topics.
The Goondiwindi workshop is planned for Wednesday 21 July from 9am to about 3:30pm, with lunch provided.
Places are limited. To register, email Tonia Grundy (tonia.grundy@daf.qld.gov.au) with the following details:
Name:
Company:
Phone:
Preferred date:
Food allergies:
Key issues I’d like to see included:
Read GRDC media release

Insect workshop - Emerald
2021-07-14 09:00 - 15:30
DAF, with support from GRDC, will be running several insect identification and management workshops in June and July.
These workshops will cover:

hands-on sessions and group discussion
efficient and effective sampling
an overview of insect development and identification tips
thresholds and how to use them
a look at specific crops (including a session on insects in stored grain)
information on available resources

The content will be targeted to early career agronomists, but registration is also open to those looking for a refresher in the above topics.
The Emerald workshop is planned for Wednesday 14 July from 9am to about 3:30pm, with lunch provided.
Places are limited. To register, email Tonia Grundy (tonia.grundy@daf.qld.gov.au) with the following details:
Name:
Company:
Phone:
Preferred date:
Food allergies:
Key issues I’d like to see included:
Read GRDC media release

Insect workshop - Toowoomba
2021-06-17 09:00 - 15:30
DAF, with support from GRDC, will be running several insect identification and management workshops in June and July.
These workshops will cover:

hands-on sessions and group discussion
efficient and effective sampling
an overview of insect development and identification tips
thresholds and how to use them
a look at specific crops (including a session on insects in stored grain)
information on available resources

The content will be targeted to early career agronomists, but registration is also open to those looking for a refresher in the above topics.
The Toowoomba workshop is on Thursday 17 June from 9am to about 3:30pm, with lunch provided.
Places are limited. To register, email Tonia Grundy (tonia.grundy@daf.qld.gov.au) with the following details:
Name:
Company:
Phone:
Preferred date:
Food allergies:
Key issues I’d like to see included:
Read GRDC media release

Insect workshop - Dalby
2021-06-16 09:00 - 15:30
DAF, with support from GRDC, will be running several insect identification and management workshops in June and July.
These workshops will cover:

hands-on sessions and group discussion
efficient and effective sampling
an overview of insect development and identification tips
thresholds and how to use them
a look at specific crops (including a session on insects in stored grain)
information on available resources

The content will be targeted to early career agronomists, but registration is also open to those looking for a refresher in the above topics.
The Dalby workshop is on Wednesday 16 June from 9am to about 3:30pm, with lunch provided.
Places are limited. To register, email Tonia Grundy (tonia.grundy@daf.qld.gov.au) with the following details:
Name:
Company:
Phone:
Preferred date:
Food allergies:
Key issues I’d like to see included:
Read GRDC media release

Managing Climate Variability R&D Program and Extreme Events Forecasting webinar
2020-06-25 13:00 - 14:00
Hosted by Meat & Livestock Australia, the webinar will provide an overview of the long-standing cross-sectoral Managing Climate Variability (MCV) Program and introduce the Forewarned is Forearmed (FWFA) Rural R&D for Profit Project.
His presentation will focus on the outputs, outcomes and impacts sought from the MCV and FWFA for individual producers and broader industry benefit.
Registration page.

Pest updates in field crops and potential future season impacts (NSW)
2020-06-03 16:00 - 17:00
NSW DPI will be hosting a webinar on 3 June from 4-5 pm.

The program will include:

Insect pests in a drought-breaking year – Hugh Brier (QDAF entomologist)
Aphid update – Zorica Duric (NSW DPI entomologist)
Virus disease outlook on pulse crops for 2020 – Joop van Leur (NSW DPI plant pathologist)
Fall armyworm experience in Queensland – Melina Miles (QDAF principal entomologist)
Fall armyworm surveillance in NSW – Bill Gordon (NSW DPI Biosecurity Officer)

Register for the session.

Northern grains region pest management seasonal update (QLD)
2020-05-27 16:00 - 17:00
This summer season has been memorable for a number of reasons, not all of them good.
Please join DAF entomologists Melina Miles and Hugh Brier, DAF pathologist Lisa Kelly and NSW DPI entomologist Zorica Duric as they provide an overview of issues encountered in summer crops. They will also cover things to consider as winter approaches.
The session will be interactive, with a view to answering as many of your questions as possible.
Presentations will cover topics selected from field observations and industry enquiries:

Summer and autumn pest outbreaks in grains and pulse crops
Summer pulse disease review
Aphid update
Fall armyworm in Australia – overview of experience to date
Potential issues for the winter season.

Attendees are encouraged to fill out the questions area at registration or submit questions by email prior to the session (by 5pm Monday 25th), as questions on the day may be limited by time.
NSW DPI will be running a similar session focused on issues in NSW on 3 June, 2020.
Download the flyer | Register for the update.
This update is supported by IPMforGrains: Best Practice Insect Pest Management, delivered by the National Pest Information Network (DAF, NSW DPI, cesar, SARDI and DPIRD) with GRDC investment and in-kind contributions from participating organisations.
