Analysing industry needs to fine tune IPM project activities

As a first step to better targeting the activities of a project for improving management of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentialis, (WFT) in field grown vegetable crops, we surveyed growers, consultants and other agribusiness personnel in two regions of Queensland. Using face-to-face interviews, we collected data on key pests and measures used to manage them, the importance of WFT and associated viral diseases, sources of pest management information and additional skills and knowledge needed by growers and industry. Responses were similar in the two regions. While capsicum growers in one northern Queensland district had suffered serious losses from WFT damage in 2002, in general the pest was not seen as a major problem. In cucurbit crops, the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci biotype B) was considered the most difficult insect pest to manage. Pest control tactics were largely based on pesticides although many respondents mentioned non-chemical methods such as good farm hygiene practices, control of weed hosts and regular crop monitoring, particularly when prompted. Respondents wanted to know more about pest identification, biology and damage, spray application and the best use of insecticides. Natural enemies were mentioned infrequently. Keeping up to date with available pesticide options, availability of new chemicals and options for a district-wide approach to managing pests emerged as key issues. Growers identified agricultural distributors, consultants, Queensland Department of Primary Industries staff, other growers and their own experience as important sources of information. Field days, workshops and seminars did not rank highly. Busy vegetable growers wanted these activities to be short and relevant, and preferred to be contacted by post and facsimile rather than email. In response to these results, we are focusing on three core, interrelated project extension strategies: (i) short workshops, seminars and farm walks to provide opportunities for discussion, training and information sharing with growers and their agribusiness advisors; (ii) communication via newsletters and information leaflets; (iii) support for commercialisation of services.

Combined treatments of spinosad and chlorpyrifos-methyl for management of resistant psocid pests (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) of stored grain

The combined efficacy of spinosad and chlorpyrifos-methyl was determined against four storage psocid pests belonging to genus Liposcelis. This research was undertaken because of the increasing importance of these psocids in stored grain and the problem of finding grain protectants to control resistant strains. Firstly, mortality and reproduction were determined for adults exposed to wheat freshly treated with either spinosad (0.5 and 1 mg kg-1) or chlorpyrifos-methyl (2.5, 5 and 10 mg kg-1) or combinations of spinosad and chlorpyrifos-methyl at 30°C and 70% RH. There were significant effects of application rate of spinosad and chlorpyrifos-methyl, both individually and in combination, on adult mortality and progeny reduction of all four psocids. Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel and L. decolor (Pearman) responded similarly, with incomplete control of adults and progeny at both doses of spinosad but complete control in all chlorpyrifos-methyl and combined treatments. In L. entomophila (Enderlein) and L. paeta Pearman, however, complete control of adults and progeny was only achieved in the combined treatments, with the exception of spinosad 0.5 mg kg-1 plus chlorpyrifos-methyl 2.5 mg kg-1 against L. entomophila. Next, combinations of spinosad (0.5 and 1 mg kg-1) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (2.5, 5 and 10 mg kg-1) in bioassays after 0, 1.5 and 3 months storage of treated wheat were evaluated. The best treatment was 1 mg kg -1 of spinosad plus 10 mg kg-1 of chlorpyrifos-methyl, providing up to 3 months of protection against infestations of all four Liposcelis spp. on wheat.

eResearch Archive: reaching global agricultural communities

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Library achieved a significant breakthrough in the provision of Open Access to Australian publicly funded research with the launch of its eResearch Archive (eRA). With more than one thousand publication records, journal articles, conferences papers and research reports now available to farmers, industry representatives, academics, researchers, students and members of the public throughout the world, the archive is the first web accessible multidisciplinary science institutional repository produced by an Australian government department.

A method for mapping the distribution and density of rabbits and other vertebrate pests in Australia

The European wild rabbit has been considered Australia’s worst vertebrate pest and yet little effort appears to have gone into producing maps of rabbit distribution and density. Mapping the distribution and density of pests is an important step in effective management. A map is essential for estimating the extent of damage caused and for efficiently planning and monitoring the success of pest control operations. This paper describes the use of soil type and point data to prepare a map showing the distribution and density of rabbits in Australia. The potential for the method to be used for mapping other vertebrate pests is explored. The approach used to prepare the map is based on that used for rabbits in Queensland (Berman et al. 1998). An index of rabbit density was determined using the number of Spanish rabbit fleas released per square kilometre for each Soil Map Unit (Atlas of Australian Soils). Spanish rabbit fleas were released into active rabbit warrens at 1606 sites in the early 1990s as an additional vector for myxoma virus and the locations of the releases were recorded using a Global Positioning System (GPS). Releases were predominantly in arid areas but some fleas were released in south east Queensland and the New England Tablelands of New South Wales. The map produced appears to reflect well the distribution and density of rabbits, at least in the areas where Spanish fleas were released. Rabbit pellet counts conducted in 2007 at 54 sites across an area of south east South Australia, south eastern Queensland, and parts of New South Wales (New England Tablelands and south west) in soil Map Units where Spanish fleas were released, provided a preliminary means to ground truth the map. There was a good relationship between mean pellet count score and the index of abundance for soil Map Units. Rabbit pellet counts may allow extension of the map into other parts of Australia where there were no Spanish rabbit fleas released and where there may be no other consistent information on rabbit location and density. The recent Equine Influenza outbreak provided a further test of the value of this mapping method. The distribution and density of domestic horses were mapped to provide estimates of the number of horses in various regions. These estimates were close to the actual numbers of horses subsequently determined from vaccination records and registrations. The soil Map Units are not simply soil types they contain information on landuse and vegetation and the soil classification is relatively localised. These properties make this mapping method useful, not only for rabbits, but also for other species that are not so dependent on soil type for survival.

Weed management in wide-row cropping systems: a review of current practices and risks for Australian farming systems.

Growing agricultural crops in wide row spacings has been widely adopted to conserve water, to control pests and diseases, and to minimise problems associated with sowing into stubble. The development of herbicide resistance combined with the advent of precision agriculture has resulted in a further reason for wide row spacings to be adopted: weed control. Increased row spacing enables two different methods of weed control to be implemented with non-selective chemical and physical control methods utilised in the wide inter-row zone, with or without selective chemicals used on the on-row only. However, continual application of herbicides and tillage on the inter-row zone brings risks of herbicide resistance, species shifts and/or changes in species dominance, crop damage, increased costs, yield losses, and more expensive weed management technology.

A strategic approach to mitigating the impacts of wild canids: proposed activities of the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre

Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock industries and environmental values. Both species are actively managed as pests to livestock production. Contemporaneously, the dingo proportion of the wild dog population, being considered native, is protected in areas designated for wildlife conservation. Wild dogs particularly affect sheep and goat production because of the behavioural responses of domestic sheep and goats to attack, and the flexible hunting tactics of wild dogs. Predation of calves, although less common, is now more economically important because of recent changes in commodity prices. Although sometimes affecting lambing and kidding rates, foxes cause fewer problems to livestock producers but have substantial impacts on environmental values, affecting the survival of small to medium-sized native fauna and affecting plant biodiversity by spreading weeds. Canid management in Australia relies heavily on the use of compound 1080-poisoned baits that can be applied aerially or by ground. Exclusion fencing, trapping, shooting, livestock-guarding animals and predator calling with shooting are also used. The new Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre has 40 partners representing private and public land managers, universities, and training, research and development organisations. One of the major objectives of the new IACRC is to apply a strategic approach in order to reduce the impacts of wild canids on agricultural and environmental values in Australia by 10%. In this paper, the impacts, ecology and management of wild canids in Australia are briefly reviewed and the first cooperative projects that will address IACRC objectives for improving wild dog management are outlined.

Pest-damage relationships for Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on soybean (Glycine max) and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) during pod-fill.

The response of soybean (Glycine max) and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) to feeding by Helicoverpa armigera during the pod-fill stage was studied in irrigated field cages over three seasons to determine the relationship between larval density and yield loss, and to develop economic injury levels. H. armigera intensity was calculated in Helicoverpa injury equivalent (HIE) units, where 1 HIE was the consumption of one larva from the start of the infestation period to pupation. In the dry bean experiment, yield loss occurred at a rate 6.00 ± 1.29 g/HIE while the rates of loss in the three soybean experiments were 4.39 ± 0.96 g/HIE, 3.70 ± 1.21 g/HIE and 2.12 ± 0.71 g/HIE. These three slopes were not statistically different (P > 0.05) and the pooled estimate of the rate of yield loss was 3.21 ± 0.55 g/HIE. The first soybean experiment also showed a split-line form of damage curve with a rate of yield loss of 26.27 ± 2.92 g/HIE beyond 8.0 HIE and a rapid decline to zero yield. In dry bean, H. armigera feeding reduced total and undamaged pod numbers by 4.10 ± 1.18 pods/HIE and 12.88 ± 1.57 pods/HIE respectively, while undamaged seed numbers were reduced by 35.64 ± 7.25 seeds/HIE. In soybean, total pod numbers were not affected by H. armigera infestation (out to 8.23 HIE in Experiment 1) but seed numbers (in Experiments 1 and 2) and the number of seeds/pod (in all experiments) were adversely affected. Seed size increased with increases in H. armigera density in two of the three soybean experiments, indicating plant compensatory responses to H. armigera feeding. Analysis of canopy pod profiles indicated that loss of pods occurred from the top of the plant downwards, but with an increase in pod numbers close to the ground at higher pest densities as the plant attempted to compensate for damage. Based on these results, the economic injury levels for H. armigera on dry bean and soybean are approximately 0.74 HIE and 2.31 HIE/m2, respectively (0.67 and 2.1 HIE/row-m for 91 cm rows).

The use of temperate species in the Australian subtropics.

Temperate species and tropical crop silage are the basis for forage production for the dairy industry in the Australian subtropics. Irrigation is the key resource needed for production, with little survival of temperate species under rain-grown conditions except for lucerne. Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), fertilised with either inorganic nitrogen or grown with clovers, is the main cool season forage for the dairy industry. It is sown into fully prepared seedbeds, oversown into tropical grasses, especially kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) or sown after mulching. There has been a continual improvement in the performance of annual and hybrid ryegrass cultivars over the last 25 years. In small plot, cutting experiments, yields of annual ryegrass typically range from 15 to 21 t DM/ha, with equivalent on-farm yields of 7 to 14 t DM/ha of utilised material. Rust (Puccinia coronata) remains the major concern although resistance is more stable than in oats. There have also been major improvements in the performance of perennial ryegrass (L. perenne) cultivars although their persistence under grazing is insufficient to make them a reliable forage source for the subtropics. On the other hand, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii) cultivars perform well under cutting and grazing, although farmer resistance to the use of tall fescue is strong. White clover (Trifolium repens) is a reliable and persistent performer although disease usually reduces its performance in the third year after sowing. Persian (Shaftal) annual clover (T. resupinatum) gives good winter production but the performance of berseem clover (T. alexandrinum) is less reliable and the sub clovers (T. subterraneum) are generally not suited to clay soils of neutral to alkaline pH. Lucerne (Medicago sativa), either as a pure stand or in mixtures, is a high producing legume under both irrigation and natural rainfall. Understanding the importance of leaf and crown diseases, and the development of resistant cultivars, have been the reasons for its reliability. Insects on temperate species are not as serious a problem in the subtropics as in New Zealand (NZ). Fungal and viral diseases, on the other hand, cause many problems and forage performance would benefit from more research into resistance.

Native and exotic pests of Eucalyptus: A worldwide perspective.

Eucalyptus species, native to Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Guinea, are the most widely planted hardwood timber species in the world. The trees, moved around the globe as seeds, escaped the diverse community of herbivores found in their native range. However, a number of herbivore species from the native range of eucalypts have invaded many Eucalyptus-growing regions in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America in the last 30 years. In addition, there have been shifts of native species, particularly in Africa, Asia, and South America, onto Eucalyptus. There are risks that these species as well as generalist herbivores from other parts of the world will invade Australia and threaten the trees in their native range. The risk to Eucalyptus plantations in Australia is further compounded by planting commercially important species outside their endemic range and shifting of local herbivore populations onto new host trees. Understanding the mechanisms underlying host specificity of Australian insects can provide insight into patterns of host range expansion of both native and exotic insects.

Identification of insects, spiders and mites in vegetable crops: Trainer's handbook

The trainers manual provides workshop plans and sample slides for trainers wishing to conduct the 'Identification of insects, spiders and mites in vegetable crops' workshop.

Healthy hardwoods. A field guide to pests, diseases and nutritional disorders in subtropical hardwoods.

Healthy hardwoods: A field guide to pests, diseases and nutritional disorders in subtropical hardwoods can be used to help identify the common damaging insects, fungi and nutritional disorders in young eucalypt (Eucalyptus and Corymbia species) plantations in subtropical eastern Australia. This guide includes photographs of each insect, fungus and nutritional disorder and the damage they cause, along with a brief description to aid identification. A brief host list for insects and fungi, including susceptibility and occurrence, is provided as a guide only. A hand lens will be useful, especially to identify fungi. Although it is possible to identify insects and fungi from these photographs, laboratory examination will sometimes be necessary. For example, microscopes and culturing media might be used to identify fungi. Information about four exotic pests and diseases has also been included in the Biosecurity threats chapter. Potentially, these would have a severe impact on plantation and natural forests if introduced into Australia. To prevent establishment of these pests, early detection and identification is crucial. If an exotic insect or disease is suspected, then an immediate response is required. Usually, the first response will be to contact the nearest Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service office or forestry agency to seek advice.

Passionfruit growing guide - Second edition

This edition of 'The passionfruit growing guide' is a substantial update of the first edition, which was published in 2006. Each chapter deals with a specific aspect of the development and management of a passionfruit plantation. This guide is intended for use by prospective, new and established growers and addresses all aspects of passionfruit growing, from site selection and planning through to harvesting and marketing the fruit. It provides practical advice and propogation, fertilising, irrigation, and pest disease and control. Also, it includes information on varieties of passionfruit, financial budgets, chemicals registered for use on passionfruit and useful contacts.

Near infrared spectroscopy as a rapid non-invasive tool for agricultural and industrial process management with special reference to avocado and sandalwood industries

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can play a vital role as a cost effective, rapid, non-invasive, reproducible diagnostic tool for many environmental management, agricultural and industrial waste water monitoring applications. In this paper we highlight the ability of NIRS technology to be used as a diagnostic tool in agricultural and environmental applications through the successful assessment of Fourier Transform NIRS to predict α santalol in sandalwood chip samples, and maturity of ‘Hass’ avocado fruit based on dry matter content. Presented at the Third International Conference on Challenges in Environmental Science & Engineering, CESE-2010. 26 September – 1 October 2010, The Sebel, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Integrated Pest Management in Ornamentals: Information Guide. Horticulture Series: Agrilink,your growing guide to better farming.

Each Agrilink kit has been designed to be both comprehensive and practical. As the kits are arranged to answer questions of increasing complexity, they are useful references for both new and experienced producers of specific crops. Agrilink integrates the technology of horticultural production with the management of horticultural enterprises. REPRINT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ! For updated information please call 13 25 23 or visit the website www.daff.qld.gov.au (Select: Queensland Industries – Agriculture link) This publication has been reprinted as a digital book without any changes to the content published in 2000. We advise readers to take particular note of the areas most likely to be out-of-date and so requiring further research: see detailed information on first page of the kit. Even with these limitations we believe this information kit provides important and valuable information for intending and existing growers. This publication was last revised in 2000. The information is not current and the accuracy of the information cannot be guaranteed by the State of Queensland. This information has been made available to assist users to identify issues involved in integrated pest management in ornamentals. This information is not to be used or relied upon by users for any purpose which may expose the user or any other person to loss or damage. Users should conduct their own inquiries and rely on their own independent professional advice. While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, the State of Queensland accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, expressed or implied, contained in this publication.

Sweet Persimmon Information Kit. Agrilink, your growing guide to better farming guide

Each Agrilink kit has been designed to be both comprehensive and practical. As the kits are arranged to answer questions of increasing complexity, they are useful references for both new and experienced producers of specific crops. Agrilink integrates the technology of horticultural production with the management of horticultural enterprises. REPRINT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ! For updated information please call 13 25 23 or visit the website www.deedi.qld.gov.au (Select: Queensland Industries – Agriculture link) This publication has been reprinted as a digital book without any changes to the content published in 2005. We advise readers to take particular note of the areas most likely to be out-of-date and so requiring further research: see detailed information on first page of the kit. Even with these limitations we believe this information kit provides important and valuable information for intending and existing growers. This publication was last revised in 2005. The information is not current and the accuracy of the information cannot be guaranteed by the State of Queensland. This information has been made available to assist users to identify issues involved in the production of sweet persimmon. This information is not to be used or relied upon by users for any purpose which may expose the user or any other person to loss or damage. Users should conduct their own inquiries and rely on their own independent professional advice. While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, the State of Queensland accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, expressed or implied, contained in this publication.