Website crops up to take on pest war
DAFF senior entomologist Hugh Brier explains the benefits of monitoring insects. Pictures: DAFF.
Helicoverpa is a pest of all grain crops in Australia.
GRAIN growers have a new weapon in the war against insect pests.
A new comprehensive information website - IPM Guidelines for Grains - is now live.
The website offers detailed information and advice on the management of major insect pests within Australia's major grain crops including specific recommendations for each stage of crop development.
Created by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Department's entomology team in conjunction with collaborators in all grain growing regions of Australia, the website will equip growers and advisers with the latest industry advice to minimise production loss and implement effective, long-term pest management practices on a whole-of-farm basis.
DAFF entomology senior extension officer Kate Charleston said the guidelines took a problem- solving approach as opposed to being a rigid set of management guidelines, drawing on all available pest management tools to tailor recommendations according to crop type, growth stage and location.
"This website provides easy-to-find information that you are unlikely to find on any other pest management website," Ms Charleston said.
"Essentially what we have done is collected all the known information about integrated pest management in grains, including some novel practices, and applied this to specific pests and crops.
"Pest pages focus on management tactics for each crop stage including off-season operations and planning, while in the crop pages, we have provided risk tables to address questions such as when the crop is most at risk from pests, is there something I can do to minimise pest pressure, or can certain environmental conditions make the crop more susceptible to certain pests?
"In addition to targeted IPM recommendations, the website contains an extensive collection of supporting material that is available both on the site and via external links, as well as a series of images to help users identify individual pest species."
The website is funded by the National Invertebrate Pest Initiative, which is supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and brings together scientists from state government departments, universities, farmer groups, and CSIRO to address pest management issues in the Australian grains industry.
For further information, go to the website www.ipmguide linesforgrains.com.au.