Pest, disease and weed management

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Research outcomes: A comprehensive RD&E program that addresses existing and emerging pests, diseases and weeds, allowing sugarcane growers to manage their crops efficiently with minimal environmental impacts. An enhanced industry capacity to deal with incursions of exotic pests, diseases and weeds.

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1992 - 19995

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Author: search.filters.author.Allsopp, PGSubject: search.filters.subject.Pest control

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Methods for accurate identification of canegrubs : SRDC final report BS97S
    (BSES, 1999) Allsopp, PG; Miller, LJ
    The objectives of the project were; determine morphological characters for accurate identifica6tion of larvae and adults of all species of canegrubs; validate the usefulness of morphological characters through DNA analysis; produce written and computer-based keys to enable extension staff and growers to accurately identify larvae and adults of canegrubs.
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    Rhopaea Canegrub - Assessment of Pest Status and an RD&E program for improved Management in the Tweed Valley
    (BSES, 1996) Allsopp, PG
    I visited the Tweed Valley area to assess the pest status of rhopaea canegrub, diagnose reasons for grower dissatisfaction with present control options, and, with affected growers and technical staff to develop a research, development and extension program aimed at improving management strategies for minimising the impact of these canegrubs.My main findings wereRhopaea canegrub is an economic pest of sugarcane in the Tweed area, mainly on the peat soils, and causes important losses to some of the otherwise most productive growers.The year 1-year life cycle, poor dispersal by adult females, presence of larvae high in the soil profile, and the acidic, organic and friable soils all influence control options and the efficacy of these options.suSCon Blue is giving inadequate control. The insecticide is being placed too deep to contact grubs and the low grub populations in the first two years followling replanting means that the effect of much of the active ingredient is wasted.Knockdown insecticides have a limited potential because of the grub's one year life cycle and because crops are not irrigated.Cultural controls, such as rolling, plough-out and fallowing, and use of tolerant varieties have considerable potential for use as management tools.Green-cane trash-blanketing or trash incorporation may change the farming system in the medium-term future and their effects on rhopaea canegrubs are unkown.There is a core group of growers who are very aware of the problem and who are very enthusiastic about testing alternative and integrated management options.A RD&E plan, which incorporates all of the above options, was developed in conjunction with growers and extension officers. This program should be developed for funding from SRDC and insectide companies and would provide a good project for a postgraduate student. The key components of this program are
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    Factors influencing populations of Eumargarodes laingi and promargarodes spp. in sugarcane at Bundaberg and derivation of sequential sampling plans
    (BSES, 1992) Walker, PW; Allsopp, PG
    A survey of the margarodids Eumargarodes laingi Jakubski and Promargarodes spp. in sugarcane was carried out at Bundaberg. E. laingi cyst numbers were influenced by soil type; Promargarodes spp. numbers did not differ between soil types, but there were differences between cultivars. There were more E. laingi and Promargarodes spp. cysts in older crops. The number of times the previous fallow was ploughed and rotary hoed influenced E. laingi numbers, but not Promargarodes spp. numbers. There were fewer E. laingi cysts following a long fallow, but crop rotations did not affect E. laingi numbers. There were trends to lower Promargarodes spp. numbers following a long fallow or a sugarcane-rockmelon rotation. Fields treated with chlorpyrifos (emulsifiable concentrate) had lower numbers of E. laingi than those treated with controlled-release chlorpyrifos; Promargarodes spp. numbers were not influenced by insecticide applications. Soil pH and electrical conductivity, ripping during fallow, type of irrigation, and nematicides used did not affect numbers of E. laingi or Promargarodes spp.
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    Risk to the Australian Sugar Industry from exotic insect pests : Pest Incursion Management Plan version 1
    (BSES, 1999) Allsopp, PG; FitzGibbon, F; De Barro, PJ
    In response to the risk of entry of animal diseases, which could not only affect animal industries but also human health, the AUSTVETPLAN concept was developed and refined over many years. AUSTVETPLAN contains detailed contingency plans for response to incursions of specific serious animal diseases. Detailed agreements on the cost sharing arrangements for eradication programs are included for some of these diseases. Plant industries are faced with a much wider range of species that need protection and exotic pest species that could cause serious economic losses. The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Resource Management (SCARM) has developed a general, non-specific, incursion management strategy (SIMS) (Fig. 1). This strategy outlines the broad areas of an incursion management plan and the appropriate authorities involved. The key feature of the strategy is the operation of a national Consultative Committee that is convened under the auspices of Plant Health Committee after an incursion occurs. Recently, the SCARM Task Force on Incursion Management (STF) has developed a generic incursion management plan (GIMP) for the plant industries. This plan outlines the four steps to incursion management: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (Fig. 2). These plans give a good basis for development of specific management plans.
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    Studies on the biology of negatoria and childers Canegrubs as a basis for development of improved controls : SRDC final report BS77S
    (BSES, 1998) Logan, DP; Allsopp, PG; Zalucki, MP
    The biology of the two most important species of canegrubs affecting sugarcane in southern Queensland. Childers canegrub (Antirogus parvulus Britton) and negatoria canegrub (Lepidiota negatoria Blackburn) was studied during a 5-year period. Rearing methods were developed and the phenology of each species was determined. Data were collected on development, mortality and reproduction in laboratory and field trials; these data were summarised as a computer model for each species. Various management scenarios were simulated using the computer models. Short crop-length (3-4 years) and consistent application of control measures (insecticide and plough-out) could drive populations of canegrubs to extinction after 5-8 generations. Further field data are needed to validate many of the results of the model.