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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Item Biosecurity research in PNG 2015-2017(ASSCT, 2018) Magarey, RC; Braithwaite, KS; Kuniata, LS; Thompson, NP; Korowi, K; Samson, PR; Tom, L; Sallam, N; Derby, LPAPUA NEW GUINEA is the centre of diversity for several species in the genus Saccharum, including S. officinarum, selections of which constituted the first commercial sugarcane varieties in Australia. Apart from providing germplasm for commercial sugarcane production world-wide, PNG is also home to pests and diseases that pose a unique and serious threat to commercial sugarcane production in Australia. These include members of the noctuid moth borer group, an oomycete causing downy mildew and the viral disease, Ramu stunt. Australian scientists have been working alongside PNG counterparts to develop management strategies that will assist with pest and disease management in PNG and enable effective preparation for a possible incursion into Australia. Over the past three years, significant outputs from the research have included a much better understanding of causal agents, specific diagnostic tests, an understanding of pest and disease distribution and faster methods for varietal resistance screening.Item A metarhizium-based product for control of cane pests : SRDC final report BSS134(BSES, 2000) Samson, PR; Robertson, LN; Milner, RJ; Bullard, GKThe fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is a naturally occurring pathogen of soil insects in Australia. Metarhizium can be used as a bioinsecticide for control of canegrubs by mass-producing spores on rice and applying the resulting product into canefields. Numbers of greyback canegrub in plant cane have been consistently reduced by more than 50% when spores of isolate FI-1045 together with the rice medium have been applied at 33 kg/ha. About 18 t of this product were applied in semi-commercial trials in 1997-1999. The product was registered as BioCane™ Granules in March 2000. FI-1045 has also given some control of southern one-year canegrub. Another isolate, FI-147, significantly reduced numbers of negatoria canegrub the year after application into sugarcane ratoons, and increased cane yield. The same isolate was equally effective against French's canegrub in laboratory bioassays, and field trials are in progress against this pest. Trials have been less successful against Childers canegrub, and more effective isolates must be identified for this species. Trial results have been very poor against soldier fly; none of the isolates tested in bioassays was very virulent, and no further work is planned.Item Control of soldier fly with controlled-release insecticides : final report CO95011(BSES, 1995) Samson, PR; Harris, WJThe activity of controlled-release granules against soldier fly larvae was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Five different active ingredients were tested in a range of granule sizes. The product selected as the most effective varied depending on the time which had elapsed after mixing with the soil. For most compounds, smaller granules were more active in the short term but lost activity more rapidly than the larger granules. Rates of loss of activity during incubation varied between active ingredients. Granules containing carbofuran and carbosulfan showed increased activity during the first year. The most active products in soil after 0, 1 and 2 years were phorate 2 mm granules, carbofuran 1 mm granules, carbofuran 1.5 mm granules and tefluthrin 1 mm granules, respectively.Item GrubPlan 2; developing improved risk-assessment and decision-support systems for managing greyback canegrub : SRDC final report BSS257(BSES, 2008) Samson, PRThe vision of the project was to provide industry with refined greyback canegrub management systems complete with risk-assessment and decision-support models that could ultimately be deployed at a commercial consultancy level. The outputs of the project would allow proactive management of greyback canegrub by growers and their advisors.The specific objectives were to:1.Continue to develop and refine pest management packages for greyback canegrubs, incorporating regional forecasting, farm monitoring, on-farm risk assessment, decision aids and economic analysis, with groups of growers or individuals.2.Design and implement regional systems to monitor trends in greyback damage and management.3.Develop and validate models that predict the probability of greyback infestations from one year to the next.4.Determine the market acceptance and value of a greyback canegrub risk assessment and management program.Item Feasibility of acoustic detection of canegrubs for better management decisions : SRDC final report BSS300(BSES, 2007) Samson, PR; Chandler, KJ; Mankin, RMonitoring of pest populations is a key to effective management of insects in many crops, allowing pest-control treatments to be applied when needed, and only when needed. Monitoring should be relied on more for management of canegrubs in sugarcane, but its widespread adoption is held back by the laborious task of digging up cane stools to assess grub populations. This project aimed to assess the feasibility of detecting grub populations by the sounds that they make below-ground. A researcher experienced in acoustic detection of hidden insects, Dr Richard Mankin from the United States Department of Agriculture in Florida, worked with BSES entomologists near Mackay and Bundaberg for 2 weeks in April-May 2007, using equipment that he brought with him. The investigations demonstrated that canegrubs can be detected readily in Queensland sugarcane fields during a time when worthwhile decisions could be made about future grub management. However, more work is needed to develop a system that could be deployed as a practical monitoring tool.Item Enhanced adoption of integrated pest management in sugarcane : SRDC final report BSS225(BSES, 2002) Hunt, WD; Samson, PRThe project focused on changing the way BSES engages clients in dealing with pest management issues, using the concept of participatory action-learning. Thirty-two small groups of canegrowers were formed around eight pest types. In addition, three major extension campaigns were delivered on the sugar industry?s two most damaging pests, greyback canegrubs and cane rats. A roadshow integrated pest management (IPM) program on rats that was run in central and northern areas in 1999 contacted 480 growers. The wider-reaching initiative Rat Attack trained 2,700 growers in a program to raise awareness and understanding of rodent IPM in late 2000. The greyback canegrub program GrubPlan trained 906 growers and rural industry staff through 70 IPM workshops in late 2001. Training was an interactive process based on developing understanding and skills, leading to a change in practices. Results have been rewarding. Following the rat programs, damage to cane was reduced by around 21% (98,000 t) in 2000 and 58% (273,000 t) in 2001, in comparison with 1999. The GrubPlan program is also reaping dividends with around 60% of growers implementing 80% or more of the management plans they developed in the series. Visible damage to cane from greyback has subsequently declined, which will be confirmed by estimates of crop losses at the end of 2002. The project has been able to mitigate pest impact through achieving learnings with clients. It has also assisted extension and research staff to operate more effectively using good meeting process and extension planning, and has served to standardise IPM programs in industry.Item Integrated pest management of soldier fly : SRDC final report BSS160(BSES, 2001) Samson, PRSoldier flies are a serious soil-dwelling pest of cane, and there is no insecticidal control available. In large-plot trials, numbers of soldier fly larvae in plant and first ratoon crops were lower after a long fallow, with old crops destroyed early in the harvest season and new crops planted late the following year, than after a short fallow with late crop destruction and early planting. This difference was not maintained in older ratoons in the trials, but that may not be so if long fallowing was implemented on a larger scale. Two long fallowing methods, either using herbicide to kill old crops and weeds or growing soybeans, were at least as effective as bare fallowing with frequent cultivation, the previously recommended cultural control procedure for the pest. These methods are now recommended for soldier fly management. Various other procedures were tested for killing soldier fly larvae in fallows ? rotary hoeing, application of a biocide (metam-sodium), combination of a systemic pesticide (carbofuran) with a lure crop (sorghum), and growing brassica break crops ? but these either did not control soldier flies or failed for other reasons. The annual addition of organic matter to crops as either a green-cane trash blanket or mill mud did not change the soldier fly status of fields within a crop cycle. Long fallowing by appropriate means is the best way of minimising the risk of damaging soldier fly populations in young ratoon crops, although at the cost of reduced plant crop yields due to a shortened growing period.Item Rationalising insecticide use in the control of wireworms : SRDC final report BS102S(BSES, 1997) Samson, PRThis project aimed to develop a method to detect wireworms in pre-plant fallows, thus allowing rational decisions to be made on whether or not to use insecticide for wireworm control at planting. Insecticide would be used only when wireworm populations exceeded the level required to cause economic loss.Item Maximising the resistance of sugarcane to soldier fly : SRDC final report BS61S(BSES, 1996) Samson, PRInfestations of soldier fly (Inopus spp.) cause losses to sugarcane in areas from Innisfail to New South Wales. Cane losses attributable to soldier fly in Queensland in 1995 were estimated at 24 000 t, and the annual cost of soldier fly infestations to farmers and millers probably exceeds $1M. The number of farms affected by soldier fly at Mackay is increasing, and the pest has recently appeared at Ayr where it has not been recorded previously. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, losses attributable to soldier fly in Queensland were up to 80 000 t of cane per year on a much smaller assigned area. The pest was subsequently controlled by the application of dieldrin, but this chemical is no longer available and alternatives have not been found. With the loss of dieldrin, there is a high potential for a disastrous increase in losses.Item Population dynamics of Inopus rubriceps in sugarcane fields with emphasis on bionomic factors assisting pest management (Final report SRDC Project BS11S)(BSES, 1991) Samson, PRRestrictions were placed on the use of dieldrin in 1987 and its registration for use in the sugar industry lapsed in mid-1991. As no other insecticide is presently available to replace dieldrin, there is an urgent need to develop alternative control strategies. Robertson (1984). PhD thesis. UQ identified organisms predatory and parasitic on the pupal stages of soldier fly as exerting significant population control. A detailed study of the effect of biological control agents and cultural conditions may enable an effective pest management program to be developed for soldier fly.