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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    Herbicide efficacy screen North Queensland 1986 season
    (BSES, 1987) Williams, RC
    In 1984 a wide range of herbicide treatments were evaluated against a number of weed species. Results demonstrated the weakness and strengths of various products, and the optimum timing of application. To further improve the knowledge of currently registered herbicides and of those which may have some potential for use in cane, another series of trials were laid down in 1986.
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    Inheritance of Fiji disease resistance
    (BSES, 1981) Hogarth, DM; Ryan, CC
    Various projects have been conducted in recent years to study the inheritance of resistance to Fiji disease. In this report the results of these studies are presented and the implications for the plant breeding programme discussed.
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    Development of a fungicide spray schedule to determine the effect of sugarcane rust (Puccinia melanocephala) on yield
    (BSES, 1984) Taylor, PWJ; Croft, BJ; Ryan, CC
    This study reports on work carried out to develop a fungicide spray program which is suitable for yield loss assessment investigations. Aspects examined include the efficacy of various concentrations of chlorothalonil and oxycarboxin on rust, the frequency of application of one concentration of chlorothalonil or oxycarboxin on level of infection, and arrangement of spray nozzles to give good coverage of fungicides.
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    Acquisition of Fiji disease virus by Perkinsiella saccharicida kirk and observations on its instars
    (BSES, 1984) Croft, BJ; Ryan, CC
    The first, second and third instars of Perkinsiella saccharicida were the only stages which transmitted Fiji disease virus to healthy Q70 plants after a 48 hour access feed on diseased plants. A key to distinguish the developmental stages of P.saccharicida was developed with the main distinguishing features being eye colour, and the shape, length and relationship, one to the other, of the fore and hind wing pads.
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    Bioassay for comparing levels of pythium graminicola in soils
    (BSES, 1987) Croft, BJ
    In the study of any soil borne pathogen it is essential to have some technique for determining the level of the pathogen in the soil. The levels of Pythium species in soil have been measured by soil dilution plating on selective media (Dick and Ali-Shtayeh 1986. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 86(1):49-62). However species with lobulate sporangia are not frequently isolated on these media and bioassay techniques have been developed for these fungi (Stanghellini and Kronland 1985. Phytopathology 75:1242-1245). In Hawaii, pineapple roots have been used as baits in a bioassay for P. graminicola Subr. (Adair 1972. Hawaii. Plant. Rec. 58:213-240). However, considerable space is required to maintain pineapple plants and they are not always readily available. Poor Root Syndrome (PRS) of sugarcane in Queensland causes serious crop losses (Egan et al. 1984 ASSCT p 1-9). A Pachymetra sp. (formerly referred to as the root rot fungus) which rots the primary roots of the sugarcane plant, and P. graminicola which can restrict fine root development, are two pathogens consistently found in affected soils (Croft and Magarey, 1984 ASSCT Conf. p 55-61). The study of the role of P. graminicola in the sugarcane PRS in Queensland has been hampered by the lack of a means of quantifying the level of this species in soils. This paper outlines the development of a sorghum bioassay (SB) for P. graminicola using sorghum seedling roots.
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    Development of a biological control against sugarcane poor root syndrome
    (BSES, 1987) Birch, RG
    The overall objective of the project was to search for and develop an economically effective biocontrol against sugarcane poor root syndrome (PRS). The disease was known to be caused by two pathogenic fungi: Pythium graminicola and an unnamed oomycete causing flaccid root rot. The seriousness of this newly recognised disease, and the dearth of economic controls warranted the effort necessary for such a search.
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    The effect of sugarcane rust (Puccinia melanocephala) on yield
    (BSES, 1985) Taylor, PWJ; Croft, BJ; Ryan, CC
    This report details the results obtained from two trials to assess yeild loss caused by sugarcane rust and also outlines the epiphytotiology of the rust disease.
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    The evaluation of rope-wick application of glyphosate as a method of chemical weed control in some typical farm locations
    (BSES, 1984) Linedale, AI
    The effectiveness of rope-wick application of glyphosate (as Roundup) in controlling the common reed Phragmites australis in the Moreton and Rocky Point areas has fostered interest in this method of chemical weed control for general farm use. Further incentive to investigate this potential was provided by reported savings of chemical costs when compared to spray application, and the absence of associated drift problems with non-target species. In-crop application was estimated to be the area of greatest extra potential for rope-wick technology. Since application in the interspace between sugarcane rows would provide a critical testing situation for general farm application, inter-row strip trials were conducted in growing crops on four sites with an applicator developed specifically for that purpose. Additionally, a trial conducted concurrently with the project has resulted in a more precise evaluation of control of the common reed by the rope-wick method.
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    Effects of natural enemies on soldier fly (Inopus rubriceps) populations in Queensland
    (BSES, 1983) Robertson, LN
    A study was initiated in 1981 to determine the role of natural enemies of soldier fly in south east Queensland. The objective of this work was to gain an understanding of soldier fly population dynamics in its native range. This paper presents information from a survey conducted to assess the degree of predation, parasitism and disease in soldier fly populations in Queensland. Intensive studies of natural enemies and population dynamics in south east Queensland are still in progress and will be reported in detail at a later date.
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    Studies into races of sugarcane rust
    (BSES, 1984) Taylor, PWJ
    A technique was developed for testing for physiological races of sugarcane rust. A range of cultivars were inoculated with a single spore isolate of Puccinia melanocephala by discharging 3 mg of urediospores into a spore settling tower by compressed air at 200 kPa pressure for one second with a settling time of ten minutes. A range of reaction types were obtained using this method. These reaction types were similar to reactions on naturally infected field grown plants. Components of stable resistance such as generation time, uredia number per mm2 and uredia diameter were also evaluated. The more resistant cultivars had fewer uredia per mm2 compared to the susceptible cultivars. No difference was recorded in generation times and size of uredia. The age of the leaf inoculated (between 24 and 75 days) did not have any apparent effect on host reaction type, generation time, uredia number and uredia size.