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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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.
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
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.
The management of rodents in North Queensland canefields
(BSES, 1993) Wilson, J; Whisson, D
Rodent damage to sugarcane has been of concern to the Australian sugar industry since the 1930's. In more recent times, annual surveys have indicated that damage by rodents occurs over approximately 50% (150 000 ha) of sugar producing areas resulting in annual losses of between two and four million dollars. A further $0.6 million is expended on annual baiting programs. Rodents are therefore the second most important pest of the Australian sugar industry, the most important pest being the cane grub (Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations Annual Reports 1984 - 1989).
Alternative symphyla control measures and their effect on plant cane establishment
(BSES, 1992) Smith, MA
In some areas of the Herbert Valley, the 'root-pitting' damage caused by symphyla to young cane roots is severe enough to produce noticeable reductions in growth and emergence of young plant cane. Chlorpyrifos at 2 1/ha of 50% product sprayed in the drill at planting is the currently recommended control. These trials confirmed that the recommended control was still effective. A difference in susceptibility to damage was also observed. Mocap (100 g/kg ethoprophos) at 20 kg/ha applied in the drill at planting gave a similar level of control to that of the present recommendation.
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.
Key factors in control of Greyback Canegrub populations : SRDC final report BS120S
(BSES, 1998) Robertson, LN; Dall, DJ; Lai-Fook, J; Kettle, CG; Bakker, P
Greyback canegrub outbreaks with severe losses in sugar production have persisted for more than six years in the Burdekin district, but population densities of the pest have declined at locations in the Herbert Valley, Tully and Innisfail districts over the same period. Six species of pathogenic organism were found to cause disease and death of greyback canegrubs, with relatively high incidence in grubs collected from the Herbert Valley, Tully and Innisfail study sites, but low incidence in the Burdekin. No deaths from entomopathogenic diseases were recorded in 226 grubs examined from the Burdekin in 1998. Two microorganisms, Adelina sp (Protozoa: Coccidia), and Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycetes fungi), were the most prevalent pathogens in far north Queensland grub populations. Incidence of Adelina sp. alone accounted for 55-64 % of the variance in mortality of grubs recorded from samples collected across all locations in 1994 and 1995. The initial objectives of this SRDC funded study were to study dispersion of greyback canegrubs in the soil profile and devise a sampling program to estimate population density with known precision; monitor population density of greyback adults, eggs and larvae; identify mortality factors which act on each life stage including climate, natural enemies and farming practices; determine key factors which control greyback population changes and suggest ways to suppress population growth; develop model which predicts changes in greyback populations. Following a review in April 1995 the project was expanded to encompass the following additional objectives; assess the effects of crop management strategies on frequency of occurrence of diseases in greyback canegrubs; demonstrate pathogenicity of selected microorganisms to greyback grubs; determine dose/response relationships (ie infectious dose, time to death, effects on larval feeding and growth); attempt small-scale in vitro culture of selected microorganisms which display pathogenicity to grubs.
Factors affecting the incidence of and damage caused by weevil borers : SRDC final report BS151S
(BSES, 1998) Stringer, JK; Telford, DE
This study has shown that sampling billets for weevil borer damage through the extraneous matter system of a sugar mill gives reliable data as it supports in field data collected by BSES. These data may allow the simple field assessments to be related to the entire mill area. This would benefit other mill areas who do not currently sample for weevil borer damage.
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.
Field Experiments to Optimise Lures for Mass-Trapping of Cane Weevil Borer
(BSES, 1998) Robertson, LN; Giblin-Davis, RM; Oehlschlager, AC
Cane weevil borer, Rhobdoscelus obscurus (Biosduval) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Rhynchophorinae), is an introduced pest of sugarcane in Queensland, Hawaii and Fiji. It was accidentally introduced from Papua New Guinea about 1900 with sugarcane planting material (Veitch 1917). Previous research showed that male cane weevil borers produce aggregation pheromones which attract both male and female cane weevil borers. Three compounds emitted by feeding males were identified by Dr R Gries ata Simon Fraser University (see Robertson et al 1997). These compounds were synthetically produced by ChemTica Internacional SA and two of these, 2-methyl-4-octanol and 6-methyl-2-hepten-4-ol (rhynchophorol), were shown to be the active compounds for attracting cane weevil borer (Robertson et al 1997). The experiments reported here were designed to determine the optimum ratio of the two active compounds to attract cane weevil borer. In addition, the relative attractiveness of they synthetic lures was compared with that produced by feeding male cane weevil borers. Finally, a chemical known to increase trap catches of other species of Rhynchophorinae, ethyl acetate (marketed as 'Weevil Magnet'), was tested for its ability to synergise the attractiveness of the aggregation pheromones.

Pest, disease and weed management

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