Pest, disease and weed management

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://elibrary2.sugarresearch.com.au/handle/11079/13843

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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Australian Sugar Industry Training – Development of factory training modules – Phase 2
(2022-05-04) Moller, David
The Australian Sugar Industry Training Learning Management System (ASIT LMS) provides a valuable training resource for the Australian Sugar Industry. As a single location for the milling training programs that have been developed for the last 30 years this provides a great reference resource for operators seeking to solve operating issues during the crushing season. New on-line operator training programs that have been mapped to the national competencies provide a minimum industry level of knowledge training and assessment for all the raw sugar making processes from juice to sugar storage. Included in the training programs are suitable skills competency assessment checklists that can be undertaken on site by a suitably qualified assessor. The ASIT LMS also provides a system whereby groups can develop their own internal training courses and use them for internal knowledge assessment activities. This feature is being used by several sugar milling companies to undertake knowledge competency training in areas other than sugar milling operations. The LMS has been designed to cover all training for the sugar industry. To date there has been limited adoption from the non-milling sector despite the Chief Investigator having made repeated attempts to interest the non-milling sector in using this training platform as the basis of the training for the Australian sugar industry. The on-line nature of the LMS and the ease of use, combined with its extensive learner tracking and assistance capabilities have provided the Australia Sugar Industry with a knowledge training platform to be used into the future.
Keeping our chemicals in their place – In the field
(2021-07-01) Fillols, Emilie
This project specifically examined whether off-site movement of pesticides could be managed through the use of a range of tools and techniques including adjuvants, product formulations, product placement and application methodology. Specifically, imidacloprid applied as controlled release (suSCon) proved to reduce imidacloprid losses via runoff and leachates when compared to imidacloprid liquid (Confidor Guard) applied yearly. To reduce imidacloprid runoff loss when imidacloprid liquid is applied in ratoon cane with coulters, a consistent depth of application of 100 mm across the field was essential, as shallow or surface applications proved to dramatically increase imidacloprid losses. Closing the application slot did not assist in reducing runoff losses of imidacloprid. Different types of soil binding adjuvants added to the spray tank were tested for their role in minimising herbicide runoff losses. The oil-based adjuvant Grounded® proved to significantly reduce herbicide losses via runoff in a freshly tilled plant cane scenario, yet not in bare soil or trash blanketed ratoons. The polyol-based adjuvant Watermaxx®2 slightly reduced runoff losses in plant cane and trash blanketed ratoons. All tested adjuvants generally tended to slightly improve herbicide efficacy (non-significantly). Controlled released formulations of imazapic, hexazinone and isoxaflutole were sourced from an overseas supplier for testing. Difficulties in applying the microbeads using standard spray application equipment prevented homogeneous application and jeopardised the experiments. In preliminary trials, mill by-products (mud and ash) incorporated in plant cane or banded in ratoon generally resulted in an increase in residual herbicide concentrations and loads and a reduction in their efficacy to control weeds. These conclusions need validating in paddock-scale experiments. A proof-of-concept experiment using sorbents based on biochar proved effective in removing PS II herbicides from the runoff water. This technology could be used in an end-of-row capture device to reduce pesticide loads in drainage water leaving sugarcane fields.
Solving YCS : final report 2014/049
(ASSCT, 2021) Scalia, G; Joyce, P; Powell, K
Yellow canopy syndrome (YCS) is a sporadic condition presenting as golden-yellowing of the mid canopy in sugarcane during the peak growing period of December to March. The key driver of YCS is growth rate and symptoms usually exhibit after rainfall. YCS can be induced or mitigated by altering sink strength and sugarcane can recover from a YCS event. Abiotic or biotic stress has a serious effect on the photosystems and the physiological fitness of the crop. There is a strong correlation between YCS expression, leaf sucrose and sink strength, independent of crop age. YCS symptomatic leaves always have high leaf sucrose and ?-glucan content. Under experimental conditions the pyrethroid bifenthrin supresses insect stress, promotes increased sink growth and maintains low leaf sucrose and ?-glucan levels. Induced senescence causes YCS plants to have a lower number of attached leaves. Yield loss precedes YCS expression and there is no correlation between YCS severity and cane yield or CCS. Lamina starch staining is a useful tool to assist in YCS identification. There is no strong evidence of genetic predisposition for YCS susceptibility. Industry-wide incidence and severity of YCS is too difficult to accurately assess due to its episodic nature, no single causal agent and the link to climate change and severe weather events. The data does not support the cause of YCS being a pathogen, specific insect or mite, soil borne agent, poor root health, nutrient deficiency, or heavy metal toxicity. YCS is a physiological disorder visualised as the terminal expression of metabolic perturbances caused by growth disruption.
Giving it our best shot in the war against soldier flies - future research directions : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2021) Lenancker, P; Powell, K
Soldier flies are economically damaging pests of sugarcane, particularly in central and southern Queensland. Despite decades of research on soldier fly control, the search for an effective management approach, except for cultural control, remains elusive. Trials were conducted from 2015 to 2017 to identify potential management solutions for soldier flies by assessing insecticide efficacy and varietal tolerance in field conditions. Five field trials were established to determine whether applying insecticide at plant cane would reduce the build-up in soldier fly larvae in subsequent ratoons. Ten products, comprising seven active ingredients, were field tested at high application rates. Overall, as in most previous studies, none of the insecticides tested reduced the number of larvae in field-trial conditions. The inefficacy of insecticide treatments could be due to products failing to come into contact with soldier fly larvae or simply lack of an effective active. In addition, three field trials, using up to 14 varieties, were conducted, to assess varietal tolerance. Some varieties tended to host fewer larvae than others, suggesting some resistance, in two trials established in southern Queensland. Any future insecticide and varietal screening trials will need to be conducted in both controlled laboratory and field conditions. However, before such trials can be undertaken, a standardised laboratory rearing method and improved field sampling strategy for soldier flies needs to be developed. Soldier fly outbreaks are also unpredictable and developing methods to forecast them (e.g. using climatic data or identifying preferential soil properties) will also be highly beneficial to inform growers of the potential risk of soldier fly establishment in their paddocks and for selecting field-trial sites. Additionally, recent DNA barcoding and morphological studies have revealed that at least six species of soldier flies are found in sugarcane, not two as previously identified. That finding highlights that the distribution of soldier fly species in Australia and the relative damage to sugarcane varieties needs to be resolved to enable the development of targeted species-specific management approaches.
Soldier fly management; insecticide efficacy and varietal tolerance in field trials : ASSCT poster paper
(ASSCT, 2020) Lenancker, P; Lindsay, K; Khudhir, M; Jennings, J; Ward, A; Powell, K
Soldier flies (Inopus flavus and I. rubriceps) are an economically damaging pest of sugarcane that can periodically cause major yield losses for some growers in central and southern Queensland. Larvae alter plant growth by feeding on roots. There is currently no insecticide registered for soldier flies.
Incidence and economic effects of ratoon stunting disease on the Queensland sugarcane industry : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2021) Magarey, RC; McHardie, R; Hession, M; Cripps, G; Burgess, D; Spannagle, B; Sutherland, P; Di Bella, L; Milla, R; Millar, F; Schembri, A; Baxter, D; Hetherington, M; Turner, M; Jakins, A; Quinn, B; Kalkhoran, SS; Gibbs, L; Ngo, C
Ratoon stunting disease (RSD) has had a significant influence on productivity and profitability in the Australian sugarcane industry for at least the last 76 years. There have been few attempts to objectively quantify the incidence and economic influence of the disease across the industry. Most Cane Productivity Service (CPS) groups routinely monitor RSD in plant sources and, in some cases, in commercial crops. Surveys by 12 Queensland CPSs were conducted in 2017- 2020 with sampling of different proportions of commercial crops (5-25% of farms) in each region. The latest molecular technology was adopted to assay samples. RSD incidence varied between 0 and 60% in commercial crops and 0 and 41% in plant source inspections. The data suggest that implementation of the three pillars of RSD management (disease-free seed-cane, equipment sanitation and planting into fallow ground devoid of volunteers) were essential to minimise RSD incidence. Failure to adequately address any one of these pillars often compromised RSD management. An economic analysis suggested that RSD led to an annual loss of $25m in the study areas in the 2019 crop. This is significant, but it is unlikely to be the largest single disease constraint on productivity.
Impact of application depth and slot closure on runoff losses of imidacloprid
(ASSCT, 2020) Fillols, E; Davis, AM
Imidacloprid represents the Australian sugar industry’s best canegrub-management tool, but it has been detected in many water bodies, including groundwater, creeks, rivers and marine environments, posing a potential risk to the health of the Great Barrier Reef. In ratoon cane, it is commonly applied in liquid form with coulters within the cane row. Imidacloprid product labels state that, when applied in ratoons, the product must be placed at 100–125 mm depth and the slot must be covered; however, it is not uncommon to observe application equipment that does not maintain the desired depth or fails to close the slot appropriately. To investigate the best application methods to reduce imidacloprid runoff, two rainfall-simulation trials were established in the Burdekin and in the Wet Tropics to assess the impact of depth and slot coverage on imidacloprid runoff when the liquid formulation is applied with a stool-splitter tine implement. An additional runoff trial under overhead irrigation was set up in the Wet Tropics to test the efficacy of the StoolZippa™ to close the slot and reduce imidacloprid runoff losses when the product is applied at the correct depth of 100 mm. Results from the rainfall-simulation trials showed higher imidacloprid concentration in runoff from a shallow application at 50 mm compared to the recommended minimum 100 mm application depth. A press wheel reduced the imidacloprid concentration to nil when the product was applied at the correct depth of 100 mm; however, it slightly increased the concentration in the case of the shallow application. In the overhead-irrigation trial, the StoolZippa™ increased the imidacloprid concentrations in runoff versus the slot left open, but these concentrations were still extremely low and not of environmental concern. These trials indicate that ensuring the product is consistently applied at 100 mm depth is the best way to reduce imidacloprid loss via runoff when the product is applied with a stool-splitter tine implement. As trials were only conducted in loam soils at two locations, further trials are recommended over a range of soil types and geographic locations.
Combining weed efficacy, economics and environmental considerations for improved herbicide management in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area
(Science of the Total Environment, 2020) Fillols, E; Davis, AM; Lewis, SE; Ward, A
The current Australian sugarcane industry transition toward adoption of an ‘alternative’ herbicide strategy as part of improved environmental stewardship is increasingly complicated by recent farming system, regulatory and herbicidal product changes. This study quantified and compared the efficacy, economic costs and environmental risk profiles of a range of established, emerging, and recently registered pre-emergent herbicides across field trials in the Wet Tropics region of North Queensland. Several herbicides were effective on certain weed species, but lacked broad spectrum control. Better efficacy results from products with multiple active ingredients (i.e., imazapichexazinone) demonstrated the benefits of using mixtures of active ingredients to widen the spectrum of weed control efficacy. All tested pre-emergent herbicides behaved quite similarly in terms of their propensity for off-site movement in water (surface runoff losses generally N10% of active applied), with their losses largely driven by their application rate. Herbicides with lower application rates consistently contributed less to the total herbicide loads measured in surface runoff. Results demonstrated alternative choices from the more environmentally problematic herbicides (such as diuron) are available with effective alternative formulations providing between 4 and 29 times less risk than the traditional diuron-hexazinone ‘full rate’. However, considerable challenges still face canegrowers in making cost-effective decisions on sustainable herbicide selection. Additional research and effective grower extension are required to address information gaps in issues such as specific weed control efficacy of alternative herbicides and potential blending of some herbicides for more effective broad spectrum weed control, while also minimising environmental risks.
Reviving GrubPlan to ensure appropriate use and application of imidacloprid for control of cane grubs
(Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2020) Ross, P
The focus of the project was to:
Leaf sucrose: The link to diseases, physiological disorders such as YCS and sugarcane productivity : final report 2015/016
(Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2020) Scalia, G; Wathen-Dunn, K; Marquardt, A; Botha, F
Yellow canopy syndrome (YCS) is a physiological disorder expressing as yellowing of the mid-canopy. Rapid growth following a stress period where growth rate of the top internodes has been compromised creates a supply demand imbalance. This results in high sucrose accumulation in the leaf which triggers yellowing. Accumulation of sucrose past an upper tolerance level causes partial stomatal closure, overheating, disruption to photosynthetic machinery, chloroplast destruction and leaf yellowing. Gene expression, protein and metabolite data all support a disruption to leaf metabolism as well as a strong association with abiotic stress. The data collectively shows that the metabolism of YCS-affected plants is compromised throughout the mid-canopy and occurs well before the onset of visual yellowing. Repartitioning of carbon to starch and other pools is an attempt to lessen the sucrose load within the source leaf, while also reducing oxidative stress. High levels of starch accumulation in the midrib veins of YCS leaves can be easily stained and viewed. This method can be used to reduce misdiagnosis when coaligned with correct symptom development and expression. There is no CCS penalty association with YCS, and crops can grow out of a YCS event. Management options to mitigate YCS involve best practice farming to reduce stress on the crop prior to and during the peak growing season. This will increase the sink capacity in the stalk and prevent a supply and demand imbalance. The data does not support a single cause and may therefore be either biotic, abiotic, or a combination of both.

Pest, disease and weed management

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