sustainability through science & innovation
Oilseeds Development Officer, Felicity Pritchard, has reported diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) caterpillars in a canola crop near Horsham, in the Wimmera district of Victoria. Diamondback moths have also been observed in other parts of the Wimmera, including Murtoa and Nhill, and from around Shepparton, in the Northern Country, Victoria. Numbers are reported to be low, with minimal feeding damage to date.
Diamondback moth numbers can increase or decrease at any stage during the growing season. Crop damage depends on the level of infestation and the amount of time the pests spend in the crop. Grubs eat irregular holes in leaves and at high densities can eat all the leaf material, parts of the stem and some flowers. Later in the season, they will graze on the canola pod walls. This causes external scarring damage but minimal or no yield loss, unless at very high populations.
Given the low numbers reported and the late stage of many crops, it is unlikely that these populations will cause significant yield loss. However, it is important to keep an eye out and regularly monitor crops, particularly canola. A monitoring guide has been developed for diamondback moth that incorporates factors such as crop type, crop stage and market destination.
Click here for information on diamondback moth and click here for images.
What is PestFacts?
PestFacts south-eastern keeps growers and advisers informed about invertebrate pests and beneficials in broadacre crops and pastures during the winter-cropping season in Victoria and southern New South Wales.
PestFacts south-eastern is run through IPMforGrains: Best Practice Insect Pest Management, a project delivered by the National Pest Information Network (cesar, DPIRD, QDAF, NSW DPI, and SARDI). This project aims to provide grain growers and advisors with information on invertebrate grain pest occurrence and equip industry with the knowledge needed to implement integrated pest management practices. This initiative is a GRDC investment and includes in-kind contributions from all project partner organisations.
We need your reports
PestFacts is produced on an ʻas-needsʼ basis and relies upon pest observations and field reports from our subscribers. If you have recently observed invertebrate pests (or beneficial species) in broadacre crops, please contact us to report your observations.
Agricultural invertebrate identification
If you are a grower or agronomist in Victoria or NSW working with broadacre crops or pastures, we can assist you with identifying invertebrates found on farms at no cost. Please contact us for identification help.
PestFacts map
PestFacts map is an interactive tool that allows users to search and view historical pest reports across Victoria and NSW. The map is updated with each issue of PestFacts to include new reports.
How to acknowledge PestFacts?
With appropriate acknowledgement, cesar grants permission to reproduce information taken directly from PestFacts. To cite PestFacts: “PestFacts south-eastern (<<enter date published>>). cesar pty ltd.”
Contact us
0484 310 697
|
PestFacts Reporter app: |
||
 |
 |
|
PestFacts is supported by
