sustainability through science & innovation
Agronomist, Mick Duncan (Northern Agriculture P/L), has reported blue oat mites (Penthaleus spp.) causing problems to newly sown pasture seedlings in a wide range of locations in the Northern tablelands of New South Wales. In many paddocks, spraying has been necessary to protect emerging pasture plants. Consultant, Matt Shephard (IMAG Consulting), reports that blue oat mites have been found attacking a canola crop north of Parkes, in the Central West Slopes and Plains district of New South Wales. Blue oat mite numbers have also built up in many districts in Victoria, including the Northern Country, Western district and the Wimmera.
Blue oat mites are active in the cool wet part of the year, usually between April and late October. During this time they pass through two or three generations, with each generation lasting eight to ten weeks. Blue oat mites are major agricultural pests of southern Australia, attacking various pasture, vegetable and crop plants. Adult blue oat mites are 1 mm in length and have 8 red-orange legs. They have a blue-black coloured body with a characteristic red mark on their back. Click here for images of blue oat mites.
Blue oat mites are the most abundant earth mites in many cropping and pastoral areas of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. They are often mistaken for redlegged earth mites due to their similar appearance and sympatric lifecycle. However, blue oat mites and the redlegged earth mite differ markedly in their biology and tolerance to pesticides, and require separate management strategies.
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
