sustainability through science & innovation
Agronomist, Todd Jones (Elders), has reported blue oat mites (Penthaleus spp.) causing significant feeding damage to many emerging crops between Narrabri and Gunnedah, in the North West Slopes and Plains district of New South Wales. Thousands of mites have been observed attacking mostly oat, wheat and barley crops on self-cracking clay loam and lighter sandy clay loam soils. Todd says the mites have caused typical damage, which appears as ‘silvering’ or ‘whitening’ of the attacked foliage.
Adult blue oat mites are approximately 1 mm long with 8 orange-red legs and a characteristic red mark on their back. They are abundant in many cropping and pastoral areas of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, and commonly attack pastures, winter cereals and canola.
Blue oat mites are often mistaken for redlegged earth mites due to similarities in their appearance and life cycles. However, these pests differ markedly in their biology and tolerance to pesticides, and require separate management strategies. Todd reports that control measures are warranted in many instances. Higher rates of some pesticides may be needed for blue oat mites compared with redlegged earth mites.
A reminder, non-chemical options are available for blue oat mites. For instance, pasture and crop rotations can limit the need for any pesticide spraying in a given year. Crops such as chickpeas and some lentil varieties are generally poor hosts of earth mites. As with redlegged earth mites, weed control can suppress the build-up of blue oat mites during the growing season.
Click here for images of blue oat mites and refer to PestFacts Issue No. 2 for more information.
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
