Radio Trancript

Welcome to Agritalk Radio.

This week we are going to be talking about the importance of taking care with pest management in crops, especially Canola.

With the season looking good in the reliable canola growing areas, yield potential is up and export levels will be high so let’s not jeopardise our markets.

Pest management is becoming increasingly important in the canola cropping game and as farmers and consultants we need to be very careful with our control methods to avoid damaging our export potential.

ABB storage and handling will step up its testing of harvest receivals this year, with a delivery disclosure that must be signed, and more rigorous sampling, testing, segregation and traceability.

One key insect that has caused trouble in canola in the last couple of years with the drier finishes is the diamond back moth. This pest has in most states shown resistance to the synthetic pyrethroids that are used as broad spectrum bug sprays and therefore control has been ineffective - herein lies the problem.

Potential options are available to control this pest in horticulture crops, but are not registered for broad acre crops. The last couple of years have seen farmers put under increased pressure to control this pest, leading to farmers not always using products registered for the purpose, nor complying with withholding periods of the insecticides used.

With grain receival sites now testing for any traces of these chemicals more scrupulously than ever, it is more likely to be traced back to the individual farmer. It is therefore the duty of the farmer and consultants to be more diligent with controlling these insect pests. This careful management is needed to ensure we don’t damage our export potential, or lose effective control products as a result of improper chemical use.

For more information please contact ABB your local department of primary industries or commercial agronomist.

For further information on this story or any edition of Agritalk, please visit www.ruralsolutions.sa.gov.au, click on news, then radio.  You will find a transcript of the program along with lots of handy links to the things discussed.

Information kindly supplied by Kieran Wauchope