Back to Main A Bug's Life: Wagga Wagga Study Into Beneficial Broadacre Insects

• Published: 2009-11-13 14:21:51

  A three year national project to assess potential benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in broadacre farming is due to start next January.

  Industry & Investment (I&I) NSW research entomologist at Wagga Wagga, Joanne Holloway, said the search has begun for a NSW site to set up comparative demonstration plots.

  The uptake of IPM in broadacre cropping is currently relatively low, according to Dr Holloway.

  "This is probably due to the fact that IPM is perceived to be hard and there is very little hard evidence that it works, however we hope the new project will help overcome this perception," she said.

  Comparative demonstration plots, to function for two years of the project, will compare conventional pest management techniques, with high chemical input applications, and IPM strategies.

  Sites with similar treatment plots will also be established in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia and the project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

  "The plan is to have a paddock coming out of pasture in 2009, with canola and cereal rotations in 2010 and 2011," Dr Holloway said.

  "In addition, there will be some workshops to increase grower knowledge of beneficial and pest insect species and awareness of IPM techniques."

  Dr Holloway said a couple of potential sites will shortly be a surveyed to see what pests and beneficial insects are currently present.

  "This will establish some baseline data to determine how pest and beneficial insects change over time according the different management strategies imposed," she said.

  "In a working system, IPM is beneficial for both the grower and the environment due to reduced chemical inputs, as the beneficial species do most of the hard work of pest control.

  "Growers just need to ensure they monitor their crops and take appropriate action when necessary."

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  Supplied by Department Of Primary Industries NSW