Thrips are a relatively minor pest of potato crops in both Indonesia and Western Australia.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has worked with the Indonesian potato industry to increase the productivity of Indonesian crops planted with WA seed potatoes.
Cluster caterpillar is a minor pest of potatoes in Indonesia and Western Australia but growers should understand it.
Green peach aphid is a virus vector for potato crops in Indonesia and Western Australia, but a minor direct pest.
Black cutworm is a relatively minor pest of potatoes and cabbages in Indonesia and Western Australia.
Water movement patterns on the soil surface may not be a good guide to what is happening below the surface and can lead to inefficient irrigation.
Excess irrigation leads to water moving beyond the root zone, wasting water and leaching nutrients away from where they are needed.
Seed potato schemes do not have a standardised system for naming their field grown generations which makes it difficult to compare schemes. Potato seed schemes from Western Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland and Canada are compared to allow equivalent field generations to be identified.
Gibberellic acid (GA) is used in citrus orchards to manipulate flowering and fruit development and reduce the incidence and/or severity of some physiological disorders that occur due to environmental conditions.
Determining how water moves through soil and is used by plants following irrigation is difficult. Using soil moisture probes to fine-tune irrigation scheduling is recommended to maximise production and water use efficiency.
Diamondback moth can quickly develop resistance to insecticides. If this occurs, chemical options to control them are reduced.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) network of automatic weather stations and radars throughout the state provide timely, relevant and local weather data to assist growers and regional communities make more-informed decisions.
