PestFacts WA

Aphids, beneficial insects and slugs are in canola crops

• Belka
• Gorge Rock
• Newdegate
• Mount Barker

Andrew Crook (Farmer) has found turnip aphids in his early flowering Bonito canola crop near Belka.

Cabbage aphids on canola. Photo courtesy of: Geoff Fisher (Farmer)

Geoff Fisher (Farmer) has reported finding small populations of cabbage aphids in a Bonito canola crop near Gorge Rock. The crop had eight true leaves or more. Geoff has also reported finding green peach aphids (GPA) in his GT41 canola.

Nathan Moyes (MoyesAgri) reports finding GPA in a canola crop at Newdegate that has had patchy germination. The plants range in growth stage from cotyledon to four leaves. The GPA have caused plant death in 40-50 ha of a 200ha paddock.

Parasitised aphid 'mummy'. Photo courtesy of: Haydn Boetel (Student)

Haydn Boetel (Student) has reported finding parasitised aphids in a six leaf canola crop near Mount Barker. This indicates that beneficial insects are present in the paddock. Haydn also reported finding a few patches of black-keeled slugs in the crop.

Canola crops that are moisture stressed or patchy due to staggered germination and dry conditions will be more vulnerable to aphid and other insect pest damage.

Although above average daytime temperatures have been forecasted for winter, the forecasted cold night time temperatures should diminish pest populations and slow reproduction.

Growers and consultants should also consider beneficial insects and their role in keeping aphid populations down. For more information on beneficial insects refer to the department’s Know what beneficials look like in your crop page.

For more information on aphids refer the department’s recently published Protecting WA Crops Issue 3 newsletter Aphids – WA’s insect problem children.

For more information on canola aphids refer to the department’s Aphid management in canola crops page.

For a list of insecticides registered for use on insect pests in canola see the department’s Autumn winter insecticide guide 2017.

For more information contact Svetlana Micic, Research Officer, Albany on +61 (0)8 9892 8591 or Dustin Severtson, Development Officer, South Perth on +61 (0)8 9368 3249.