Aphid activity update
Canola aphid activity
- Cadoux
- Yerecoin
- Tammin
- Doodlakine
- Brookton
David Stead (Anasazi Agronomy) reports seeing an explosion of turnip and cabbage aphids on budding to early flowering canola crops recently across his advisory district which covers the shires within Cadoux to Yerecoin and Tammin to Brookton. Particularly in moisture stressed crops. He is also seeing green peach aphids (GPA) damaging canola plants that are six leaves or less.
A grower has reported GPA in his canola (variety unknown) at Doodlakine.
Cereal aphid activity
- Gairdner
- Hopetoun
- Coomalbidgup
Crop protection officer Alice Butler (DPIRD) has reported finding oat aphids in a tillering Harper wheat crop near Gairdner.
Plant pathologist Andrea Hills (DPIRD) has found corn aphids in La Trobe barley near Hopetoun. 1-10% of tillers/flower spikes were infested. The barley was at the stem elongation stage and also had very low levels of spot-type net blotch (STNB). Andrea also found small populations of oat aphids in stem elongation stage barley in a NVT trial near Coomalbidgup.
Remember, if you are unsure of what aphid species you are finding in your crops you can use the PestFax Reporter app to attach up to three images of the aphid(s) and request that a department entomologist identify or confirm the aphid species via an email or phone response.
For more information on aphids refer the department’s;
- Protecting WA Crops Issue 3 newsletter Aphids – WA’s insect problem children
- Aphid management in canola crops page
- Diagnosing cereal aphids page.
For a list of insecticides registered for use on aphids in canola and cereals 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.