PLANT PROTECTION 4

PEST
INFORMATION
SHEETS
(contd)
Are there IPM,
BMP or Organic
Standard programs
available for this pest
in your crop?
– Overwintering. Overwintering can also mean ‘oversummering’. These terms
indicate when, where and in what stage a pest carries over from one season to the
next.
– Spread. It is vital to know how a pest is spread, ie by wind, flying, water,
propagation, etc. What is the pattern of occurrence in the crop and surrounding
area? Where does it occur in Australia?
– Conditions favouring.
Environmental factors influence the incidence and severity of parasitic pests
and diseases but remember they may also directly damage the plant.
Site conditions, eg soil type, topography, aspect, buildings, drainage.
Crop history, eg previous cropping, treatments, fertilisers, irrigation.
– Control. The above information will help you work out what advice would be
appropriate and effective; sometimes no action may be in order. Explaining why a
problem occurs may be all that is required to allay client concerns. Could previous
treatments have caused plant damage? Lack of appropriate treatments may have
favoured the problem in the first place. There may be legislative requirements.
IPM programs may provide threshold values for your pest below which treatment
may not be recommended.
Cultural methods. Each plant has its own cultural requirements.
Sanitation. Water free of disease organisms is essential for all stages of plant
production, including potting media producers as well as plant propagators.
Biological control. Know the names of any natural enemies of a pest which
might provide some control and reduce pesticide use. Have biological control
agents been released?
Resistant varieties. Are cultivars of your plant or crop available which have
some resistance to your pest problems?
Plant quarantine. Check state/territory/Commonwealth regulations.
Disease-tested planting material. Where did the planting material, growing
media and containers come from? Some pests and diseases are carried in
association with seed, cuttings, bare-rooted nursery stock. Weed seed, weed
parts, nematodes and soil fungi may be transported in soil.
Physical & mechanical methods. Hand weeding or hoeing on a hot day may
have damaged surface roots of annual seedlings.
Pesticides. Check registered uses of all pesticides prior to use. Labels specify
the plants and the pests to which a pesticide may be applied.
40 Diagnosis - Step 2. Identify affected plant