Australian Apple and Pear IPDM

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Weeds

published - 4 December 2019
By David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

Woolly aphid parasitoids

At this time of year woolly apple aphid colonies will be starting to expand as crawlers emerging from overwintering sites on the roots, begin to establish on the shoots, and aphids in colonies that survived on branches over winter begin to multiply. The tiny wasp (A.Mali) parasitises woolly apple aphids …
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parasitoids, woolly aphid, woolly aphid parasitoid, woolly aphid wasp

Beneficials, Pests

published - 18 October 2019
By David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

Codling Moth emergence

Codling moth larvae will be breaking diapause, pupating and then emerging as adult moths over the next few months. It is important to note that codling moth has a back up plan in case warm winters affect flowering of their host trees. Some moths (the first cohort) will start emerging …
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codling moth, codling moth emergence

Pests

published - 9 October 2019
By David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

Grower Alert for Southern States: ADB and Thrips

Apple dimpling bugs and thrips have been reported in high numbers in Granite Belt orchards in Queensland. The area is suffering from drought and the insects are probably concentrating on fruit trees because there are few other sources of flowers available to them.
Growers in southern orchards should begin monitoring for …
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ADB, apple dimpling bug, grower alert, thrips

Pests

published - 13 August 2019
By Paul James (Lenswood Co-operative)

Birds, Bats and Other Animal Problems

Australia’s apple and pear growing areas are located in several diverse regions throughout the country. Each of these regions has its own indigenous (and introduced) species of plants, animals and birds. Most of these species are not a problem for orchardists and can often be beneficial but there are several …
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bats, birds, cockatoos, flying fox, kangaroos, lorikeets, netting, noise control devices, rosellas, scaring devices, wallabies

Pests

published - 13 August 2019
By Paul James (Lenswood Co-operative)

Grey Headed Flying Fox moving south

Grey Headed Flying Fox
Fruit growers in northern Australia (Queensland and New South Wales) have had problems with the Grey Headed Flying Fox ((Pteropus poliocephalus) for a long time. Now this native mega bat species continues its movement south and westwards due to habitat issues, drought and competition with the Black …
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flying fox, netting

Pests

published - 1 August 2019
By David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

How to Calculate Cumulative Leaf Infested Days (CLID’s)

To calculate Cumulative Leaf Infested Days (CLIDs) you need to first monitor weekly or fortnightly using the 10 leaves / tree method and calculate the % of Infested Leaves (click here to download a template Monitoring Sheet).
Here is an example of how to calculate the % of infested leaves:

Sample 5 …
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Cumulative leaf infested days, leaf scorch, mites, monitoring

Pests, Resources

published - 30 July 2019
By Emily Crawford (Agriculture Victoria)

Brush up on good bugs

Beneficial insects and mites may already be in your orchard working to reduce populations of pests. But did you know many are also commercially available in Australia?
If you can identify the beneficials in your orchard you may then be able to make more informed decisions and avoid accidentally wiping out …
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beneficials, good bugs, parasites, parasitoids, predators, predatory mites, predatory wasps

Beneficials, Pests, Resources

published - 21 June 2019
By Emily Crawford (Agriculture Victoria)

Monitor while pruning to get ahead

Pruning is an opportunity to monitor for diseases and pests so you are ahead of the game later in the season. Take a moment to educate your pruning staff to look for evidence of key pests and diseases while they are working among your trees. Watch out for:

ERM and Bryobia …
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Bryobia mite, european red mite, monitoring, San Jose Scale, snails, Wood Rotting fungi, woolly aphid

Diseases, Pests

published - 21 June 2019

Mealybug Management

David Williams (Principal Research Scientist, Agriculture Victoria) discusses identification, monitoring and control of Mealybugs, including how to identify the difference between Mealybugs and their natural predator (Mealybug Ladybird) larvae which look confusingly similar.

Reviewed by Kevin Dodds, NSW DPI.

Mealybug, Mealybug ladybird, Mealybug predators, monitoring

Pests

published - 12 June 2019

Mite Management

European Red Mite (ERM), Two Spotted Mites (TSM) and Bryobia mites all commonly affect apple and pear orchards.
David Williams (Principal Researcher, Agriculture Victoria) discusses how to identify, monitor and control mites in the following three videos:
Mite Monitoring

Mite Monitoring – understanding Cumulative Leaf Infested Days (CLID)

For more information on how to …
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Bryobia mite, CLID's, Cumulative leaf infested days, European Red Mite (ERM), monitoring, predator mites, Two-spotted mite

Beneficials, Pests

published - 27 May 2019
By David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

Useful tool – Pests Pocket guide

The popular Agriculture Victoria publication Pests of Pome and Stone Fruit and their Predators and Parasitoids – A Pocket guide is now available as an e-book.
Download here: Pests of Pome and Stone Fruit (Pocket Guide) e-book

Example from Pocket Guide of how to use identification keys
Example from Pocket Guide of identification page …
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ID insects, ID pests and bugs, identification of insects in orchards, identifications of pests and bugs, IPDM, IPM

Pests, Useful Tools

published - 14 May 2019
By Alison Mathews (DPIRD WA)

Autumn Snail Control

Several snail pest species are found in Australia, however damage is usually caused by the common garden snail (pictured) , Helix aspersa. (Photo: DPIRD WA)

Snail control is best done on multiple fronts. Snails need humid places to shelter, such as among weeds and other vegetation and in tree guards.
Orchard floor …
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baits, snails

Pests