Australian Apple and Pear IPDM

Independent, expert advice on integrated pest and disease management

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Case Study Orchards

IPDM tools

Pests

Diseases

Weeds

published - 18 September 2019
By Emily Crawford (Agriculture Victoria) and Russell Fox (IK Caldwell)

In a dry spring, plan for Powdery

In a dry Spring when spraying for Black Spot is unlikely to occur, it’s important to plan for Powdery Mildew.
Especially in new varieties of apples, more Powdery Mildew is being seen and it tends not to russet as much as in older varieties.
Look out for signs of powdery mildew in …
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pink, powdery mildew

Diseases

published - 10 September 2019
By Dr Stephen Quarrell (University of Tasmania)

Think Pollination

As the 2019 production season draws closer it’s time to think pollination. By now you should already have had or are having discussions with your beekeeper about your pollination requirements for this season including the number of hives, the hive’s strength (number of bees per hive) and their position(s) in …
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bees, pollination

Beneficials, Weeds

published - 3 September 2019
By Jessica Fearnley (NSW DPI) and Emily Crawford (Agriculture Victoria)

Benefits of Cover Cropping

Cover cropping (or vegetation in orchard inter-rows) helps to increase soil organic matter, improve soil structure, combat soil compaction and improve nutrient availability. Cover crops can also support integrated pest management in orchards as they provide pollen (food) and habitat for natural predators and parasitoids. A mixed species inter-row sward …
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beneficial predators, cover crop, inter row, mowing, weeds

Weeds

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 - 23 July 2019

IPDM Action Plan 2019/20 – Stanthorpe, QLD

Orchardist: Daniel Nicoletti
Situation:
Codling moth and black spot are under control via chemical sprays timed according to monitoring of moth numbers in traps and weather conditions affecting disease infection periods. Mites and mealybugs have become major problems. This could be due to pesticide resistance or side effects on beneficials.
Mission:
To reduce pest …
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IPDM action plan, IPDM case study orchards

Case Study Orchards, QLD

published - 23 July 2019

IPDM Action Plan 2019/20 – Kirup WA

Orchardist: Terry Martella, Martella & Sons
Situation:
The main issues focussed on are mites, apple dimpling bug (ADB), weevils, mealybug and powdery mildew. They have a resistance management program based on activity groups, and a monitoring program for mites and mealybugs. Vertimec appeared to fail this year.
The business has been using pest …
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IPDM action plan, IPDM case study orchards

Case Study Orchards, WA

published - 23 July 2019

IPDM Action Plan 2019/20- Batlow, NSW

Orchardist: Jeremy Smart
Situation:
The main issues focussed on are wooly apple aphid (WAA), black spot (apple scab), codling moth, and weeds. Current IPDM involves mating disruption for codling moth backed up by spraying Altacor or Insegar if necessary when monitoring indicates a potential problem, and spot spraying an early Lorsban for …
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IPDM action plan, IPDM case study orchards

Case Study Orchards, NSW

published - 23 July 2019

IPDM Action Plan 2019/20 – Nannup, WA

Orchardist: Mark Scott, Nannup Fresh Fruit
Situation:
The main issues focussed on are mites, apple dimpling bug (ADB), weevils, wooly apple aphid (WAA), MedFly, spring beetle, snails, powdery mildew, apple scab and pear scab. Current IPDM involves monitoring for ADB and spring beetle, spot monitoring for mites through the season paying attention …
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IPDM action plan, IPDM case study orchards

Case Study Orchards, WA

IPDM Action Plan 2019/20 – Lenswood, SA

Orchardist: Kym Green
Situation:
Kym is a 5th generation orchardist running the family business in partnership with his brother Peter. They do most of their own packing, but some goes via the Lenswood Cooperative and some through Ceravolo’s. They have been involved with IPM since the 1980s, have been using Biodynamic principles …
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IPDM action plan, IPDM case study orchards

Case Study Orchards, SA