Winter cereals include wheat, barley, oats, canary and triticale.
Insect pest risk
High risk | Moderate risk | Low risk |
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Soil insects, slugs and snails | ||
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Sandy soils. |
Earth mites | ||
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Leaf curl mite populations (transmit wheat streak mosaic virus) increase with grazing and mild wet summers. | Seed dressings provide some protection, except under extreme pest pressure. |
Aphids | ||
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Armyworm | ||
Large larvae present when the crop is at late ripening stage. |
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No armyworm present at vegetative and grain filling stages. |
Pest incidence
Pest | Crop stage | |||
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Emergence |
Vegetative |
Flowering |
Grainfill |
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Wireworms | Damaging | Present | ||
Cutworm | Damaging | |||
Black headed cockchafer (not WA) | Damaging | Present | ||
Earth mites | Damaging | Present | ||
Slugs, snails* | Damaging | |||
Brown wheat mite | Damaging | |||
Aphids | Present | Damaging | Present | Present |
Armyworm | Present | Present | Damaging | |
Helicoverpa armigera | Damaging |
Present | Present in crop but generally not damaging |
Damaging | Crop susceptible to damage and loss. |
* Snails are also a grain contaminant at harvest
Key IPM strategies for winter cereals
- Where the risk of establishment pest (e.g. earth mites) incidence is low, regular monitoring can be substituted for prophylactic seed dressings.
- Where establishment pests and aphid infestations are clearly a result of invasion from weed hosts around the field edges or neighbouring pasture, a border spray may be sufficient to control the infestation.
Insecticide choices
- RLEM, BOM, and other mite species can occur in mixed populations. Determine species composition before making decisions as they have different susceptibilities to chemicals.
- Establishment pests have differing susceptibilities to insecticides. Be aware that the use of some pesticides may select for pests that are more tolerant.
- RLEM has been found to have high levels of resistance to synthetic pyrethroids such as bifenthrin and alpha-cypermethrin.
- Helicoverpa armigera has historically had high resistance to pyrethroids and the inclusion of NPV is effective where mixed populations of armyworm and helicoverpa occur in maturing winter cereals.
Further information
- Best bet strategy for managing pests in winter cereals
- The Beatsheet blog (select winter cereals)
- Helicoverpa (DAF)
- GRDC GrowNotes