Crop protection commercial biological control systems in the australian macadamia industry -...
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- 1. Commercial Biological Control in the Australian Macadamia
Industry Richard Llewellyn BioResources Pty Ltd
www.bioresources.com.au
- 2. Biological control is generally recognised as the best
option for pest control - If its available. Establishing if an
organism is available, suitable, mass rearable and practical to use
in the field is another story. A lot of criteria need to be met
before it becomes a reality. As commercial producers of biocontrol
agents we build on previous work by researchers but invariably have
to do a lot of new work on the mass rearing side. It can be a
complex process and every biocontrol project I have been involved
in has gone in directions we could not have initially predicted.
Underlining our efforts is an understanding that there are many
biological interactions going on in the field and if we can find
out more about them we may be able to use them to our advantage in
our production systems.
- 3. Trichogrammatoidea cryptophlebiae dubbed MacTrixBiological
control of macadamia nutborer Tiny wasp only 0.5 mm long
- 4. A good example is the tiny Trichogramma wasp for control of
the major pest macadamia nutborer.We first started mass rearing
work in 1998 after finding some parasitised nutborer eggs in a crop
near Lismore.The wasp turned out to be Trichogrammatoidea
cryptophlebiae which we have dubbed MacTrix.The NSW DPI had a
culture of nutborer so we were able to start a small lab culture of
the wasp.BioResources had experience with Trichogramma and was
brought in to see if we could develop a mass rearing system.We
found that we could only rear the wasps on mac nutborer eggs and
this meant we needed to have a very large moth colony.
- 5. We were unsure if we could rear enough wasps to be useful on
a commercial scale. However, with lots of trial and error, an
efficient system has evolved that includes a field release program
of regular, relatively small numbers of wasps in the period leading
up to and through the nutborer pressure period. We are now treating
around 5,000 hectares per season with a spill over so that much
more crop area is benefiting from these releases. The effectiveness
of this program has exceeded our expectations. Its has had district
wide benefits the wasps disperse into surrounding non-crop areas
where nutborer breed resulting in much lower nutborer pressure in
most areas and much reduced spraying and the associated problems
during a wet season. Without the yearly releases of the wasp MNB
would soon resume its old major pest status.
- 6. MacTrix are applied early via cards that are stapled in
trees along boundaries and in historical hot spots.
- 7. The nutborer project was successful for various reasons:
Firstly, MacTrix is a great biocontrol agent capable of very high
levels of control. Financial Support from Mac Society in early
years pretty modest but was enough to get it going. Good
collaboration between a local biocontrol producer (BioResources)
and govt dept researchers. Crop consultants were brought in during
the research phase and were supplied with wasps for trial plots.
Research phase was also an educational phase. We had to develop
practical system including fitting in with other management
practices. Consultants learnt how to monitor for wasp activity and
could see that wasps were doing a good job so were able to pass on
their confidence to growers who then readily adopted the new
technology.
- 8. Bio Control of fruitspotting bugs? Success with MacTrix and
its area wide benefits led to pressure to develop biocontrol for
the other big pest fruitspotting bug. Previous research had
identified a number of parasitoids of FSB and some glasshouse trial
work looked promising. In March 2010 we set up a Voluntary
Contributor (VC) project with 50 growers and BioResources. Started
a FSB culture and began to investigate the biocontrol options.
Started looking in my semi-rural back yard and found Anastatus as
well as Gryon in a friends suburban Brisbane backyard. So, these
things are out there, we just have to give them a help along!
However, rearing spotting bugs in large quantities proved to be
very difficult and inefficient. We had to find a better way. Led to
importation of a sample of unviable silkworm eggs from China
Immediate success in getting wasps to full development in silkworm
eggs!
- 9. Straight off to China in May 2011 to establish collaboration
with Chinese researchers and secure a supply of SW eggs. Imported a
much larger amount of eggs in April 2012. Developed mass rearing
system and now begun field trials at 25 sites using similar model
established with MacTrix a local commercial partner, researchers,
consultants and grower collaboration. Wasps are being released
along boundaries of crops and in likely bug breeding areas. Means
the assessment of effectiveness of parasitoids for spotting bug is
problematic. A lot of the bug breeding happens outside the crop so
unable to collect bug eggs etc. Assessment can only be indirect
with a longitudinal study to track changes in bug pressure and
damage over several seasons.
- 10. Wasps are released via cards hung in trees along the
boundary and in bug breeding areas on property and in adjacent
farms
- 11. To sum up Weve had great success with MacTrix and hope to
repeat it with Anastatus. However, its much more challenging
project and will take more time. It wouldnt be possible without the
significant support of AMS, Avocado Aust, NSW Agric & HAL We
see beneficial insects as an indispensible component in a
sustainable cropping system. New chemistry will be useful but
expensive and will need to be accompanied by good biological
control to produce the goods. We want growers to be able to change
the question they ask, from: Can I risk not spraying my crop? to:
Should I spray and risk disrupting all the good biocontrol I have
going in my crop?
- 12. The fruit spotting bug project is a collaboration of
industry, government and private enterprise. This project has been
funded by HAL using the avocado, macadamia, papaya and lychee
industry levies and matched funds from the Australian Government.
NSWDepartment of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Queensland
Department of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forestry (QDAFF) are also
contributing in-kind funds to the project, and NSW DPI is managing
the project on behalf of all partners. Other project partners
include the University of Queensland and BioResources Pty Ltd.
www.bioresources.com.au