Soldier fly management

Project title: Increasing Productivity & Profitablity in soliderfly effected crops in the Pioneer Valley

Group Name: Cattle Creek Soldierfly Group

 Objectives:

• Increase length of crop cycle, increase number of ratoons.
• Identifying new & promising Sugar cane varieties tolerance or susceptibility to soliderfly.
• Trial different products or chemicals that will help increase number of ratoons in a crop cycle.
• Reduce soliderfly numbers in fallow.
• Reduce build up of numbers of soliderfly in ratoons.
• Monitor crop yield in trials.
• Improve sugarcane plants health and vigour to overcome effects of soliderfly.
• Identify any increase or reduction of larvae numbers.
• Investigate any opportunities for a study tour, of other districts effected by solider fly and how they are dealing with the problem.
• Identify any effect trials have on nematodes and pachymetra or if they effect the trials results.
• Develop member's skills by, Fact sheets, Farm walk to inspect trial sites, communicating at local cell group meetings.
• Identify new ways of controlling the effects soldier fly has on sugar cane, by engaging an expert (eg. entomologist).

 Contact person: Paul Argent 49583153