Strategic grub management

Implementing BSES decision-making tools

Group Name: Mulgrave Canegrowers

Objectives

The project seeks to achieve the following:

• Implementation of a regional grub monitoring system developed in Mulgrave during 2003-2006 by BSES, with improvements in the accuracy of predictions;
• Provision of advice on district-wide grub trends to group members to assist with grub management decisions;
• Testing of a farm-level monitoring and prediction service that could be used to make field-by-field decisions, by interested growers;
• Implementation of a regional approach to managing the grub problem by participating growers in addition to individual efforts;
• Increased adoption of grub IPM strategies in Mulgrave;
• Participating growers making well-informed decisions on when, where and what to treat, thus minimising pesticide use and crop losses.
• Increased revenue plus reduced input costs with environmental and social benefits (reduction of chemical use in a Wet Tropics Region).

Project Activities:

Selected farms in Mulgrave, representing the whole region, will be monitored for pest activity as follows:

─ Assess district-wide grub damage (from records in 2006 and 2007 and through aerial surveys in June 2008 and June 2009);

─ Assess beetle activity;

─ Collect data on pesticide use at farm and regional levels (with help from Mulgrave Mill);

─ Assess gaps in November 2007, 2008, 2009;

─ Record grub numbers in 2- 3 selected blocks on each of 20 farms, representing the whole area of Mulgrave (March - April 2008 & 2009);

─ Determine whether grubs are infected with diseases with assistance from BSES entomologist;

─ Examine several farms in more detail to test the accuracy of the farm-level prediction system proposed by BSES.

Using this data, a judgement will be made whether the grub trend is increasing, static or decreasing in each subdistrict in general and individual farms in particular. A more detailed prediction system will be used to predict subsequent grub trends for each block in the "case study" farms. Decisions will be made and growers will be expected to implement the recommendations on Best Management Strategies. The level of implementation will be examined by the group and this will be the key milestone of the project. An assessment of the acceptability of prediction results to growers will be made, and ways to improve both the efficiency of the prediction system and the level of take-up by growers will be investigated.

Contact person: Jeffrey Day 4056 2155 Mulgrave@canegrowers.com.au