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Cucumber Mosaic Virus And Its Management In Narrow Leafed Lupins, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a seed- and aphid-borne virus that infects narrow-leafed lupins. Western Australian (WA) grainbelt regions most at risk are the high rainfall zones of the northern and central agricultural region and the south coastal region.

The principal infection source for lupin crops is sowing infected lupin seed.

Ascochyta Blight Disease And Its Management In Faba Beans, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

This factsheet summarises the symptoms, disease risk, infection cycle and control measures for Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae) in faba bean compared to the diseases, Alternaria and Cercospora.

Blackleg And Its Management In Canola, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, is the most common and serious disease of canola in Western Australia (WA). Blackleg can cause significant damage by infecting the cotyledons or first leaves early in the season, leading ultimately to crown lesions or cankers later in the season.

Changes in variety choice, crop rotation, earlier sowing times, and stubble retention have extended the risk of blackleg disease. Because of early emergence, later stages of crop growth are more likely to be exposed and infection can occur on all parts of the plant above ground, including canola flowers, stems, and branches (this …

Root Lesion And Burrowing Nematodes And Their Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Nematodes are common soil pests that feed on the roots of a wide range of crops in all agricultural areas of Western Australia, resulting in significant crop yield loss. Root lesion nematode can be managed but not eradicated.

This factsheet summarises the biology of the root lesion nematode (RLN, Pratylenchus spp.) and burrowing nematode (Radopholus spp.) species that damage Western Australian (WA) crops, and their diagnosis and management.

Roly Poly And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Roly poly, also known as prickly saltwort or tumbleweed (Salsola australis), is a native species found throughout Australia. The dead plants can break off at ground level, forming the ‘tumbleweeds’ seen in movies.

Like most summer weeds, roly poly uses soil moisture and nutrients that would otherwise be available to the following crop. The time taken to clear uncontrolled plants can delay seeding.

Livestock will graze the young plants; however, they will not eat the mature plants and are injured by the prickly leaves.

Net Form Net Blotch And Its Management In Barley, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Net form net blotch is a fungal disease that can reduce yield and grain quality of barley crops. It can vary in appearance depending on the pathogen, variety of barley, and stage of infection. This factsheet describes the symptoms, and how this disease is managed.

Yellow Spot And Septoria Nodorum Blotch And Their Management In Wheat, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Leaf spot diseases affecting wheat in Western Australia (WA) are yellow spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis), septoria nodorum blotch (Parastagonospora nodorum), and septoria tritici blotch (Zymoseptoria tritici). They are caused by 3 different fungal pathogens but the disease symptoms and biologies are similar.

Impact from leaf spot diseases vary greatly from season to season and between locations. They are a problem in continuous wheat crops in stubble retention (no-till) farming systems. For the most effective control, an integrated disease management (IDM) approach is required.

This page outlines the symptoms, diseases spread and risk factors, yield and quality losses, and management options for …

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus And Wheat Curl Mite And Their Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a seed and mite-borne virus that infects wheat, causing severe leaf symptoms and reduced yields. The symptoms and damage are more severe in wheat than other hosts, in which infection is symptomless.

Wheat streak mosaic virus can cause crop failure when widespread infection occurs in seedling wheat, particularly when a heavily WSMV-infected green bridge is not controlled before sowing an early crop, and warm temperatures favour mites.

Wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella) is the only known vector of WSMV. It can transmit the virus in its nymph and adult stages.

Doublegee And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Doublegee is a significant weed of agriculture and causes a loss of $20 million annually over an estimated one million hectares of crops and one million hectares of pastures, in Western Australia (WA) alone.

Armyworms And Their Management In Cereal Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Armyworms are pests of cereals crops. They are frequently found along the south coast of Western Australia and occasionally in other grainbelt locations.

When barley crops are maturing in spring, large armyworm caterpillars climb plants and can chew through the stems, causing the heads to fall to the ground. Damage to wheat and oat crops occurs less frequently and is usually minor compared to damage in barley. Armyworms are seldom a serious problem in pastures.

Sclerotinia Stem Rot And Its Management In Canola, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a disease of canola that can cause significant yield losses exceeding 20% under conducive conditions. This disease occurs in all areas of the WA grainbelt.

Sclerotinia stem rot is one of the most variable and unpredictable diseases of canola, with incidence of infection varying greatly between paddocks and between years. Yield losses can be severe in years of higher moisture, cool conditions, and high humidity, which favour disease development.

This factsheet details the symptoms, disease risk and spread, yield and quality losses, and integrated disease management tactics for sclerotinia stem …

Barley And Cereal Yellow Dwarf Viruses And Their Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDV) and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (CYDV) damage cereal crops worldwide. These yellow dwarf viruses infect wheat, barley, oats and grasses and are transmitted by aphids.

This page describes these collective yellow dwarf viruses (barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses), which damage cereals crops and advises on their diagnosis, monitoring, and management the viruses in the Western Australian (WA) grainbelt.

Growers are encouraged to check cereal crops for aphids on a regular basis, especially early in the season during autumn when winged aphids migrate into cereal crops during the crops’ most vulnerable growth phase. Early detection …

Septoria Avenae Blotch And Its Management In Oats, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Septoria avenae blotch (Phaeosphaeria avenaria f.sp. avenaria) is a stubble borne fungal disease of oats and is the most common oat disease in Western Australia and occurs throughout the cereal growing areas.It is host specific, meaning it only affects oats.

This page summarises the symptoms, factors favouring disease risk and spread, yield and quality losses, and management strategies for the disease

Fleabane And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Flaxleaf and tall fleabane (Conyza spp.) are emerging weeds in Western Australia (WA), germinating in spring and becoming major weeds in summer. Fleabane is now considered an important weed of reduced tillage farming systems.

Historically, fleabane was primarily a weed of roadsides, particularly if the road shoulders were sprayed with glyphosate, leaving bare soil on which the fleabane could germinate and flourish.

Capeweed And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) is a prostrate, stemless, sprawling annual herb that germinates during autumn and winter. In Western Australia (WA), competition from 7 to 90 capeweed plants per square metre in a wheat crop can reduce crop yield by 28 to 44% and net return by 25 to 76%.

Rust Disease And Its Management In Faba Beans, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Faba bean rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae) is host specific, meaning it does not infect cereals or other break crops. The rust is not widespread in Western Australia but low to moderate levels occur in the Esperance and Katanning regions. Individual crops suffer yield losses in some years.

Rust has also been recorded in the high rainfall region in the northern agricultural area, around Dongara.

This page summarises the symptoms, infection cycle, disease risk and spread, and management recommendations for faba bean rust disease.

Sclerotinia Stem Rot And Its Management In Lupins, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

With lupins being susceptible and grown in close rotation to canola, particularly in the northern Western Australia (WA) grainbelt, lupin growers are facing increasing pressure from the disease sclerotinia stem rot (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum).

This page covers the disease symptoms, infection process, yield and quality impacts, and management in lupin crops.

Diamondback Moth And Its Management In Canola And Crop Weeds, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Diamondback moth larvae are a serious pest of canola, brassicas, and forage crops, and are difficult to control. The pest breeds up on summer weeds and volunteer canola plants. If there are abundant early rains and mild winters, diamondback moth larvae pose a risk to canola crops.

Spray-Topping Pastures, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Spray-topping or pasture topping is the application of a sub-lethal rate of herbicide when grasses are coming into head and flowering.

The aim is to reduce the production of viable seed and the seedling population in the following year. The grass is not killed by the herbicide application.

Spray-topping is normally carried out in preparation for the following season's cropping program.

Leaf Diseases And Their Management In Oats, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Leaf diseases of oats impact on grain yield and quality and reduce hay quality characteristics, such as colour and digestibility. This page outlines the symptoms, factors favouring disease risk and spread, and management.

Major leaf diseases of oats are septoria avenae blotch, stem rust, leaf rust, and barley yellow dwarf virus. Their severity changes with seasons.

Foliar Diseases And Their Management In Lupins, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

This factsheet describes symptoms and management of the major fungal and viral diseases affecting lupin foliage, stems, and pods. Several of these diseases have the capacity to cause significant losses if not managed effectively.

Inoculum can be carried in soil, seed, stubble, on green regrowth, or by insect vectors, depending on the disease. Therefore, an integrated approach to disease management is required using tactics such as crop rotation, stubble management, fungicide seed dressing, variety selection, and seed testing

Are You Planting Resistant Weeds With Your Crop Seed?, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Key messages

• West Australian (WA) grain growers have significant weed seed contamination in their crop seed.

• WA growers are sowing herbicide resistant weed seed into their cropping paddocks.

• Crop hygiene (harvest, seeding, transporting) is important to minimise spread of weeds.

Harvest is well underway throughout the WA grainbelt, and growers will be harvesting grain and collecting seed for next year’s crop.

However, this crop seed can be contaminated with weed seeds and, if seed cleaning operations are only partially effective, this weed seed may be sown into paddocks with crop seed in the following season.

Russian Wheat Aphid And Its Management In Wheat And Barley, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Russian wheat aphid is found worldwide and has spread throughout all major grain growing countries. In Australia, Russian wheat aphid is present in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia, where it was first detected in 2020.

In Western Australia, Russian wheat aphid is found in low, medium, and high rainfall areas.

Presence of Russian wheat aphid in Western Australia is not an international trade issue and there are no trade implications for the grain industry, as bulk grain is not a host for Russian wheat aphid.

Managing Aphids And Viruses In Lupins, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Aphids reduce yields by direct feeding damage, which causes flower and pod abortion and occasionally plant death in lupins. The extent of damage varies between seasons, but losses can be severe in years that favour aphid population development.

Lupins are most vulnerable to aphids during budding and flowering, as severe feeding damage on growing tips can cause buds to drop, flowers to abort, and reduced pod set. Some lupin varieties are more susceptible to aphids than others.

Aphids transmit serious virus diseases, which reduce yields and contaminate seed stocks. Some species of aphids are more difficult to control than others.

Native Budworm Spraying Threshold, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

The number of native budworm caterpillars in a crop is the major factor determining potential economic damage from the pest. Table 1 was generated with results from department trials to provide an estimate of potential loss from native budworm damage.

Crop loss (kilograms per hectare (kg/ha)) for each caterpillar netted in 10 sweeps (or found per square metre (m2 )) is shown in Table 1. One caterpillar netted in 10 sweeps is equivalent to about 20,000 caterpillars/ha for most pulse crops, assuming an even distribution over the crop

Stem Rust And Its Management In Wheat, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) is a foliar disease that can significantly reduce wheat yields if it occurs in early spring and is not controlled. Risk factors, management strategies (including variety choices and foliar fungicides), and yield loss from different varieties are discussed here.

In Western Australia, stem rust typically causes losses of 10 to 50% in wheat, but this can increase to 90% when it occurs in early spring and is not controlled.

Stem rust affects wheat and triticale, but barley can also be a host during summer months.Stem rust produces large, reddish-brown spore masses on both …

Developing A Controlled Traffic (Tramline) Farming System, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a farming system built on permanent wheel tracks where the crop zone and traffic lanes are permanently separated. It can improve profitability and sustainability.

Implements for seeding, spraying, spreading and harvesting have a particular span, or multiple of it, and all wheel tracks are confined to specific traffic lanes.

CTF increases profit by more yield, better grain quality, improved operation timeliness, and reduced costs. The environment can improve, with less nutrient leaching, less water erosion, better water infiltration, and less greenhouse gas emission. Implementation needs a clear, long-term plan, and prioritisation of soil health.

Another …

Button Grass And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) is a native species found throughout Australia. It is a common summer weed species that depletes soil moisture and nutrients, reducing the yield potential of the subsequent crop. It also acts as a green bridge for crop pests and disease.

The rapid emergence and growth of button grass after rainfall makes it important for the Australian plague locust.

It can be a valuable pasture species in arid areas, although overgrazing of button grass can result in toxicity for sheep and cattle.

Finding The Safe Planting Window For Blackspot, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

The Blackspot Manager disease risk forecaster model is an effective tool to help identify the best balance between early sowing and potential yield loss from blackspot. Blackspot can lead to significant crop losses. Field peas become infected when windborne spores are released from fruiting bodies on infected stubble. The timing of spore release is generally early in autumn, depending on summer and autumn rain events.

Barley Grass And Its Management In Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Barley grass is a common name for Hordeum glaucum and H. leporinum. Barley grass is a major crop weeds species because the seed is readily dispersed, it is renowned for rapidly germinating in autumn, and post-emergent herbicide control options are limited. It can also act as an alternate host for cereal diseases and can develop resistance to herbicides.

The rapid germination of the species after rainfall gives barley grass the potential to act as a green bridge for cereal root rot diseases