Australia - Grains industry fighting back against rise in pesticide resistance

An opportunity to work with some of the nation’s leading researchers and practitioners – to help address the rising challenge of fungicide, herbicide and insecticide resistance – is being offered to the Australian grains industry ahead of the 2019 cropping season.

 

The 2018 Crop Protection Forum, to be held in South Australia on December 6, will feature a line-up of speakers who will discuss evolving resistance, new research aimed at tackling the issues and innovations to manage them. 

 

The one-day forum, ‘Riders of the storm of resistance’, is presented by the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) – a national research centre co-supported by Curtin University and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) – in partnership with the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) and research organisation cesar.
 

CCDM Co-Director Professor Karam Singh, who will chair the opening session with a focus on the impact and management of chemical resistance, says resistance to agricultural chemicals is here now and will continue to evolve and challenge the Australian industry into the future.

 

“For the industry to tackle resistance head-on, we need a co-ordinated approach and that’s where the Crop Protection Forum fits in,” Professor Singh says.

 

“The forum brings together agronomists, advisers, growers, practitioners, resellers and researchers to tackle the important questions and solutions around crop disease, pest and weed control and management.

 

“Delegates will hear from key researchers and others about what they’re finding and the implications for paddock practices.”

 

The first session features presentations from CCDM’s Fran Lopez-Ruiz on fungicide resistance; AHRI’s Roberto Busi on herbicide ‘alphabet cross-resistance’; and cesar’s Dr James Maino on predicting insecticide resistance and risk.

 

AHRI Director Hugh Beckie will chair a three-speaker session on the impact and management of resistance in cereal crops.

 

During this session, AHRI Southern Region Agronomist Greg Condon will look beyond windrow burning for weed control; cesar Director and entomologist Paul Umina will discuss redlegged earth mite resistance in the southern region; and SA Research and Development Institute’s (SARDI) Hugh Wallwork will outline cereal cropping practices for better disease control.

 

The third session, chaired by Dr Umina, will focus on the impact and management of resistance in canola and pulse crops, with an eye to future technologies. 

 

Jess Lye from cesar will speak on green peach aphid resistance and management in canola; CCDM’s Lars Kamphuis will explore whether there is hope for resistance to diseases in canola and pulse crops; and Dr Beckie will peer into the future role of genetic modification (GM) and hybrid technologies in weed control.

 

A panel of experts will guide a workshop session designed to give workshop participants a fresh look at their strategies and tactics for the 2019 cropping season.

 

The panel includes CSIRO Farming Systems Scientist and Research Group Leader, Rick Llewellyn, who brings to the discussion an extensive knowledge of weed control, backed by a mix of farming systems field research, strategies for technology adoption and agricultural economics. 

 

The panel will feature Principal Research Scientist Jenny Davidson, from SARDI’s Pulse and Oilseed Pathology Laboratory, who has more than 25 years of research experience, predominantly in the epidemiology, disease management and screening of fungal and bacterial diseases of pulse crops. SARDI entomologist Greg Baker and Yorke Peninsula (SA) agronomist Sam Holmes will provide insights into the paddock-level challenges and mechanisms available to address these constraints.

 

The panellists will help identify the implications of resistance and key messages raised at the forum that agronomists and advisers can use in preparation for the 2019 growing season.

 

Registrations for the 2018 Crop Protection Forum at Glenelg in SA are now open but places are limited. To register or view the full forum program, go to https://buff.ly/2NAN9RB.