The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) invaluable broadacre invertebrate pest and disease management reporting service has kicked off for the 2022 growing season, with the new name PestFacts WA.
Previously known as the PestFax service, the interactive service provides information and advice on pests and diseases threatening crops and pastures in the grainbelt.
DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster said managing snails before egg laying was currently an important topic for southern WA growers.
"A new broadacre snail management podcast with research scientist Svetlana Micic has been published as part of DPIRD's Grains Convo podcast series," Ms Webster said.
"The PestFacts WA team is also hosting a free half hour webinar on Friday, April 1, focused on WA's climate outlook for the growing season, what invertebrate pests growers will need to watch out for and what exciting upgrades the PestFacts WA service will have to offer growers and consultants this season.
"More information, including on how to register for webinars or access podcasts, is available from DPIRD's About PestFacts WA page."
PestFacts WA, co-funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, delivers an e-newsletter during the growing season to about 1000 subscribers.
The service also offers the PestFax map, webinars, industry-renown invertebrate identification training workshops, insecticide spray guides, as well as responding to industry insect and plant disease identification requests and enquiries.
"PestFacts WA services rely on the WA grains industry to notify us what invertebrates and diseases they are finding in broadacre crops and pastures," Ms Webster said.
"In return, DPIRD provides diagnoses and management advice and alerts the WA grains industry to potential incursions."
The PestFacts WA service has just published the 2022 Autumn winter insecticide spray guide for crops.
"We also conduct a manual native budworm moth manual trapping surveillance program each year with volunteer growers and consultants across the grainbelt to monitor the potential risk of caterpillars to pulse and canola crops," Ms Webster said.
The PestFacts WA service operates under the IPMforGrains: Best Practice Insect Pest Management project which is delivered by the National Pest Information Network (Cesar Australia, DPIRD, QDAF, NSW DPI, and SARDI).
This initiative is a GRDC investment and includes commitments from all project partner organisations.
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