Riverine Plains Blog

Key Points:

• Use pesticides judiciously to prevent resistance developing 
• Use a range of strategies to manage pest populations 
• Consider resistance testing on suspect populations 

While we might defer a lot of our pesticide management decisions to our advisors, as farm business managers (and spray applicators), we ultimately have the final say in what goes onto our paddocks and when.  

Key points 

• Introduce stock slowly to grazing cereal and canola/brassica crops  
• Feed test to know the quality of your crop 
• Avoid nutrient imbalances when grazing young crops by providing a mineral/salt lick and roughage 
• Know the signs of nutrient-related animal health disorders. 

While some farmers have already started grazing winter forage crops, some later-sown crops will only be ready for grazing now. Cereals are ready to be grazed when they have developed secondary roots and are well anchored, usually around the 3-leaf stage.  

After two years of above-average rainfall, slugs are again making their presence known across the Riverine Plains, especially in canola. The moist conditions experienced in Spring (and, for that matter, harvest/Summer) have created ideal breeding conditions for slugs. Damage is being reported in previously unaffected areas and has been severe enough to require re-sowing in some canola paddocks.