Riverine Plains Blog

Key Messages

• Know what you’re dealing with – monitor, monitor, monitor 
• Soil moisture data can help predict when slugs will become active 
• Biological controls can be useful  
• Bait at sowing and approximately four weeks later if required 
• Vigour and speed of establishment in canola is important 
• Key factors of bait efficacy are chance of encounter and consumption of active 

Slugs are one of the main establishment pests in the Riverine Plains, along with earwigs, slaters, millipedes, wireworms, and mice. The first step to controlling any of these pests, particularly slugs, is knowing what you are dealing with. 

Key Messages

• Phenoxy herbicides can cause significant off-target damage to susceptible summer crops
• Volatilisation of herbicide from the treated plant occurs more frequently during summer, when temperatures are higher
• Before using volatile herbicides, check with your neighbours about proximity to susceptible summer crops
• Always check with your agronomist to see if there are less volatile alternative products available

Non-intentional herbicide drift from Group I herbicides such as 2,4-D and other compounds occurs regularly across Australia, with cotton, grapes, soybeans, sorghum, forage brassicas, horticultural crops (i.e tomatoes) and other broadleaf species being especially susceptible.

Key Messages:

• High-moisture grain is not safe to store without aeration or drying, but can be temporarily held in silos with aeration cooling before being dried or blended
• It’s important to regularly monitor stored grain temperatures to avoid spoilage
• Do not store high moisture grain infected with fungi or moulds

With wet and cool weather continuing to complicate harvest, growers may be thinking about their options for managing higher moisture grain (either this year or in future seasons).

So, what are the key things to consider?

Key Messages

Key Messages

• Pulse crops are under pressure due to current wet conditions and disease
• Brown or green manuring pulse crops may be an option this spring 
• Brown/green manuring can increase soil nitrogen, provide weed control options, help conserve moisture & improve soil structure and improve subsequent crop gross margins.

Perhaps trafficability has created difficulties with fungicide application and disease management has become problematic in your pulse crop. Or maybe specific weed issues have recently come into focus?