BIO-organic locust control products are in the limelight ahead of the summer season.
With input from CSIRO Entomology, in conjunction with the Australian Plague Locust Commission, biotechnology company Becker Underwood Pty Ltd, which specialises in research and development of beneficial microbial-based products for agriculture and horticulture, has been talking up its certified organic bio-control, namely Green Guard.
The company says the product may appeal to those farmers wanting to consider a biological option for control around environmentally sensitive areas such as land near homesteads, dams, towns and organic farms.
Spokesperson Linda Carter underscores the point that locusts have been reported as pests in Australia since 1844, detailing the three main pest species likely to impact producers.
Essentially, the focus of interest is on the Australian Plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera), the spur throated locust (Austracris guttulosa) and the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria).
“The Australian plague locust is the most serious pest,” Ms Carter said.
“Moderate outbreaks occur in, most years in the interior of Australia but major plagues have occurred less frequently.”
Meanwhile, two important grasshopper pests are wingless grasshoppers (Phaulacridium vittatum) and the small plague grasshopper, (Austroicetes cruciata).
Becker Underwood says the Australian plague locust is a relatively small species with the winged adults reaching up to 4cm.
It makes the point there are three or four generations each year with the source acknowledged as being inland northern NSW and SW Queensland.
Given suitable rainfall, it says the population can rapidly build up to produce plague proportions, thereby threatening intensive cropping areas.
The “clearly visible” dense hopper bands make good targets for its Green Guard product, according to Ms Carter.
Interestingly, the much larger migratory locust and spur throated locust are mainly pests in Queensland.
Migratory locusts can have many generations a year depending on rainfall and mainly occur in the Central Highlands.
Spur-throated locusts have a single generation a year and are usually only a pest in the adult stage, invading summer crops such as sorghum.
Wingless grasshoppers are relatively small and have one generation a year. They mainly occur on the Tablelands of NSW and in parts of Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
They are a pasture species and can seriously compete with stock for fodder in the summer from December through to March.
They also migrate in high value crops when the pasture hays off. Small plague grasshoppers are mainly a pest in South Australia where they can cause considerable damage to pastures and crops.
Footnote: Applied by aircraft or ground rigs, Green Guard contains living spores of the fungus metarhizium anisopliae var.acridum which establishes an infection inside the insect’s body, leading to death within seven to 10 days.
*www.beckerunderwood.com/ en/products/greenguard
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