Wimmera farmers and advisers have the opportunity to attend one of four half-day pest management workshops in June, with expert entomologist Dr Siobhan de Little, from the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research (cesar).
Agriculture Victoria extension officer, Heather Drendel, who is coordinating the workshops said the focus would be on tools to effectively manage pests and minimise the risks of insecticide resistance.
"As farming systems change in the Wimmera, so has the spectrum of pest species," Ms Drendel said.
"Farmers are also faced with the ever-increasing risk of insecticide resistance and need to be on the front foot to minimise the risk of more resistance issues emerging."
During June, workshops will be held at:- Kaniva Community Hub - Tuesday 26 June at 8:30am
- Woorak Hall - Tuesday 26 June at 1.30pm
- Wallup Hall - Wednesday 27 June at 8:30am
- Taylors Lake Hall - Wednesday 27 June at 1:30pm
Dr Siobhan de Little, pictured above, will provide tips on integrated pest management (IPM) including differentiating pests from beneficial species.
She will also provide information on pests that increase with high stubble loads.
An update on insecticide resistance in crop pests, monitoring methods and control methods that work best with beneficial insect populations will also be included as part of the workshops.
The workshops are funded by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority through the National Landcare Program.
Registrations are essential. Please contact Heather Drendel on 5083 2222 or 0427 868 705.
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