Fall armyworm research, development and extension for horticulture

On 12 September 2024, twenty participants, including growers, agronomists, extension workers, and researchers gathered at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries' (DAF) Gatton Research Facility to discuss fall armyworm (FAW) in the Lockyer Valley. The meeting was conducted as part of the project VG22006 National fall armyworm innovation system for the Australian vegetable Industry. Topics covered during the meeting included RapidAIM, FAW moth trapping, the current FAW situation in the horticulture and broadacre industries, FAW area-wide management, and cover crops.

The Lockyer Valley Growers Association and VegNET industry development officer Darren Brown provided an update on the deployment of RapidAIM real time FAW monitoring devices in the region, which are now in operation. DAF researcher Adam Quade also spoke on FAW trapping and moth survival in the Lockyer Valley, showing a large population of moths trapped during the 2023-2024 sweet corn season, including the winter. The data presented could help growers and agronomists plan for the next cropping season.

Overviews of FAW in horticulture and broadacre industries were presented by DAF researchers Praise Tadle and Melina Miles, respectively. Praise started with a short diagnostics exercise where growers and agronomists tested their skills by identifying different larval specimens. Participants appreciated the activity, saying it was very helpful and useful. Some also shared that they perform field monitoring to assess populations in the field. Melina opened her presentation by asking the participants what they wanted to know about FAW. The responses included issues such as insecticide resistance, resistant varieties, FAW host range, monitoring techniques, and relationship between crop health, nutrition, and FAW damage. There was a lively discussion during Melina’s presentation around monitoring techniques and thresholds for horticulture and broadacre, and a strong interest in varietal resistance. The session ended with a presentation from Heidi Parkes (DAF) about the area-wide management project for FAW followed by a cover crops field walk facilitated by Julie O’ Halloran (DAF).

Overall, the meeting was very fruitful with participants who were engaged, eager to be involved, and showed interest in an area-wide management approach for FAW. They identified several areas for future focus including sweet corn varietal trials, biological control and biopesticide research, push & pull systems, RapidAIM results, and resistance management strategies.