Bowen Crop Monitoring Services in Bowen, Queensland | Farm

Bowen Crop Monitoring Services

Locality: Bowen, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4786 6100

Address: 47-49 West St 4805 Bowen, QLD, Australia

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24.01.2022 A few bugs found out in the field!

21.01.2022 The Australian Mirid (Creontiades dilutus, Creontiades pacificus, Sidnia kinbergi) The mirid is a common pest found in crops around Queensland. The main identification for the adult mirid is their distinctive long legs, elongated bodies, clear wings folded flat on their backs and large antennae. Nymphs however are smaller with banded antennae and a pear shape body. Mirids can be green, yellow, grey or brown depending on the species. Well known for being a pest in cotton ...the mirid can also damage cucurbits (melons, pumpkins, etc.). So why are they a pest? Well, they pierce plant tissues injecting it with lethal enzymes that destroy the cells. If a plant has been affected by mirids you may see black spots along the stem and fruit, or the plant may have wilted and died. When crop checking we also make sure to look at all the growing points of the plant to make sure they haven’t been affected by the mirid as this is another popular place for them to attack.. Regular checks in the early growth stage is important for an appropriate management system to be put in place, this ensures that the population of mirids does not increase. See more

19.01.2022 Just a couple of cool field pics!

17.01.2022 Can anybody spot the insects in this photo? There are three.. These are called Flatids or otherwise known as a planthopper. A very unique looking insect with an almost flattened appearance, hence the name! Do not mistake them for a leaf because they are a pest. Did you know that the flatid is one of the most abundant groups of plant eating insects in the world with the species outnumbering that of birds, mammals, insects and reptiles combined! Flatids are host specific ...and are generally named after their feeding type. They cause damage by sucking the sap and plant juices from the crop. The sucking marks can be seen by light coloured speckling on the leaves. If left uncontrolled the leaves will eventually start to brown. Mature plants may have some resistance to this insect however in young plants growth can be stunted or deformed. Some species even have the capacity to transmit fungal diseases which can also be detrimental. If nymphs or adults are identified it is important to control them straight away because their great mobility can make it difficult. Releases of beneficial insects like the lacewing or lady bugs can be great for consuming flatids in the early growth stages. For such a cool looking insect it is disappointing that they are such a pest! See more

17.01.2022 Another great day in the field....

16.01.2022 Orius incidiosus AHOY! Check out the ‘Pirate Bug.’ The incredible thrip predator! As you may have remembered from an earlier post thrips can cause serious crop damage and need to be managed as soon as they are identified out in the field. Thrips may be the Orius’s main food source however if needed they will also consume mites, aphids and moth eggs. The Orius is what they call a ‘true bug’ which means they have a long rostrum (feeding tube) used to suck their prey and kill them. Just in one day the Orius can consume 12 thrips however it will kill many more than it eats (nearly 50). We love little predators like the pirate bug because we can trust that when released the thrips will be targeted and their numbers are reduced.

16.01.2022 Welcome to our newest member of the Bowen Crop Monitoring team! Field assistant - Elton Vincent Abbott First son of Benjamin and Meredith. Welcome to the team!

15.01.2022 Here is a very interesting article with one of our grower clients applying some soil biology at it’s best! https://mailchi.mp/e/fusarium-suppression-new-enzyme-tests

15.01.2022 It is always great to see high levels of parasitism! The Aphelinus abdominalis, Aphidius colemani and Aphidius ervi have done a great job cleaning up these aphids!

14.01.2022 Trichogramma pretiosum Trichogramma pretiosum is another beneficial wasp that we release for pest management. The pests found out in the field will determine what beneficial insect is released. Trichogramma are great for controlling pests such as the heliothis and other caterpillar species. They may be small, only reaching 0.5mm however they use their little tricky ways to infect moth eggs with their own eggs which result in parasitisation. Once the wasps hatch they destroy the heliothis egg after having to push their way through the walls of the heliothis egg. In a Trichogramma’s complete life span they can parasitise over 50 moth eggs. Regular releases in crops infested with heliothis can really benefit from Trichogramma.

11.01.2022 Look out for the infestation of the cluster caterpillar

11.01.2022 Phytoseiulus persimilis We have previously talked about the predatory mite Doreen (Typhlodromus doreenae) however another mite that is also a beneficial is Phytoseiulus persimilis (let’s call this one Percy!). This mite is used for the pest management of Spider mites and Red bean mites. Persimilis can be released in Queensland because they suit the moderate temperatures and high humidity. The characteristics of persimilis are tear shaped, red to orange and less than 1mm i...n size. The life cycle of persimilis is quicker than other mites. They take only 7 days to go from egg to adult compared to the spider mite taking 15 days. The speedy growth of persimilis allows for more females to lay eggs (up to five a day) and outnumber the pest population. The persimilis will consume up to 5 adult mites or 20 eggs/larvae of the spider mite a day! For little guys this is a big effort, GO PERCY! See more

10.01.2022 We are eggstatic about these eggcellent heliothis egg photos taken with the field lense , aren’t they eggxtraordinary!!

09.01.2022 Some Hippodamia ready to be released out into the field!

08.01.2022 Typhlodromus doreenae Let the good old predatory Australian mite ‘Doreen’ get the job done. Released out into the field for the control of a variety of damaging mites including the Broad mite. A new addition to our beneficial insect list that we are putting to work! GO DOREEN!

07.01.2022 Typhlodromips montdorensis We are so lucky to have a variety of beneficial mite species that can be released. The Montdorensis is a predatory mite that feeds on thrips, whitefly, small insects and other mites. The montdorensis are very small and are pale in colour. An interesting fact about the montdorensis is they will turn the colour of their food source (yellow for thrips, pink for tomato russet mite and brown/black for spider mites), the colour change occurs because o...f their opaque pale colour. The adults have a high strike rate by killing up to 14 thrips larvae a day, over time with a high population of montdorensis the thrips numbers will decline. Montdorensis will work all day long in warm climates therefore they suit the north Queensland weather conditions. Below is a short video of a montdorensis under a microscope preying on a Western Flower Thrip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz-Ab0K0KWg - Video credit: Bugs for bugs See more

05.01.2022 Congratulations to one of our staff members Laura Andison on getting married! It's great to have you back out in the field.Congratulations to one of our staff members Laura Andison on getting married! It's great to have you back out in the field.

05.01.2022 Proud to be supporting the Bowen Rugby Union Inc. Muddies Golf Day for over 15 years now!

04.01.2022 Trialling Typhlodromalus lailae. These beneficial mites target Silver Leaf Whitefly.

04.01.2022 Some beneficial mites found on a tomato leaf. Unseen to the naked eye the miscroscope sure does a great job of showing how active these little mites are. Using our resources we can keep an eye on how our benefical insects are going that are released out into the field.