Flowering field trials to beat vegetable pests

15 APRIL 2020

Flowering field trials to beat vegetable pests

New Charles Sturt University and Hort Innovation research aims to help vegetable growers adopt integrated pest management (IPM) methods that are simple, cost-effective, fit with mainstream farming, and reduce costs.

  • Charles Sturt University research trials in four states show benefits of growing flowering plants amongst vegetable crops
  • Flowers support beneficial insects to keep pests insects in check
  • The research aims to develop integrated pest management methods that are compatible with mainstream farming

Flowers planted amongst the broccoli or cabbages isn’t what you’d usually find on a vegetable farm but new Charles Sturt University and Hort Innovation research is showing it encourages beneficial insects which keep pests in check.

Funded by Hort Innovation, the research aims to help vegetable growers adopt integrated pest management (IPM) methods that are simple, cost-effective, fit with mainstream farming, and reduce costs.

Charles Sturt post doctoral researcher, Dr Syed Rizvi from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, said field trials have been conducted on vegetable farms in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

“Flowering plants like sweet alyssum, buckwheat, and cornflowers were grown amongst the Brassica vegetable crops,” Dr Rizvi said.

“These flowers are easy to grow, low maintenance, perform quickly, and last up to a full cropping season. They also support beneficial bugs and insects by providing shelter, nectar, alternative prey and pollen.

“Early trial results show a strong association between the flowering plants, high numbers of beneficial insects and low numbers of pests. We measured a significant drop in pest numbers up to 15 metres from the flowers.”

Hort Innovation Research and Development Manager Ms Ashley Zamek said the project investigates how growers can support beneficial bug and insect populations in crops through approaches that complement traditional farming.

“The research has found that there is a potential to increase beneficial bugs such as ladybeetles and predatory mites, which feed on many pests, and can help counter damaging pest populations,” Ms Zamek said.

“The project aims to leverage this by providing viable options for Australian growers to plant complimentary crops and vegetation to support beneficial bugs while not affecting crop productivity. Beneficial bugs play a large role in IPM and are one part of the sustainability puzzle.”

Research lead, Charles Sturt Professor Geoff Gurr, said this ecological approach to pest management may provide another tool for growers to help reduce the need for synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides.

“A field survey of over 400 vegetable fields around Australia found no observable difference in pest populations between conventionally managed crops where synthetic chemical are used and organic crops,” Professor Gurr said.

“But there was a big difference in the number of beneficial bugs, which were significantly lower in conventional growing systems. This tells us that beneficial insects may be able to support the management of pest outbreaks in the absence of synthetic chemical use.”

The research findings will be used to develop an information package to help growers implement ecologically based pest management strategies.

Project partners include Charles Sturt, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the University of Queensland, cesar and IPM Technologies.

This research is funded by Hort Innovation using the Vegetable Industry Levy.

Media Note:

To arrange interviews with Professor Geoff Gurr contact Graham Centre communications officer Emily Malone on 0439 552 385 or email emalone@csu.edu.au or for interviews with Hort Innovation’s Research and Development Manager Ashley Zamek please contact Caitlin Morris at caitlin.morris@horticulture.com.au or on 0427 269 561.

The Graham Centre is a research alliance between Charles Sturt University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI)

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