Western Australia
October 21, 2015

A Crop Protection Forum in Perth will present the latest research findings to agronomists and advisers so they can help growers blunt the evolution of pesticide resistance in weeds, pests and diseases.

The forum is being hosted by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)-supported Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) and Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM).

GRDC western regional panel chairman Peter Roberts (pictured) said senior researchers from AHRI, CCDM, the University of Melbourne and Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) would deliver key messages from research addressing important seasonal issues.

“Speakers will provide insights from research projects aimed at controlling weeds, pests and diseases, and provide practical recommendations to maintain the efficacy of farming practices,” Mr Roberts said.

“The forum will also provide an opportunity for participants to discuss impending resistance problems and how to ensure that agriculture is protected against biological threats.”

Speakers include:

• Stephen Powles, AHRI: Glyphosate resistance globally and regionally
• Roberto Busi, AHRI: Resistance to pre-emergent herbicides
• Michael Ashworth, AHRI: Weed shifts with intensive cropping
• Fran Lopez-Ruiz, CCDM: Fungicide resistance in WA
• Madeline Tucker, CCDM: Barley powdery mildew resistance – will it happen to wheat?
• Svetlana Micic, DAFWA: Redlegged earth mite and diamondback moth – resistance and control
• Paul Umina, University of Melbourne/cesar: Green peach aphid resistance & management

Other topics include 2,4-D resistant weeds in WA; the need for diversity in farming systems; herbicide resistance mechanisms and genetics; and non-chemical tools to help sustain herbicides.

The Crop Protection Forum will be held from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Monday, November 23, at the Ernst & Young Lecture Theatre, Business School, The University of Western Australia, Perth.

For more information, or to register, go to www.ahri.uwa.edu.au/cropprotect.

Registrations for the forum are required by Friday, November 13, and places are limited.

The CCDM was established at Curtin University in 2014 to conduct cutting-edge crop disease research into genetics, breeding and fungicides, and to improve agronomy and farm management practices.

The GRDC has committed $30 million over five years to the $100 million CCDM as part of its long-term bilateral agreement with Curtin University.

The core role of the AHRI, based at The University of WA, is strategic and applied research to minimise the adverse impact that herbicide resistance and crop weeds have on Australian cropping.

Over the last 15 years, the GRDC has invested funding of about $1 million annually into AHRI, which is a research leader in herbicide resistance and its management in cropping systems.
 

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: October 21, 2015