Technical Bulletin – 24 July 2019

• Cereals are progressing from late tillering through to GS32 (second node), with stronger canopy development following recent moisture.
• Canola ranges from cabbaging to bud elongation, with some early-sown paddocks now reaching early flowering.
• Pest activity remains on the radar; Lucerne flea is being reported widely across the Wimmera–Mallee, Red-legged Earth Mite pressure is present in parts of the North Central and Wimmera and evidence of mouse damage has been observed in several Wimmera paddocks, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring.

• Cereals are at stem elongation, some canola is flowering and pulses are still growing slowly.
• Net form net blotch (NFNB) and Septoria are present in barley and wheat respectively. Fungicide plans are being actioned where risk is greatest. Stripe rust has also been detected in other regions, but this is 2-3 months later than last year in commercial crops.
• Red leather leaf is present in oats and prothioconazole applications are occurring.
• Drier weather has seen the disease threat lessen a little for diseases that like cool wet conditions, but there is still a need to be vigilant.
• Preparation for grain storage is commencing with thought going into grain hygiene and silo bag needs.

Very warm oceans to our north are creating an enhanced moisture source, and a blocking high hanging around in the Tasman Sea is stalling the passage of fronts, lows and troughs, which has led to persistent harvest rainfall. There still is no La Nina…

• Recent rainfall has kept growers busy applying nitrogen, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.
• Low levels of stripe rust have been detected in the Mallee. Low levels of scald and spot form of net blotch in barley in the Wimmera and low levels of Septoria in wheat in the Wimmera and Mallee.
• In the Mallee, the window for nitrogen applications to boost yield is closing as cereal crops move into ear emergence. In the Wimmera, cereals range from late tillering through to stem elongation and flag leaf emergence, while canola is at early flowering in many districts.
• Low levels of insect activity are also being reported, including locusts in the Mallee, lucerne flea and redlegged earth mite (RLEM) in the Wimmera, cowpea aphids and blue green aphids in vetch, and lucerne leaf roller, RLEM and cowpea aphids in the North Central region.