La Nina blamed for increased pest sightings in Victoria

A La Nina weather pattern has brought the bugs with it to Victoria this summer. Here’s the advice for growers around the state.

Queensland fruit fly in on the move in Victoria following warmer, wetter weather.

HORTICULTURAL pests are spreading across Victoria at a rate not seen for years, and it’s believed a wetter-than-average La Nina weather pattern is to blame.

Queensland fruit fly, Australian plague locusts and fall army worm have all been detected more frequently or for the first time this year following warm, humid and wet weather across the state.

Agriculture Victoria’s plant pests and disease manager Chris Pittock said the La Nina event, which the Bureau of Meteorology declared in October last year, has provided ideal conditions for many inspects to spread and has most likely led to more pest detections.

“We’re seeing an increase in insect activity in Victoria this season, possibly due to the La Nina weather event.

“All growers are encouraged to be on the lookout for new and unusual pests which may be observed due to the unusual climatic conditions,” he said.

The higher rainfall has provided plentiful feed for insects and an ideal environment for breeding. Mr Pittock said it was also likely insects would be moving about in search of food or a new habitat as numbers increased.

While a feature of Victoria’s pest landscape every year, Australian plague locusts have been increasingly noticeable over summer. Agriculture Victoria is currently monitoring sightings that have so far been contained.

If left unmanaged, locust swarms can cause severe damage to pastures and horticultural crops.

In an alarming development for the horticulture and cropping industries, the highly invasive caterpillar fall army worm was detected in Victoria for the first time last month. The pest, which is native to the tropics in the Americas, was first identified in Australia in January last year and has already become established.

Farmers have been urged to be on the lookout for the pest, which will enjoy the La Nina season in Victoria compared to the state’s usual hot and dry summer.

Warnings have also been issued for infestations of Queensland fruit fly, with Victoria’s climate behaving more similarly to that of Queensland’s.

It is estimated the pest costs $300 million in control and lost market access costs for horticulture across Australia. While it was declared an established pest in Victoria in 2013, the Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area is fruit-fly free, providing growers with lucrative export market access.

Unusually, farmers in Central Victoria have reported fruit fly larvae in their crops in recent weeks.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said impacts associated with La Nina, such as above rainfall in eastern and northern Australia, were expected to persist into early autumn.

MORE

JANUARY RAINFALL FIGURES A TALE OF TWO SEASONS

FRUIT FLY OUTBREAK AFFECTS HUNDREDS OF RIVERLAND GROWERS

LOCUST DETECTIONS IN VICTORIA COULD POSE A THREAT TO CROPS