The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has reported that Russian wheat aphid has been detected in two wheat crops north of Esperance.
Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer at the Department, Sonya Broughton said that because it was difficult to distinguish between aphid species, landholders and consultants were encouraged to report all aphid activity via the MyPestGuide Reporter app (pictured).
“It is the first time the pest has been detected in Western Australia, after being discovered in South Australia in 2016 and subsequently in Victoria, parts of NSW and Tasmania,” Dr Broughton said.
“Department officers have been working with stakeholders and the broader research community across Australia over several years to minimise the impact of this pest, as it has become broadly established in Australia.”
She said a lot had been learned from the research and growers’ experiences interstate about how cereal crops responded to Russian wheat aphid and how best to manage the pest.
“Crop monitoring by landholders and delimiting surveillance by the Department will help us to determine the extent of spread of the pest in WA and what actions are required,” Dr Broughton said.
“Eradication in WA is unlikely due to the biology of the pest and its ability to spread on the wind. The crops where the detection is made will be sprayed to contain the pest, while further surveillance is undertaken.”
Dr Broughton said inspecting the edges of wheat, barley and oat crops, where pests often colonise first, or where plants are under stress, and looking for damage near the base of newly emerged leaves was most effective.
“As Russian wheat aphids are only about two millimetres long, pale yellowish green with a fine waxy coating, a hand lens or smartphone macro lens may be useful,” she said.
