Update on Russian wheat aphid: Presence confirmed in Riverina Posted by Cindy Cassidy at Thursday, August 25, 2016
NSW Department of Primary Industries has confirmed the detection of Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) in a wheat crop near Rankin Springs in the Riverina region of NSW.
Russian wheat aphid has been deemed as non-eradicable by the National Biosecurity Management Group. Grain growers should be on the lookout for the pest and consider their management options.
Riverina Local Land Services is working closely with NSW Department of Primary Industries Plant Biosecurity & Product Integrity to keep growers and stakeholders informed. DPI is coordinating reports and providing diagnostics.
If you are a grain grower in southern NSW, we encourage you to monitor your crops for aphids and symptoms, and if you suspect the presence of the Russian wheat aphid, take a sample and photos for identification.
Reporting
Ring the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline - 1800 084 881 to report suspected cases.
For help
If you need help with sampling for Russian wheat aphid please contact Riverina Local Land Services agronomists Lisa Castleman at Wagga Wagga 0427 201 963, Geoff Minchin at Temora 0429 842 489 or Janelle Jenkins at Tumut on 0427 639 947 or your nearest Local Land Services office.
Aphid sampling guidelines
1. Ring the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline – 1800 084 881 to determine where to send samples.
2. Leave aphids on host leaves where possible to reduce damage to aphids during transport.
3. Preferred sampling technique is to ensure plant part and aphid is collected without soil or roots.
4. Package in sealed container eg. plastic takeaway food container or similar and enclose in one or two zip-lock plastic bags and send by Express Post.
5. All samples must be accompanied by a Russian Wheat Aphid diagnostic request form.
Limiting the Spread
To limit the spread of pests and diseases, hygiene is important. It is important to put best-practice biosecurity measures into place to reduce the risk of transport on clothing, footwear, vehicles and machinery when moving between paddocks and farms. In short:
• wear disposable coveralls or change clothing
• wash footwear
• wash vehicles.
Tools available
If you have a confirmed outbreak of Russian wheat aphid, there are tools available to help manage the aphid, including an emergency use permit for specific chemicals issued by the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Grain growers planning to spray are encouraged to adhere to all general chemical use practices.
Contact us
Call 1300 795 299 to contact your Local Land Services office from Monday to Friday during business hours. You can also email us at admin.riverina@lls.nsw.gov.au.
DPI_Exotic-Pest-Alert-Russian-Wheat-Aphid.pdf