| Good Morning Members,
Fall Army Worm (FAW) has been detected in a small block of sugarcane in the Burdekin region – growers are advised to remain aware and observant, but at this stage there is no cause for alarm. The block where the FAW was detected is young late plant cane and had a high level of grass weeds present in the block – these grass weeds have been controlled, and it is suspected that the population of FAW has subsequently moved to the remaining grass in the block – which is the sugarcane crop. There is less than one FAW per stool, and damage is minimal, so there is no requirement to spray or control the fall army worm at this stage. It is worth noting that there were crops of corn and sorghum in the near vicinity of this affected block. BPS staff and SRA entomologists will continue to monitor the situation and provide advice if the situation changes. The FAW was initially detected by a local advisor who contacted BPS for confirmation. Neighbouring blocks have not had FAW detected in them. Growers are encouraged to remain observant and contact your local advisor if you have any concerns. Previous detections of FAW in sugarcane (Atherton Tablelands) has resulted in minimal damage to the crop at the time, and no control operations were required. Regards, Rob Milla |