Pests in Winter Wheat – Nov 2019

Any wheat crop still to go in the ground on an East Coast farm, particularly a farm with a history of wheat bulb fly, could benefit from the use of an insecticide seed treatment.

The results of SRUC’s annual survey of wheat bulb fly egg populations were an average of 0.5 million wheat bulb fly eggs/ha, which is below the damage threshold for early sown wheat (2.5 million eggs/ha) and later sown-wheat (1 million eggs/ha).  However, around 20% of the fields tested exceeded the 1 million eggs/ha threshold for risk to later sown (mid-October onwards) wheat, and with many wheat crops falling into the later-sown category this season there is a risk of wheat bulb damage when eggs hatch in late January/February next year.

Nothing can be done once the crop is in the ground and no insecticides are now available for use at egg hatch or when deadhearts appear next year.