Australia: Grower despair as fall armyworm wipes out Coulston Lakes sorghum crops

Sorghum

Australia

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Published Feb 13, 2024

Tridge summary

Australian grain growers, particularly in Coalstoun Lakes and Central Queensland, are grappling with devastating crop damage due to the Fall Armyworm (FAW). The pest has destroyed over 200ha of crops within three weeks, making corn growing unviable and causing significant losses in sorghum, forage, millet, and peanut crops. Farmers are seeking government assistance due to the high cost of pesticides and the pest's potential resistance. While genetically modified crops have been suggested as a solution, Australia is more likely to rely on insecticides and biological control. Growers are being advised to adopt an early-sowing strategy and to stay alert, assessing the number and size of FAW larvae per plant to determine if control is needed.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Coalstoun Lakes grain growers L-R Jarred Dove, Cameron Rackemann, Riley Rackemann, Matthew Seabrook with Jett his Border Collie, examine the FAW damage to Mr Rackemann's sorghum crop. Picture: Supplied The seemingly unstoppable damage caused by the ravenous fall armyworm has Coalstoun Lakes grain growers devastated over massive crop damage. Grower Terry Staib, said his farm south west of Biggenden had lost 85 per cent of his sorghum crop. "I had 35 hectares of sorghum planted and 30 ha just got wiped out, killed by FAW," he said. "The sorghum was a month old, 18 inches to 2 foot high (45cm to 60cm) high and within a week of FAW each plant looked like an asparagus stick." The 49-year-old said he has since put in a replacement crop. "I had no choice because of the herbicide I applied to the ground which meant I had to replant," he said. "When I first noticed the damage I thought I'd done something wrong with fertilizer or chemicals, then when I found out it was FAW, it was a weight ...

Source: Queenslandcountrylife