CSIRO's Colin Tann says weather patterns force cotton moth migration
21 Oct '05
3 min read
CSIRO entomologist, Colin Tann commented on Cotton Seed Distributors Ltd (CSD) web video about weather impact on cotton.
Warmer inland temperatures, favourable prevailing winds, and an abundance of wildflowers in central Australia have stimulated ideal breeding conditions and higher levels of Helicoverpa and tipworm populations at this early stage of the cotton growing season, according to CSIRO entomologist, Colin Tann.
Commenting on the weekly CSD Web on Wednesday, Mr Tann informed that judging by rainfall events, this year has obviously been a successful breeding year in the inland, with wildflowers there excellent hosts for Helicoverpa punctigera and other species.
At the moment they're doing surveys of spring crops such as chickpea, faba bean, sunflower, canola and also roadside weeds. They are picking up populations on those at the moment.
If anyone examines wildflowers on the side of the road, they will probably find grubs on them. This is the first generation. With regular rainfall events and constant moisture to have good host availability as they go into warmer months, so the conditions are really good for breeding, and it's shaping up that we're probably going to find quite a few moths early in the season.
He noted that cooler conditions could slow the development of grubs on the plant, and slow the emergence from pupation.
From October on they start seeing a few Helicoverpa armigera starting to get into the system and H. puntigera moving into their second generation, so the conditions should be very favourable for moth activity this year.
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