What was it all about?

This project, which ran from 2018 to 2020, developed a series of crop-specific guides for growers and advisors wanting to use or give advice on integrated pest management (IPM). The guides include important information on the impact of pesticides on insects and mites that play a beneficial role in the Australian vegetable industry. This information is essential for making decisions about the use of pesticides in vegetable crops that are grown using integrated pest management.

The guides were developed in consultation with growers, advisors, resellers, biological control producers, chemical companies, and researchers, the information makes it easy to see the relative impact of different products on species relevant to each crop type.

Australian vegetable growers have three groups of pest control options:

• Biological control – predators, parasites and pathogens of the pests
• Cultural controls – management practices
• Chemical controls – pesticides.

Using these options together to achieve optimum results is known as integrated pest management (IPM). Understanding the effects of pesticides on beneficial insect and mite species is a key element of any successful IPM program.

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Access all the guides and information about integrated pest management below:

• Brassicas: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Cucurbits and fruiting vegetables: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Leafy vegetables and head lettuce: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Legume vegetables: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Root and tuber vegetables: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Stalk and stem vegetables: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials
• Sweet corn: A guide to pesticide effects on beneficials

Several articles were also shared with industry as the project progressed, including:

• Studying the impact of pesticides on beneficial insects, published on Page 38 of Vegetables Australia magazine, July-August 2018
• Levy-funded project researching impact of pesticides on beneficials, shared on the AUSVEG website in April 2018.