❓ The WA Department of Agriculture and Food is actively involved in a national project using biological controls to manage Paterson's Curse, with successful establishment and dispersal of several insect species aided by farmer participation.
AnsweredQoN 2611Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(a) is the Department of Agriculture and Food involved in any new biological trials into eradicating Paterson’s Curse;
(b) have non-native insects
Mogulones larvatas
and
Mogulones geographicus
or other insects been introduced into Western Australia to control Paterson’s Curse; and
(i) if yes, have the trials proved successful?
(b) have non-native insects
Mogulones larvatas
and
Mogulones geographicus
or other insects been introduced into Western Australia to control Paterson’s Curse; and
(i) if yes, have the trials proved successful?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 September 2007
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
33 days
(a) Since the 1980s, the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) has participated in a national project to implement biological control projects to reduce the impact of Paterson's curse. Through the project, DAFWA has introduced and established five insect species originally sourced from Europe. In a new initiative, DAFWA is facilitating the redistribution of these insects to new areas by holding field days for farmers to collect and redistribute the insects to help control Paterson's curse on their own properties.
(b) The five species introduced in Western Australia are the leaf-mining moth
Dialectica scalariella
, the crown boring weevil
Mogulones larvatus
, the root boring weevil
Mogulones geographicus
, the flea beetle
Longitarsus echii
and the flower beetle
Meligethes planiusculus
. All species are established in certain areas of Western Australia.
(i) Progress towards the biological control of Paterson's curse is considered to be successful. More than 560 releases of biological control agents have been made ranging from Geraldton to Esperance. At least 195 sites have one or more of the agents established. Many sites have a high incidence of plant attack leading to plant death and a visible reduction in Paterson's curse.
Natural agent dispersal is increasing each year (now >30 kilometres at some sites). The spread of the agents is accelerated by the involvement of farmers at field days. Some 300 farmers and 60 other personnel from State and local government authorities have been involved with collecting insects at successful field "nursery sites" and relocating them to areas with Paterson's curse infestations.
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(b) The five species introduced in Western Australia are the leaf-mining moth
Dialectica scalariella
, the crown boring weevil
Mogulones larvatus
, the root boring weevil
Mogulones geographicus
, the flea beetle
Longitarsus echii
and the flower beetle
Meligethes planiusculus
. All species are established in certain areas of Western Australia.
(i) Progress towards the biological control of Paterson's curse is considered to be successful. More than 560 releases of biological control agents have been made ranging from Geraldton to Esperance. At least 195 sites have one or more of the agents established. Many sites have a high incidence of plant attack leading to plant death and a visible reduction in Paterson's curse.
Natural agent dispersal is increasing each year (now >30 kilometres at some sites). The spread of the agents is accelerated by the involvement of farmers at field days. Some 300 farmers and 60 other personnel from State and local government authorities have been involved with collecting insects at successful field "nursery sites" and relocating them to areas with Paterson's curse infestations.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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