Pests and diseases
- Overview
- Rat Control
- Feral animals
Integrated pest management
Adopt Integrated Pest Management strategies wherever possible; this includes use of biological and cultural controls.
Risk of pest attack is dependent on local conditions including recent history of damage and the suitability of certain soils for insect pests. Local BSES and/or Cane Protection and Productivity Board staff can advise on the likelihood of pest attack and methods to adopt which can reduce the risk of pest outbreaks or damage.
Follow regional best practices for the control of disease outbreaks.
Herbicides, insecticides and nematicides must be applied according to the directions on the label.
Retention of harvest residues from green cane harvesting will help reduce the number of weeds during the early establishment phase of ratoon crops; however, this may not minimise herbicide use.
Notification and management of declared weeds should be in accordance with the requirements of the Rural Lands Protection Board and local authorities.
Rat Control
Integrated Pest Management strategies for control of cane rats focus on minimising weeds in cane and surrounding grass harbourage areas.
Cane rats feed on grass seeds which are high in protein and needed for reproduction. They also utilise grassy and weedy areas for shelter.
Quick-growing native trees can form a dense canopy in a few years, shading out weeds and grasses. Without these grassy areas, rats can not breed. Tree planting might thus be considered as an effective component of an integrated pest management program.
The use of Klerat ® is controlled by Damage Mitigation Permits issued by the Department of Environment. Its use is restricted to situations of high risk of damage under the proviso that numbers of rats are monitored annually.
Feral animals
Feral animals such as wild pigs can cause severe damage to cane crops but you are not permitted to pursue feral animals into National Parks and World Heritage Areas unless you have written permission from the Department of Environment Management of native animals as economic pests must be conducted under the conditions of a Damage Mitigation Permit obtained either from the Department of Environment or Cane Protection and Productivity Boards.
