Australian grain producers have gained approval of new permits issued by the federal regulator to help manage and control fungicide resistant powdery mildew in wheat.
Grain Producers Australia provides these permits to support growers and industry through the emergency and minor use program managed by the APVMA.
These emergency and minor use permits support the grains industry’s capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to manage pests, weeds and crop diseases when needed, in grain producing regions.
GPA acted on a request from Grain Producers SA, through its recently established crop disease roundtable, to address this rapidly emerging issue and seek the permits for growers.
Supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s minor use program, GPA has now successfully applied for three new permits that will help manage shifts in fungicide sensitivity, and resistance to both Group 3 and Group 11 fungicides.
The permits are for Proquinazid and Quinoxefen – which are Group 13 fungicides – and Metrafenone which is Group U8 – giving growers an alternative effective mode of action, to protect their crops.
GPA grower director, RD&E spokesperson and Victorian grain producer, Andrew Weideman AM, said the wheat powdery mildew pathogen has developed resistance to QoI (Group 11, strobilurin) and DMI (Group 3, triazole) fungicides.
Mr Weidemann said resistance to both fungicide groups have been found at high frequencies across wheat growing regions of NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
He said these detections are based on fungicide sensitivity studies led by Dr Fran Lopez-Ruiz based at the Curtin University Centre for Crop and Disease Management.
“These new permits issued by the APVMA will help give growers access to a timely option to help manage a problem in their paddock and protect the bottom line of their business,” he said.
“This is typical of the work GPA does responding to issues in the paddock to find solutions, which often goes unnoticed but delivers real value for growers and our industry. We’re grateful to other industry members in helping to support this industry good outcome; especially GPSA and GRDC.”
Recent analysis by GPA says the benefit of about 160 current separate grains industry permits, for pulses, oilseeds and cereal crops, delivers about $12 million annual benefit. And up to $218 million benefit from reduced crop losses in years of significant pestilence due to rainfall, such as 2022/23.
GPA’s permit to give growers access to double strength zinc phosphide mouse bait (ZP50) products is another example of these real benefits in the paddock and back pocket, with a more effective tool to control mouse plagues and save profits.
GPSA grower director, who chaired the crop disease roundtable, Nick Hillier said the process of gaining an emergency use or minor use permit is an important step in crop protection in Australia.
“This system allows an issue like fungicide resistant disease to be identified and dealt with quickly in order to minimise the loss of crop yield to the Australian grain producer,” he said.
“GRDC plays a pivotal role in the process and together with the product registrants, they generate additional trial data to support the establishment of further permits or the possible registration of the product.”
GPSA established the crop disease roundtable after concerns were raised about the impact of disease on crops from South Australian grain producers following a wetter than usual season.
GPA Industry Pesticide Permits are available online from the GPA website.
