SA04WB-05: Pesticide Management

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Research Site/Demonstration Number: SA04WB-05
Grower Collaborator: Amaryllis Farming
Location: Gooburrum Road, Gooburrum
State Date: May 2020

OUTLINE

To introduce, develop and evaluate precision farming practices into pineapple production systems targeting improved pesticide efficiency and reducing off farm deposition using trickle irrigation to Chemigate pineapple.

OBJECTIVES

To improve the methodology for better application of pesticide with a focus on growth stages from 6 months after planting to ratoon harvest.
To improve the efficiency of pesticide application throughout the pineapple lifecycle.
To measure pesticide wastage and off-farm losses comparing precision application against traditional application practices.
To compare cost effectiveness of precision application of foliar fertiliser compared with traditional foliar fertiliser practices.

METHODOLOGY

The principal purpose of trickle irrigation is to apply water to irrigate the crop. The additional advantage of trickle irrigation is Chemigation. This research trial will investigate the application of fungicides, insecticides and nematicides injected directly into the trickle irrigation system. This precision application of pesticides will replace standard industry practices of foliar drenching with the boomspray. Foliar drenching with the boomspray is a very inefficient practice when targeting soil-borne pests, whilst attempting to penetrate the thick canopy of the pineapple crop. In almost all cases, minimal amounts of pesticide reach the target area in the soil. The pesticide remains on the surface of the crop and surface of the soil awaiting the next rainfall event to erode away. In many situations, growers apply pesticides prior to rainfall events to assist penetration into the soil but exacerbate the off-farm deposition.

This research will investigate Chemigation using trickle irrigation buried at 5 cm below the surface of the soil in the seedbed. A double row seedbed will consist a single line of trickle tape per cropping row.

Trial location – Gooburrum Rd, Gooburrum