Home >> Autumn Survey of wheat bulb fly incidence Autumn Survey of wheat bulb fly incidence
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Project number |
3758
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Title |
Autumn survey of wheat bulb fly incidence
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Lead Scientist |
Steve Ellis, ADAS |
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Partners |
Syngenta (2011/12) |
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Start Date |
01 August 2011 |
End Date |
31 July 2014 |
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HGCA funding |
£21,450 |
Total cost |
£24,950 |
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The problem |
| Wheat bulb fly is a major pest of wheat in England and Scotland but numbers fluctuate considerably from year to year. Incidence generally increases following a wet harvest period, such as in 2004 when 50% of fields had egg populations above 250/m². Between 1984 and 2010, the probability of fields having an above threshold count has ranged from 3 to 50% |
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Project aims |
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To establish the annual incidence of wheat bulb fly in the autumn to allow farmers/agronomists to decide on the need for insecticidal seed treatment and/or egg hatch or deadheart sprays.
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Approach |
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To measure the incidence of wheat bulb fly each autumn in the infested areas and to forecast the need for seed treatment or alternative insecticidal treatments.
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Benefits to the industry |
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The project will indicate the need for seed treatment against wheat bulb fly and also help to determine the likely need for egg hatch or dead heart sprays. Information on pest egg numbers is a vital component of risk assessment and will help to promote a rational approach to insecticide use against this pest. A continuation of the survey is very timely in view of the high levels of wheat bulb fly in crops in the 2011 harvest year which were predicted in the autumn 2010 survey. This will undoubtedly focus attention on wheat bulb fly for the 2011/12 season and the survey will help to address farmer/agronomist concerns.
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