National truffle pest and disease project
The National Truffle Pest and Disease project identified new pests last season, the main one being slaters.
Management trials to lessen the effect of slaters and pest slugs are being planned and will include modifying how the pests are monitored.
This will involve taking into account differences among truffle orchards such as whether the orchard floor is planted or bare, as well as other management practices including pruning, leaf litter removal and desuckering hazelnut trees.
Truffles form at all levels in the soil down to around 10cm, but those that breach the soil surface are most at risk from being damaged by slaters.
Other new pests observed include earwigs, a range of millipede species and a group of slug species which occur at varying numbers in most orchards.
Another potential major pest of truffles which has been identified is the truffle beetle.
In Western Australia, a native species of beetle has been identified as an obligate truffle feeder and survives on some of the vast range of native Australian truffles.
This beetle has been recorded as occurring across southern Australia where introduced truffles are cultivated, but so far they have only been recorded feeding on the introduced black truffle in WA.
Only one truffle orchard suffered a high damage level from this beetle in the 2016 season and this season the damage is very low.
A number of orchards have been monitored for beetle infestations but none have been found to date and this may simply be a reflection of the relatively young age of these orchards.
Other similar looking beetles have been found with cultivated truffles that have experienced damaged, but are yet to be confirmed as pests of truffles.
The current project, co-funded by the department, AgriFutures Australia (previously Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation) and the Australian and WA truffle growers associations, is set to continue until January 2019 and it is hoped to clarify the pest status of these beetles before then.
Other details of the project can be found in the August 2017 Australian Truffle and Disease Newsletter.
For more information contact Stewart Learmonth, Research Entomologist, Manjimup, +61 (0)8 9777 0167.