PestFacts WA service
PestFacts WA (formerly PestFax) is an interactive service covering diseases and pests threatening crops and pastures throughout the grainbelt of Western Australia.
Regular news updates during the growing season provides farmers with advice on what plant diseases and insect pests are currently posing a risk to their crops and pastures. To ensure you receive the PestFacts WA e-newsletter directly in your email, simply subscribe online through the PestFacts WA webpage.
PestFacts WA has been operating since 1996, but was called PestFax prior to 2022. A large network of farmers, field agronomists, consultants and industry specialists provide weekly input into PestFacts WA. This interactive input ensures that the best diagnostic and control methods are recommended to farmers and industry.
To make a report, or request an identification, send a message to pestfactswa@dpird.wa.gov.au, use the online PestFax Map to make an online report or use the PestFacts WA Reporter app. The PestFax map is currently undergoing an upgrade - so watch this space!
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)'s PestFacts WA team is the WA service provider for the GRDC co-funded IPMforGrains project.
IPMforGrains is delivered by the National Pest Information Network (Cesar Australia, DPIRD, QDAF, NSW DPI, and SARDI). It aims to provide grain growers and advisors with information on invertebrate grain pest occurrence and equip industry with the knowledge needed to implement integrated pest management practices. This initiative is a GRDC investment and includes in-kind contributions from all project partner organisations.
PestFax map
The PestFax map allows users to view maps of insect and disease reports over past weeks and years. It allows a review of reports to this service so users can compare seasonal variation between years, months or within any desired time period for pests and plant diseases. The PestFax map is currently being upgraded and a new PestFacts WA version will be launched soon.
PestFacts WA Reporter app
You can report crop pests and plant diseases directly from the paddock using the PestFacts WA Reporter app on your smart phone. For more information visit the PestFacts WA Reporter app page. The new PestFacts WA Reporter app can only be downloaded on Apple devices at the moment but it will be available for Android devices soon.
Insecticide spray charts
Documents that summarise registered insecticides for canola, lupins and cereals are available in the documents section on this page or at the Insecticide spray guides for crops in Western Australia page.
Webinars
2023
- 4 May 2023. Presentation: Plant disease risk outlook for 2023 recording. DPIRD research scientists Geoff Thomas and Kithsiri Jayasena. PowerPoint presentation.
- 4 April 2023. Presentation: Managing snails in WA recording. DPIRD research scientist Svetlana Micic and grower Alaina Smith. PowerPoint presentation.
- 27 March 2023. Presentation: Climate and pest outlook for the WA grainbelt in 2023 recording. DPIRD research scientists Ian Foster and Svetlana Micic. PowerPoint presentation.
2022
- 22 July 2022. Presentation: Oat disease webinar - Red leather leaf and crown rust recording. DPIRD plant pathologists Geoff Thomas and Dr Kylie Chambers. PowerPoint presentation.
A minor edit for the webinar recording, on PowerPoint Slide 5, Septoria avenae blotch should read Parastagonospora avenue not Parastagonospora nodorum. - 1 April 2022 Presentation: PestFacts WA webinar recording. DPIRD research scientists Ian Foster, Svetlana Micic and Cindy Webster. PowerPoint presentation.
- 28 April 2022 Presentation: PestFacts WA Plant disease webinar recording. DPIRD research scientists Geoff Thomas and Ciara Beard. PowerPoint presentation.
2021
- 26 March 2021 Presentation: PestFax pre-season invertebrate pests recording. DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic. PowerPoint presentation.
- 29 April 2021 Presentation: PestFax foliar and virus disease recording. DPIRD research scientists Ciara Beard, Geoff Thomas and Benjamin Congdon. PowerPoint presentation.
2020
- 15 April 2020 Presentation: Pre-season invertebrate messages for the western region recording. DPIRD entomologists Dr Dustin Severtson and Svetlana Micic, plus PestFax newsletter editor Cindy Webster. PowerPoint presentation.
- 6 May 2020 Presentation: Foliar disease surveillance and risk outlooks for the 2020 season recording. DPIRD plant pathologists Ciara Beard and Geoff Thomas. PowerPoint presentation.
- 21 July 2020 Presentation: Identifying insects in canola crops in spring recording. DPIRD entomologist Dr Dustin Severtson and PestFax newsletter editor Cindy Webster. PowerPoint presentation.
- 28 July 2020 Presentation: Identifying insects in pulse crops in spring recording. DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic and PestFax newsletter editor Cindy Webster. PowerPoint presentation.
I SPY: Insects of Southern Australian Broadacre Farming Systems Identification Manual and Education Resource
This book is a comprehensive resource manual for farmers and advisers covering basic taxonomy, important insect groups and identification keys, and descriptions of common species, as well as information on monitoring, integrated pest management (IPM) principles and biosecurity. To download the free manual visit GRDC’s Insects of Southern Australian Broadacre Farming Systems Identification Manual and Education Resource 2nd Edition.
Free insect identification
Having troubles identifying mites or other pests? Send in your digital pictures to the contacts below or send live specimens in a non-crushable plastic jar for free identification to Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 444 Albany Hwy, Albany WA 6330, attention to Svetlana Micic.
Or you can also mail live specimens to Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 75 York Road, Northam WA 6401, attention to Dusty Severtson.