Research into what impact beneficial insects have on canola and its common pests has received a $12 million investment from the GRDC.
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Canola is subject to attack by at least 30 species of invertebrate pests and annual average losses are estimated to be $54m.
A five-year $9.7m project titled Canola Allies will be led by CSIRO with support from NSW DPI, SARDI, WA's DPIRD and Murdoch University, while a $2.2m project will assess the ecological and economic benefits of controlling aphid pests of canola with parasitoid wasps.
It will be led by Cesar Australia in partnership with Biological Services, Bugs for Bugs, Crop Capsules and the University of Melbourne.
GRDC crop protection manager west Georgia Megirian said sustainable production of canola required integrated pest management.
She said the two projects would focus on enhancing the activity of beneficials in canola pests, addressing critical challenges such as market access, chemical regulation and insecticide resistance.
"Cultural practices and biological control are important aspects of IPM," Ms Megirian said.
"Chemical interventions should be reserved as a last resort, applied only when necessary to prevent pests from reaching economically harmful levels.
"To date, synthetic insecticides have served as the primary means of controlling pests in canola within broadacre agriculture.
"Relying solely on this single method could escalate the risk of developing pesticide resistance and potentially harm the natural enemies of these pests."
CSIRO principal research scientist Sarina Macfadyen said beneficials could be instrumental in suppressing a range of pest populations and reducing the frequency and extent of damaging pest outbreaks.
"Globally about 35 per cent of crops are lost to pre-harvest pests even with the use of pesticides," she said.
"Specific crop loss data for Australian systems is scarce but we know the threat posed by invertebrate pests changes across the season, year, location and crop type..
"Australian canola producers have an amazing diversity of beneficials on their properties and in the broader landscape which could be used more strategically to reduce crop losses.
"But to achieve this requires some new knowledge, practices, and tools to integrate beneficials into farming operations.
"The Canola Allies project is designed to uncover new insights into the ecology and management of beneficials in Australia's canola growing regions.
"It focuses on understanding their effects on key canola pests and developing tailored practices to conserve and enhance their populations."
Cesar Australia research scientist Dr Luis Mata said the wasp project was aimed at gathering crucial information to bolster growers' confidence in incorporating beneficial insects into their pest management strategies.
"Based on our consultations with industry experts and researchers, a critical question emerges: 'If I use beneficial insects to manage pest X, what level of pest suppression can I anticipate, and how will it affect my crop?'," he said.
"This project is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of aphid parasitoid wasps in managing aphid infestations without the use of insecticides.
"It will also compare the results with the pest control levels achieved through conventional approaches, such as the application of broad-spectrum insecticides."
