Currently, our main defence against crop pests is synthetic pesticides- but using them comes at a cost. By contrast, biological controls use pests' natural enemies, predators and parasitoids, to defeat them without collateral damage to beneficial insects or the environment.

With passenger and cargo arrivals expected to near-double by 2050, Australia is preparing for a biosecurity assault, launching an R&D facility near Melbourne’s international airport to develop innovations that safeguard plant biosecurity.

South-East Queensland’s fertile Darling Downs is set to become a hub for cropping research following the announcement of an $11 million co-investment in a Grains Research.

One of the most successful joint ventures in Australian agriculture, the partnership between CSD and CSIRO has resulted in the development of more than 100 new cotton varieties, tailored for conditions Down Under and underpinning the industry’s growing success.

Over the first week of March 2017, NSW DPI released the deadly Korean (K5) strain of rabbit calicivirus across rabbit-plagued regions of the state as part of a nationwide rollout. Initial reports indicate that the release has been a resounding success.

Experts from six nations will gather in Brisbane mid-May in a bid to find ways to defend against Xylella fastidiosa, one of the world’s most devastating plant pests.

Bugs that survive insecticides grow stronger. And discovering new, effective toxins through genetics is time-consuming – finding the nexus between a particular bug and its poison can take decades. Now, scientists at Massachusetts’ Harvard University are using advanced PACE technology speed up the search for new Bt toxins to kill insecticide-resistant super-bugs.

The discovery of the mechanisms – neuronal, genetic and mechanical – governing insects’ ability to detect changes in humidity may lead to new strategies for controlling pest populations.

A new integrated pest management project is using native predators and natural repellents in a bid to curtail the costly citrus gall wasp.

New DNA tests for pesticide-resistant critters developed by researchers at New South Wales’ Yanco Agricultural Institute could revolutionise the way we protect valuable stored grain from insect pests.