Beneficial Microbes & Insects for Healthy Crops

Join Dr Dean Metcalf (Biocontrol Australia Pty Ltd) and Jake Byrne (BioResources Pty Ltd) as we explore the fascinating world of microbes and insects and discover how they can be utilised to provide pest and disease management functions in agriculture.

Brought to you by Tweed Shire Council and SoilCare, this seminar will lead us through the elaborate world of soil microbes and their complex interactions. As an experienced plant pathologist, researcher and product developer, Dean has over 30 years industry experience in the field of plant disease and management with a particular focus on biological control. Jake is a local entomologist with extensive experience provided integrated pest management services in vegetable production, horticulture and nurseries.

Dean will discuss the plant diseases and how they infect plants, but also introduce you to the beneficial microbes that inhibit disease and how they can be used in sustainable and regenerative agriculture and minimise reliance on chemical controls. Come and learn how microbes such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes and protozoa can be utilised to control root diseases like phytophthora and a range of above-ground pathogens that infect leaves, flowers and fruits of plant crops.

Jake will discuss the importance of beneficial insects in agriculture and how they can be encouraged and incorporated into pest management programs to improve the sustainability and productivity of agricultural industries. Jake will draw on a number of local case studies and examples in vegetable and nut crops.

Share your biological control experiences with other local farmers, enjoy a healthy, local lunch, and share your ideas for a sustainable farming future in the Tweed.