Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management

The Wheen Bee Foundation is hosting a FREE Webinar during Australian Pollinator Week!

Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management

Speaker 1 - Robert Spooner-Hart is Associate Professor of Sustainable Plant Production Systems at Western Sydney University, Australia. He was previously Director of the Centre for Horticulture & Plant Science for 10 years, and the inaugural Director of the Centre for Plant & Food Science. He has been a Visiting Professor at Southern Cross University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science. He has extensive experience in entomological research and development, with a major emphasis on sustainable pest management and pollinators.

Speaker 2 - David Madge is a Entomologist at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Victoria 

After graduating from Adelaide University in 1981 with a Degree in Agricultural Science, David joined the Victorian Department of Agriculture’s horticulture production group at Irymple. In 1987 he moved to the crop protection group where he carried out field research and extension in integrated pest management for the grape and citrus industries and provided extension and industry development support for the organic industry. Since 2011 David has been investigating management options for the industry’s major almond pests – carpophilus beetle and carob moth. He is currently managing the 5-year research project
‘An Integrated Pest Management program for the Australian almond industry, Phase 2’ for Agriculture Victoria, with a focus on those two pests.

Speaker 3 - Diana Leemon is a research scientist formerly with AgriScience Queensland within the Qld Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF). 

Diana was appointed adjunct associate professor to the school of agriculture and food sciences within the University of Queensland (2014- 2020) and the school of agriculture, computational and environmental sciences within the University of Southern Queensland (2017-2020). She served as a hearing expert for the European Union Food Safety Authority working group on Small Hive Beetle (a major pest of honey bees) in 2015 and is currently on the advisory board of the World Bio protection Forum. Diana’s research interests are centred around the non-chemical management of livestock pests and diseases to provide integrated pest management tools. Specifically using entomopathogenic fungi as biocontrol agents. Her wider research interests extend to applied mycology and how fungi can provide sustainable solutions for modern agriculture. Diana has been a hobbyist beekeeper for over 25 years, keeping both honeybees and native stingless bees, though now only the latter. She also loves observing the diversity of pollinators in her garden.

This Webinar will explore;

• Integrated Pest Management - What is it? Am I doing it? If not, how can I and why should I?
• Beneficial insects - There are a range of ecosystem services provided by insects for free. Pollination is just one of them. Learn about some others.
• What is the difference between a predator and a parasite? How can I manage them?
• What are biological and cultural controls? How to use them to reduce the need for chemical controls.
• How can I learn more?

Bring your questions for this highly informative presentation.

Hosted by Wheen Bee Foundation and Bee Friendly Farming ®

Lea Hannah, Tech Support, Bee Friendly Farming will be the MC.