PestWeb a weed and pest information source for farmers

Weed and insect pests severely limit New Zealand pasture production and information on their management is often fragmented and difficult for farmers to access While there are a number of good pest and weed websites available many of these are commercial in focus or do not combine both identification and management options relevant to New Zealand farmers PestWeb (wwwagresearchconz/pestweb) is a website being created to assist farmers and agricultural professionals in decisionmaking regarding weed and pest identification biology impact and management A pilot site has been developed for identification and management of grass grub porina Californian thistle and barley grass and it is aimed to include an additional 2025 key New Zealand pasture weeds and pests which will be chosen in consultation with key farming industry and research personnel This site will provide independent information in an easily accessible and intuitive format to assist farmers in weed and pest management decisionmaking PestWeb development has involved collaboration between farmers of the South and West Otago Monitor Farm group farming consultants scientists and web designers This has ensured that the site is farmer friendly while providing independent peerreviewed information on the biology control and impact of key pests and weeds