Boosting populations of natural enemies such as Bracon cephi gives farmers a low-cost, sustainable way to reduce wheat stem sawfly losses without relying on insecticides that rarely work.
Tag Archives Beneficial insects
Wheat stem sawfly: how a harvest tweak can protect yields, preserve parasitoids
Stubble height of at least six inches can help make a significant sawfly enemy right at home
Producers urged to protect beneficial insects
When battling crop pests, a research scientist cautions farmers not to throw the baby out with the bathwater
Prairie crop producers need to focus on conserving beneficial insects while simultaneously managing pest insects. Many of those beneficials help promote synergies and make the best use of other ecosystem service providers.
Attend against aphids
Multiplication won’t take long, so if you see just a few, keep checking
Aphids may be nearly invisible to the untrained eye, but a research scientist who specializes in crop-destroying insects warns Saskatchewan farmers not to turn their backs on the tiny, pear-shaped pests. Tyler Wist, a field crops entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon, spoke about the threat aphids can pose to some crops at the […] Read more
Night spraying for forage pest can spare pollinators
Spraying after sundown is also more effective in controlling lesser clover leaf weevil
Glacier FarmMedia — Prairie forage growers who plan to spray for a particular problem pest, but want to avoid collateral damage to more beneficial insects, may get their best and cleanest shot in the dark. Forage and seed producers heard about the benefits of night spraying for red clover crops during the Saskatchewan Forage Seed […] Read more
Keeping aphids in check, online and off
Improvements could come for a smartphone app targeting the cereal pest, but you can also take steps to help the pest’s natural predators
Cereal Aphid Manager is a useful smartphone app for farmers looking to control one of the main pests in wheat, barley, oat and rye crops in the Prairies. The tool’s scientific developer, Tyler Wist, believes it’s time to hit refresh on the mobile app first released six years ago. Cereal Aphid Manager helps farmers and […] Read more
Bless your mess: Crops may not be best for underperforming acres
Taking poorer-producing ‘messy’ landscapes out of crops may improve fields’ economics and farms’ sustainability
UPDATED, March 7 — It might be difficult to consider “messy” fields as a pathway to improved crop production and profitability. But in the early going, a Prairie-wide university-developed research project suggests taking poor-producing acres out of annual crop production might be a means of improving overall efficiency, as well as the all-important bottom line. […] Read more
Predators and parasitoids – your bug buddies in the field
How to spot and protect beneficial bugs in your crops
When scouting for insects in your fields next year, it’s not only crop-devouring pests you should keep an eye out for. That’s because insect predators like ground beetles as well as parasitic wasps and flies can take a big chunk out of pest populations. “It’s important to recognize there are a lot of natural enemies […] Read more
Beneficial insects play key roles on Prairie farms
The benefits of beneficials are many and varied, some parasitize or feed on crop pests while others can pollinate crops and improve seed set
A growing number of crop producers are recognizing the role of beneficial insects on their farms. It seems like just about every crop pest has a natural enemy that can keep their populations at bay, while many crops have beneficials that aid their growth and sustainability. Stuart Lawrence, Dean Hubbard and Ian Steppler are three […] Read more
Separating the good insects from the bad
These two insects look similar, but only one is beneficial in your fields
Throughout the growing season growers are tasked with the need to tell the difference between many “good” and “bad” things in the field. Sometimes it is hard to quickly tell the difference. Knowing the difference between things in the field is critical to determine if, when, and how to treat. Take for example the red […] Read more
Crop advisor casebook: Can you identify the worms in this barley?
A Crop Advisor's Solution from the January 7, 2020 issue of Grainews
Like most farmers, Tom has dealt with his share of insect pests. He’s encountered many different pests at his 6,000-acre mixed grain operation near Wadena, Sask., over the years, but this past August he came across a new insect that had him stumped. Tom called me in early August to say he’d been out inspecting […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
