crop pests Archives

Crucifer flea beetles, shown here on cabbage, are considered by growers to be among the greatest economic risks to canola crops.

Canola’s least wanted

Experts discuss pests and pathogens canola growers will want to watch for in 2024

By Jim Timlick March 20, 2024

Flea beetles pose one of the greatest risks to yields for canola growers in Western Canada. A 2022 survey conducted on behalf of the Canola Council of Canada bore that out. Some 91 per cent of growers who participated in the survey identified flea beetles as the greatest economic risk to their crops. That’s likely […] Read more

Pea leaf weevil. (Alberta Agriculture photo)

Crops, Weather

Insects posing problems in Saskatchewan crops

Grasshopper, flea beetle damage already reported

By GFM Network News June 1, 2023

MarketsFarm – Although it’s still early in the growing season, some insect pests have already posed a threat to crops in Saskatchewan or could do so in the near future, according to James Tansey, provincial specialist for insects/invertebrate pest management. Among the pests he cited were grasshoppers, flea beetles and pea leaf weevils. Tansey said […] Read more

Wheat midge could be a concern this year in both Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Crops

Prairie insect pest outlook for 2023

Grasshoppers top the threat list but flea beetles, wheat midge, lygus bug, cutworms, bertha army worm and wheat stem sawfly are also risks in some areas

By Mark Halsall May 9, 2023

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN) warns grasshoppers could be a problem for producers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta if hot, dry conditions during the growing season persist into 2023. The network’s annual grasshopper survey is conducted in late summer and early fall by estimating the density of adult insects, usually in ditches along cereal […] Read more

Insects come and go over the years, so ask other growers and agronomists what you need to watch out for to help gauge costs.

Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Consider variable costs when planning your rotation

Q & A with an expert

By Trent Dorrance February 3, 2023

Q: What key financial decisions do I need to make about crop production and protection? A: Going into the 2023 growing season, you may be thinking, what are the key financial decisions I need to make around crop production and protection? This question is one of the most important every year for crop planning. There […] Read more

Rats cause many millions of dollars in damage to crops, food losses and buildings in Canada annually.

Columns, Crops

Successful pest protection and prevention programs

Given the right advice and a willingness to co-operate, Prairie growers can do a lot to mitigate or prevent crop yield losses

By Ieuan Evans February 2, 2023

Pests of all kinds — weeds, animals, insects or diseases — would like to find a good home on your crop production acres. Prevention is by far the best method of pest control. If you can stop or prevent the pest from gaining a foothold on your acres, you are winning the battle. You do […] Read more

Cutworm feeding exceeded the action threshold in Ralph’s soybean field. I recommended he apply a Group 28 insecticide in the evening to prevent the pests from devouring the rest of his crop.

Crops, Features, Soybeans

Crop advisor casebook: What’s causing bare patches in this soybean field?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the July 13, 2021 issue of Grainews

By Eric Therrien July 12, 2021

Ralph is a farmer who grows soybeans along with wheat, canola and corn on 3,300 acres near Steinbach, Man. He was out scouting his soybeans one day in early June when he couldn’t help but notice a problem in one field. The crop appeared to be thriving with the glaring exception of a number of […] Read more

Crops, Features

Tips to scout and identify crop pest grasshopper species

Flying before June, coloured hind wings and sings? It’s not eating your crops. Here’s how to identify the ones that are

By Angela Lovell June 10, 2021

It can be hard to distinguish between grasshopper species as many of them appear to look similar. And while they may look alike, only a few of them pose a threat to farmers. A typical Prairie system of pasture, cropland and roadside vegetation, for instance, might have 30 to 40 different species, but only four […] Read more

Reports of spraying for diamond-back moths were very low in Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2020 and limited to only a few fields in Manitoba.

Canola, Crops

Your 2020 canola insect roundup

How big of a bite did pests take out of canola crops last year?

By Madeleine Baerg May 17, 2021

Mother Nature rarely gives an easy ride on the Prairie pest front. And 2020 was no exception, said James Tansey, Saskatchewan Agriculture’s provincial insect and vertebrate pest specialist, at Canola Council of Canada’s Canola Week 2020 held last December. Though some key canola pest species showed relatively low population densities in 2020, other pests caused […] Read more

In a range of crops last year, dingy and redback cutworms were a widespread problem in Manitoba and may continue to be an issue this year. In Saskatchewan, farmers should be on the lookout for redback and pale western cutworms.

Crops, News

Insect pests to watch for in 2021

Provincial experts discuss top pest threats for your region and offer tips for scouting

By Jeff Melchior May 12, 2021

It’s easy for farmers to get “scouted out.” Between crop diseases, destructive crop insects and simply checking for yield and growth stage, scouting can be a full-time job in and of itself. Knowing what to focus on can help. Experts across the Prairies are weighing in on the most likely insect threats for the 2021 […] Read more

Figuring out all the angles on rotation can be a complex challenge for farmers.

Crops, Features

Rotation, rotation, rotation are a farmer’s best friend in the field

Not rotating crops and chemistries might just be the opportunity crop pests were waiting for

By Lee Hart March 31, 2021

[UPDATED: April 1, 2021] Rotation isn’t a new word, but applying it to all aspects of annual crop production might be a newer concept for western Canadian farmers looking to keep a step ahead of various crop pests, say specialists with Corteva Agriscience. A proper crop rotation, a proper variety rotation, a proper herbicide rotation, […] Read more

Alberta crop conditions improve: report

U.S. grains: Corn sets contract lows on expectations for big US crop

U.S. livestock: Cattle strength continues

GFM Network News