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Tag Archives crop pests

Good news ahead for wireworm control
Crops, Features

Good news ahead for wireworm control

New chemical control options are in the works, and should be released in coming years

By
Haley Catton, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Lethbridge research station, spoke to farmers about wireworm at Alberta’s FarmTech conference in Edmonton in January. The wireworms that feed on seed and seedlings underneath the ground, Catton said, are the larvae of click beetles. “It’s not a worm at all, actually.” These insects […] Read more
Controlling volunteer canola in soybeans
Crops

Controlling volunteer canola in soybeans

New research in Manitoba finds fall tillage can reduce the volunteer canola seed bank

By
Volunteer canola is difficult to control in soybean because the two crops are often resistant to the same herbicides, leaving few chemical control options available to growers in Western Canada. That causes more than a few headaches for soybean growers, especially as research shows that Prairie canola seed harvest losses on average are around six […] Read more
An adult cereal leaf beetle.
Cereals, Crops, News

Have you seen this bug?

The invasive cereal leaf beetle is heading our way. Look for damage in your wheat crop

By
There’s a new pest headed our way. James Tansey, provincial pest management specialist with Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture gave the audience the bad news at SaskWheat’s semi-annual meeting at the Farm Progress Show on June 20. The cereal leaf beetle is an invasive pest, common in the U.S. It has been spotted on the Prairies […] Read more
Tetrastichus julis, a parasitoid wasp whose larvae develop within cereal leaf beetle larvae can kill a substantial number of cereal leaf beetle larvae.
Crops, Features

Beneficial insects versus four major pests

There are more than just pests in 
those sweep nets; don’t sweep it all away

By
Many insect pests feed on cereal crops and canola. But for every pest in the field, there are dozens of predators feeding on them. Knowing which beneficial insects feed on the major pests can help growers make better management decisions. University of Toronto postdoctoral entomologist Vincent Hervet explains. 1. Cereal leaf beetle The cereal leaf […] Read more
Photo: Canola Council of Canada
Canola, Crops

Top four pests to watch in canola

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There are a lot of insects out there, but damage-causing pests are actually in the minority. Even a few “bad” bugs can be beneficial. “Crops can tolerate a certain level,” said Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist, for the Canola Council of Canada. “And even in some cases, it can benefit from a little bit of insect […] Read more
Seven beneficial insects on your farm
Crops

Seven beneficial insects on your farm

By
When making crop production management decisions, consider beneficial insect populations. These harmless bugs can provide adequate control if their populations are high enough. Some beneficial insects are hard to identify, but with some basic training producers should be able to spot them in the field. The following beneficial insects are found in most crops in […] Read more
Flea beetle damage on a canola leaf.
Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Insect economic thresholds: what do they mean?

Q & A with CPS

By
Q: What do insect economic thresholds mean? A: Insects can eat into your profits. They can appear at any time during the growing season and can cause damage that is patchy, scattered and difficult to gauge. Accurate estimation of both pest population and potential crop damage levels can only be obtained by thorough field scouting. […] Read more
The seedling leaf tips were notched in this Alberta producer’s wheat crop. 
In addition, the leaves had holes, giving them a shredded appearance.
Cereals, Crops, Features

Crop advisor casebook: What’s taking a bite out of this producer’s wheat crop?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the April 24, 2018 issue of Grainews

By
While scouting his wheat crop at the end of May last year, Alex noticed some seedling leaf tips were notched. Also, the leaves had holes, giving them a shredded appearance. Alex farms 3,000 acres of barley, wheat, canola and peas near Manning, Alta. Alex thought the damage he found in his wheat crop was caused […] Read more
Typically, wheat stem sawfly 
tends to flourish in dry weather.
Cereals, Crops, Features

Parasitoids help control sawfly

Researchers are evaluating the value of wheat stem sawfly’s natural predators

By
Wheat stem sawfly can cause major yield losses. Scientists are investigating parasitoids, small wasps and nematodes, as well as fungi that can be used to control the pest. Héctor Cárcamo, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been conducting research on beneficial insects that attack wheat stem sawfly larvae. Sawfly, said Cárcamo, has a […] Read more
Six tips for managing wheat stem sawfly
Crops

Six tips for managing wheat stem sawfly

By
As with most pests, wheat stem sawfly populations rise and fall, depending on weather and the presence of natural predators. Economic losses arise when wheat stem sawfly larvae feed inside the stem. While some of those losses are due to decreased seed weight, much of it occurs when the stems are cut and the plant […] Read more

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