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Tag Archives crop pests

The diamondback moth is capable of producing as many as four generations each year. The earlier they arrive and the better the conditions, they more they reproduce.
Canola, Features

Why was 2017 an unprecedented year for diamondback moth?

Reviewing economic thresholds and 
action plans to control this insect pest

By
Last year’s growing season was a freakish one for diamondback moth in Western Canada, and while the probability that an outbreak of this calibre will be seen in 2018 is very low, the possibility is always there. Knowing what to do and when to act can help you to get this insect pest under better […] Read more
Pea Leaf Weevil 2017.
Crops, Features

Alberta insect forecasts for 2018

Alberta’s three new pest maps can help you choose your seed varieties for 2018

By
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has added its latest 2018 insect population forecast maps to its website. “We usually post two forecast maps in December for wheat pests — wheat midge and wheat stem saw fly — so that growers can make appropriate variety decisions,” says Scott Meers, insect management specialist in Alberta Ag’s Pest Surveillance […] Read more
Black beetles on canola buds.
Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Looking back on 2017’s biggest growing challenges

Agronomy tips... from the field

By
Looking back on issues that growers had to deal with during the 2017 growing season, two things come to mind: insects and weather. In the spring, several regions across the Prairies experienced heavy flea beetle and cutworm pressure in their canola crops, along with some diamondback moth pressure later in the season. Keep in mind […] Read more
White heads had popped up randomly throughout the durum field. The plants with the white heads were completely sterile and felt crispy, yet they were attached to a healthy, green plant.
Cereals, Crops, Features

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: What’s causing white heads in this durum crop?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the October 17, 2017 issue of Grainews

By
Frank, who grows durum wheat, lentils, canola and soybeans south of Regina, Sask., called me mid-August in 2016 to discuss an issue with his wheat crop. He noticed white wheat heads popping up randomly throughout the field. “Could this be from heat blast, like in canola flowers?” he asked. “There are more of these heads […] Read more
Wheat midge.
Cereals, Crops, Features

Wheat midge 101: the basics of scouting

Growing soft white wheat or a non-midge-tolerant variety? Get ready to scout

By
It’s smaller than a mosquito, but more of a headache for Prairie farmers — wheat midge might look innocuous, but it can cause significant crop damage in Western Canada. Since midge-tolerant spring wheat varieties have become widely available, midge scouting has become a thing of the past for many Prairie farmers. However, with only one […] Read more
A striped flea beetle on a canola leaf.
Canola, Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Don’t rush canola into cooler soils

Agronomy tips... from the field

By
Your flea beetle management strategy this season is going to depend on what type of weather conditions and soil temperatures experienced in the days leading up to seeding. Striped flea beetles are going to be a significant threat to your emerging canola, and were responsible for about 90 per cent of the feeding damage we […] Read more
Spring fieldwork in between Glaslyn and Livelong, in northwest Sask. Wet weather has delayed spring field work for many farmers in the Glaslyn area.
Crops, News

Seeding progress in Sask. runs the gamut

Many farmers playing catch-up due to wet conditions, dealing with last year's crops

By
About 30 per cent of the 2017 crop is seeded, according to the latest Saskatchewan Agriculture Crop Report. But while the province as a whole is close to the five-year average, actual seeding progress varies tremendously across the province and even within regions. Farmers in the southeast have 60 per cent of the crop in […] Read more
This is a photo of the female of the new “anonymous” midge species.
Canola, Crops, News

A new species of midge lands on the Prairies

Researchers say this 
new “anonymous” midge is not an imminent concern, but it’s worth watching

By
An anonymous midge species has been identified in Saskatchewan and central Alberta. The new species is similar to Swede midge (a species already present in Saskatchewan), but to this point does not appear to have caused significant, widespread damage in canola crops. Researchers are still trying to find out more about the as yet unnamed […] Read more
The topmost spikelets were shrivelled and bleached-looking, and the awns were also white and bent.
Cereals, Crops, Spring Wheat

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Deformed wheat spikelets spell trouble

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the February 7, 2017 issue of Grainews

By
Dan operates a 5,000-acre grain farm south of Canora, Sask. Last summer, he called me mid-July to inquire if any other producers in the area were discovering white heads in their hard red spring wheat crops. In certain areas of his fields, he said, shortly after heading, some wheat plants had developed a whitish tinge […] Read more

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