Reading Time: < 1 minute In this week’s Call of the Land update, Alberta Agriculture pest management specialist Scott Meers talks about bertha armyworm traps, flea beetles, cutworms, and barley thrips. To hear Scott’s interview on the Alberta Agriculture website, click here.
Alberta weekly pest update
Update as of June 11, 2015
Cereal Cyst Nematode confirmed in Montana
Reading Time: < 1 minute The effects of Cereal Cycst Nematode (CCN) can be confused with Rhizoctonia root rot. Now is the time to watch for signs/symptoms of this pest in cereals. For more information on what symptoms and signs look like, see the Montana AgAlert for CCN. To learn more, or to see more MSU alerts, visit the Montana […] Read more
Crop pest and disease watch for 2015
Some of the usual suspects could be back this year, especially if you are pushing your rotations
Reading Time: 6 minutes The new growing season is underway, with a combination of old and new challenges and opportunities. Alberta Farmer reporter Alexis Kienlen asked some experts about things that producers should look out for this growing season. Here’s what they had to say: Plant diseases It’s difficult for plant pathologists to predict the possibility of diseases, said Kelly […] Read more
Swede midge trap managers wanted
Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network is looking to set up 15 to 17 new sites
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network is looking for people to manage Swede midge traps in Beaver, Minburn, Wetaskiwin, Two Hills and Smoky Lake counties. Managers need to set up traps in canola fields (trapping kits provided); make weekly trap visits to change the cards (10 to 12 weeks depending on canola); and send the […] Read more
Controlling plant pests with biocontrols on your crop
Some biocontrol agents employ very targeted means to deter pests
Reading Time: 2 minutes Competition and antibioses are two of the ways biocontrol agents can help control plant pests. “Producers are familiar with the concept of competition, as in crowding out weeds in a field using row spacing, stand density, etc.,” said Dustin Morton, commercial horticulture specialist, at the Alberta Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “Biocontrol agents can also be […] Read more
They’re nasty little critters — and alfalfa weevils are on the move
Previously deemed a southern Alberta problem, alfalfa weevils have been spotted as far north as Stettler and Provost
Reading Time: 2 minutes Well, it turns out alfalfa weevils can’t read road signs. “We thought it was a southern Alberta problem that doesn’t go beyond Highway 1 — most weevils don’t like it beyond Highway 1 — but lo and behold, we found it all the way through Stettler and Provost,” said Shelley Barkley, insect research technologist with […] Read more
IPM: It’s all about combining pest management tools
The multi-pronged approach known as Integrated Pest Management can boost yields while reducing costs
Reading Time: 3 minutes While Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become a catchphrase in agriculture today, there can be confusion as to what it actually is. “While the mechanics of the concept are discussed at workshops and lectures, many producers still don’t understand exactly what IPM is,” said Dustin Morton, a commercial horticulture specialist with the Alberta Ag-Info Centre […] Read more
Farmer-driven research in Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute When it comes to activities, the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) runs the gamut. “We do everything from annual crop research, to variety, fertility and silage trials,” said Janette McDonald, executive director of ARECA. “We then go into perennial crops and special crops. At least 50 to 60 per cent of our […] Read more
Crop insect forecast maps for 2015
Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network wants you to know what to watch for this upcoming crop year
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network has prepared its insect forecast maps for 2015. Among its usual suspects are names you’re likely familiar with. The links provided below include individual forecast maps for each insect (click on each insect name for a link to its page): Bertha armyworm Grasshopper Wheat midge Cabbage seedpod weevil Pea leaf weevil Wheat […] Read more
Bug forecast maps online
Reading Time: < 1 minute The first two insect forecasting maps are online, and the rest are due out in January. The wheat midge survey found none of the pests in the Peace region — a complete reversal of the previous year. Central Alberta has some hot spots, while southern Alberta has low numbers save for some irrigated fields in the […] Read more
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