Survey on keeping wheat midge at bay

Survey on keeping wheat midge at bay

Reading Time: < 1 minute Wheat growers are being asked to fill out an online survey on their use of midge-tolerant wheat. The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (an alliance of the three Prairie wheat commissions) operates the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Program. It’s estimated that midge-tolerant wheat has saved farmers more than $3 billion in yield losses and grade dockage […] Read more

Experts aren’t sure why, but the Bruner’s spur-throated grasshopper (left) only makes an appearance in the Peace Country every odd-numbered year. However, Packard’s grasshopper (middle) and the two-stripe grasshopper can show up any old time.

The autumn weather was lovely — especially for grasshoppers

Those areas that had the pests last year will likely see more this year, but there are ways to reduce their numbers

Reading Time: 4 minutes Compare Alberta grasshopper survey maps from the past two years and one thing becomes clear: If you had grasshoppers last year, there’s a good chance you will this year, too — and likely in higher numbers. “When you look at the map from 2021 and compare it to the survey that was done last year, […] Read more


Based on surveys by agricultural fieldmen and applied research groups, Alberta Agriculture provides info on a number of key pests in the province.

Pest survey results and maps now available

There’s extensive information available on high-risk insect pest species in Alberta

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s agriculture ministry has begun posting 2022 insect population maps and 2023 forecast information. The counts are based on extensive sampling by agricultural fieldmen and applied research groups across the province last year, and the reports from Alberta Agriculture highlight survey findings by region. They also provide info on identification, life cycle, damage and pest […] Read more

How do you manage resistant pests?

How do you manage resistant pests?

Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers are being asked to share their strategies on how to manage weed, insect and disease resistance. The contest offers prizes (iPads and Tim Hortons gift cards) for winning entries. “The Pest Management Challenge is an opportunity to get people talking and to encourage the adoption of resistance management best practices,” said Jennifer Hubert, an […] Read more


Edible mealworms in a wooden spoon

French insect-based ingredients maker Ynsect to expand in North America

U.S. plant would use Ardent Mills' flour milling byproducts

Paris | Reuters — French company Ynsect said on Tuesday it had signed deals to build insect ingredient production sites in the United States and in Mexico as the firm kicks off what it says will be the world’s largest insect farm. Ynsect breeds mealworms that produce proteins for aquaculture, livestock, pet food, fertilizers and […] Read more

“If you follow anyone on Twitter, you’ll know that they battled them this spring.” – Shelley Barkley.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad crop year – and that’s welcome news

Keep an eye out for flea beetles, grasshoppers and bacterial leaf streak in the coming year

Reading Time: 4 minutes A lot of flea beetles, few diseases and pretty good yields are highlights of this growing season for three crop specialists. “In general, we’re at or above average for the five-year (yield) average and some of the 10-year averages,” said Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension manager with Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley. “All of Alberta […] Read more


Making it easier for scientists from different fields to more easily collaborate on pest issues is at the heart of the new Prairie Biovigilance Network, says AgCanada researcher Brent McCallum.

Group brings many viewpoints together in pest battle

Prairie Biovigilance Network promises proactive approach to managing weeds, insects and disease

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new initiative aims to boost surveillance of — and the response to — pests affecting Prairie agriculture. The Prairie Biovigilance Network comprises a group of experts in plant pathology, entomology, weed science, economics and agronomy led by AgCanada research scientist Brent McCallum. Researchers examine the pests that are causing the problem […] Read more

Adult pea leaf weevil.

Tiny pea leaf weevil spreads across vast prairie landscape

The adults leave tell-tale signs but it’s their offspring that wreak havoc below ground

Reading Time: 4 minutes Pea leaf weevils have completed their eastward trek across the Prairies, and while they’re generally not a huge issue, pea and faba growers need to learn the habits of these hard-to-spot pests. Adult pea leaf weevils are tiny and were first found in Canada near Lethbridge in 2000. By 2019, they had crossed the Manitoba […] Read more


Closeup of the stems and leaves of Canada Thistle

Biological control for Canada thistle on deck

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Chinook Applied Research Association is bringing in Canada thistle stem mining weevils this fall. Each patch of Canada thistle needs a tray of weevils and there are 100 weevils in a tray. The insects overwinter in soil and leaf litter, emerge in spring to feed on thistles, and then lay eggs. After hatching, the […] Read more

Honeybees in Western Canada aren’t threatened by neonic use in canola but overwintering losses are a huge issue, says Dr. Sarah Wood, the new pollinator research chair at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Neonicotinoids, reducing bee mortality are priorities for new research chair

Bees produce billions in benefits for Prairie farmers but they face a host of challenges

Reading Time: 4 minutes Pollinators and beekeepers on the Prairies have a new champion — the first-ever research chair concentrating on the health of these essential workers in fields and pastures. “I’ll be focused on improving honeybee health to improve sustainable agriculture,” said Dr. Sarah Wood, an associate professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College […] Read more