Reading Time: 3 minutes Looking for trouble? You should be when it comes to insects that might be a threat to your crops. The “big three” this year are bertha army worm, grasshoppers, and wheat stem sawfly, says provincial pest specialist Scott Meers. But it depends where you farm, so Meers recommends you bookmark the website of the Alberta […] Read more
There’s a time of year when it pays to go looking for a fight
To combat the hordes of bad guys looking for a free meal, you need to plan your attack
Flea beetles: more species, more territory
Control options include seed treatment, seeding early and a higher seeding rate
Reading Time: 3 minutes They have been a voracious pest in canola for many years, but their pattern of infestation is changing. “Flea beetles can be a huge economic problem; pervasive and unpredictable,” Jennifer Otani, a pest management biologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge said during a session at FarmTech. Adult flea beetles can move in and out […] Read more
Farming insects may solve one problem, create others
Rome | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Insects have great potential as an alternative source of protein, but further research is urgently needed before mass production begins in order to avoid environmental disaster, Swedish researchers warned Monday. There is currently an “overwhelming lack of knowledge” on basic questions such as suitable species, their housing and feed […] Read more
Alberta insect forecast maps for 2019 available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Forecast maps for wheat midge and wheat stem sawfly are now available… Forecast maps for wheat midge and wheat stem sawfly are now available as well as results from the pea leaf weevil survey. Wheat midge numbers are down “quite substantially,” but sawfly numbers are up in many areas, said insect management specialist Scott Meers. […] Read more
Hot, dry conditions drove down insect and disease pressure in 2018
By and large, producers didn’t see as much insect damage or disease loss this year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Crop yields in Alberta took a hit this year because of the hot, dry conditions — but the blow wasn’t as big as it could have been, thanks to decreased disease and insect pressure. “Across the province, we’re trending close to the five-year average, and the lack of disease and insect pressure may have helped […] Read more
World crop briefs: North Carolina losing crops, livestock to Florence
CNS Canada — Record-setting rain and floods in North Carolina caused by Hurricane Florence have destroyed the state’s poultry sector with 3.4 million chickens and turkeys reported killed. Pig losses are estimated at 5,500. Widespread power outages and flooded roads are making it difficult to get help to abandoned livestock operations. The state is home […] Read more
There’s a reason why stem-mining weevils are the priciest livestock in Alberta
The insects are mowing down Canada thistle across the province, and attracting lots of eager buyers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tens of thousands of weevils have been pouring into Alberta from Montana — and producers are clamouring for more. “It’s a biological control and it’s been going great,” said Rachael Nay, conservation agriculture extension co-ordinator with the West-Central Forage Association. The association began the project to import stem-mining weevils four years ago as a way […] Read more
Watch for yellow or brown leaves on elms
Reading Time: < 1 minute If elms on your property are in autumn mode already, they may be infected with Dutch elm disease (DED). “Symptoms of DED infection are leaves initially wilting followed by curling, turning yellow, and then brown,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. “This is also referred to as flagging. […] Read more
Deadly pest marching towards Alberta’s borders
The emerald ash borer has travelled halfway across the continent and has now reached Manitoba
Reading Time: 3 minutes Another highly destructive invasive pest has breached the boundary of the eastern Prairies and Albertans are being asked to keep watch — and not unwittingly aid its spread. The emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills all species of ash, was found in Winnipeg this winter. The beetle is on a steady invasive march across […] Read more
Bees benefit from 4-H Canada pollinator program
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s been another banner year for the the Proud to Bee a 4-H’er initiative. The 2018 edition of the program saw 135 4-H clubs from across the country participating and about 15,000 seed packets distributed. “It is wonderful each year to see the level of excitement and engagement our members have with this initiative,” said […] Read more
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