“When you look at the map from 2021 and compare it to the survey that was done last year, you’ll see there’s more orange and yellow,” said Shelley Barkley, insect survey technologist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.

That means larger chunks of the province fall into the middle zones of the risk rating maps. (See further down: Yellow means four to eight hoppers per square metre were found during surveys last year while orange is for densities of eight to 12 per square metre.)

“The population has just grown and spread out,” said Barkley.

Southeast of Lethbridge is a particular hotspot, now rated as very severe (24 or more adult grasshoppers per square metre) — a problem you can blame on the lovely autumn weather.

“We had a great fall in 2021 so there was a lot of capability in the ground,” she said. “We just keep compounding it every year that we have nice long falls — they’re able to lay just about every single egg in their bodies. And they can lay a lot of eggs.” 

In southern Alberta, two-stripe, Packards and a variety of migratory species make up the majority of pest grasshoppers. The Peace country has a unique situation with Bruner’s spur-throated grasshoppers mysteriously appearing every odd-numbered year.

“It seems like it takes two years to complete its life cycle,” said Barkley. “So the survey doesn’t really forecast that for the Peace but anyone there knows that in even years you’re not going to have trouble but in odd years there’s a good chance you will.”

Managing outbreaks

So what are your options if you encounter a grasshopper outbreak? First, take a step back before applying insecticide, said John Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. Because of the multitude of beneficial insects, he recommends spraying only when the risk reaches the economic threshold.

“If you’re using a broad-spectrum insecticide, you’re taking out the good with the bad,” he said.

(Economic threshold information for Alberta can be found at alberta.ca — search for ‘crop insect resources’ and follow the links to get info on the grasshopper that’s giving you problems.)

There are also options that selectively kill grasshoppers and don’t affect beneficials, added Gavloski.

“We encourage growers to consider those if it’s practical and affordable, because that will help preserve that natural bio-control.”

The organic farming sector also has some insights for grasshopper control.

One is that more complex farm ecosystems — such as intercropping and cover cropping — can reduce insect problems, University of Manitoba plant science professor Martin Entz said in a recent presentation.

In one research project, Entz used pitfall traps to capture carabid beetles (who dine on grasshopper eggs), which were sorted and identified.

“We had three organic systems: A grain-only organic system, one that had green manures in the rotation, and one that had alfalfa mixed with grain crops,” he said.

“What was interesting is that the greatest diversity of plant populations resulted in the most diverse and the greatest number of beetles. So a diversity of plants means the diversity of these beneficial insects.”

More plant diversity also seemed to boost natural resistance.

“Plants actually talk to each other with their volatiles,” said Entz. “They release chemicals, and those chemicals float in the air, and other plants will respond to them.

“A neighbouring plant is going to sense those and turn on some of its self-defence mechanisms. It doesn’t absolutely make the plant immune to that insect, but it certainly increases its resistance.”

Studies have also found that lower densities of plant-eating insects in polyculture fields (like intercropping) is lower than in monoculture fields and there are more natural enemies, especially parasitoids.

“So the pest itself is higher in monoculture, while its enemies are lower.”

Other methods

A push-pull system pushes away pests and pulls them to another place.Grasshoppers, for instance, do not like certain pea varieties, so peas can be planted as guard strips around crops such as flax, which are more susceptible to grasshoppers.

That’s the push part of the equation while perennial strips illustrate the pull part.

“We put a perennial strip around the field because we know the grasshoppers like to lay their eggs in those perennial planting strips, and then we can till them to kill the eggs or kill the nymphs,” said Entz.

Twice-over grazing systems also result in fewer grasshopper outbreaks than season-long grazing. “The reason for that is that it reduced the quality of the habitat for the grasshopper,” he said. “Grasshoppers need to have their temperature regulated, and if you have areas in the field where you’ve got inconsistent temperature regulation, you can make the grasshopper less happy.”

They prefer undisturbed areas to lay their eggs, which is why they often lay them in ditches. As a result, tilling the soil in the fall to make it less desirable for egg laying is an age-old method of discouraging grasshoppers but “there is a trade-off there between soil health.”

“In the Conservation Reserve Program in Texas, they talked about shredding the perennials so you’re not having to till them,” said Entz, who suggests mowing ditches could achieve results. “The dead plant material is less attractive to grasshoppers, so anything that increases the disturbance of the soil will reduce the grasshopper.”

And while there are a huge number of grasshopper species that live on the Prairies, only a handful are harmful to crops.

“There are about 12 grasshopper species of economic pest importance at some times, and of these, only five are considered pest species,” Alberta Agriculture’s website states.

“Landscape diversity is very important,” said Entz. “Things like wetlands allow the other 180 species of grasshoppers to thrive, and when you have greater diversity, you’re going to have fewer of the pests.”

However, Entz admits that the effectiveness of some of these grasshopper control techniques is limited if an outbreak gets out of hand.

“The challenge with grasshoppers is that when they get into really high numbers, they move so quickly that some of these strategies may not make that much of a difference.”

The post The autumn weather was lovely — especially for grasshoppers appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The province on July 21 announced an 18-month prohibition on sales and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs).

The second-generation products are “more powerful” than the previous generation and increase the risk of secondary poisoning of owls and other animals that eat poisoned rodents, the province said.

Uses that support “agricultural production and food safety” will be exempt, the province said, as will uses by food processing and storage facilities, grocery stores and restaurants as well as hospitals and other health services.

Farmers and ag operators, specifically, will need to show “proof of qualifying agricultural status” and follow integrated pest management principles including “prevention and full consideration of alternatives” in their use of SGARs.

Consideration of alternatives, the province said, means treating the use of pesticides as a “last resort when other measures are not effective.”

SGARs include active ingredients such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone and difethialone, while first-generation anticoagulants include warfarin, chlorophacinone and diphacinone.

All anticoagulant rodenticides were subject to more strict label requirements effective at the end of 2012, following a 2010 re-evaluation by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

According to Health Canada, the SGAR products “tend to be more acutely toxic than the first-generation” and generally provide a lethal dose after a single feeding, but don’t cause death for about five to 10 days, so animals continue to feed on them in the meantime.

First-generation products generally must be ingested for several days to provide a lethal dose, as they’re less acutely toxic and more rapidly metabolized and/or excreted.

“We share the concerns of many British Columbians that rodenticide use is harming, and too often killing, birds, pets and other wildlife,” Environment Minister George Heyman said July 21 in a release.

“That is why we are taking action to reduce risks, conduct a review and step up our efforts to reduce unnecessary pesticide use, rather than safer alternatives.”

— Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Rodent poisons allowed on B.C. farms during temporary ban appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Boyd Mori, a new assistant professor in the University of Alberta’s agriculture department, paid tribute to provincial insect management specialist Scott Meers in his presentation at FarmTech — and urged his audience to lobby the government for a replacement.

“Scott Meers is a big part of this talk,” said Mori, who obtained his PhD at the U of A and worked for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon.

“Scott is retiring, we are going to need a new insect management specialist with the province, so make sure to pressure your MLAs. A lot of the work that is going to be presented today wouldn’t happen without Scott and (provincial insect technologist) Shelley (Barkley)… We have to keep the pressure on our current government to make sure it staffs these positions not just in entomology, but in other positions as well, so we have capacity and can continue to build it.”

Mori, whose five-year position is sponsored by the four crop commissions, has focused on integrated pest management, insect/pest interactions and developing pest monitoring tools.

Entomologists in the province and across the country collaborate extensively, he said, and he said producers should follow the Alberta Insect Monitoring Network (run by Meers and Barkley) and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (run by Jennifer Otani at Ag Canada’s Beaverlodge station and her colleague Meghan Vankosky in Saskatoon).

“All of the information that producers collect, and that Scott and Shelley collect, gets fed into the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network,” he said. “This helps feed our forecasting and our monitoring that we have during the growing season.”

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network blog and e-newsletter while the Alberta Insect Monitoring Network has live, in-season maps for pests such as wheat midge, bertha army worm and diamondback moth.

On the radar

There are a number of pests farmers should be scouting for in 2020, said Mori, crediting Meers for most of the information he presented.

Producers should be on the watch for bertha army worms, particularly in the Peace, where high numbers were captured in traps set up and monitored by collaborators working with Meers and Barkley.

“If you’re familiar with bertha army worm, it has a six- to seven-year cycle,” said Mori. “It should be starting to fizzle out in the Peace but we really need to be alert again.”

Pea leaf weevils have been a problem in north-central Alberta.

“You can find it in your field because of its characteristic U-shaped notching,” he said. “The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network is out there surveying fields and looking for this notching on the leaves.”

But producers should also be pulling plants to check roots for larvae as adults lay their eggs on the soil and larvae feed on root nodules.

“It’s the feeding on the root nodules that can really reduce your yield,” he said.

While pea leaf weevils enjoy peas, fababeans are the preferred host. Faba growers should consider using a seed treatment.

“If you’re growing faba in this region, you’re going to have a lot more damage from pea leaf weevils,” said Mori.

Pea leaf weevil was confirmed in the Peace region in 2017.

“It’s a fairly new invader but seems to be established in the Municipal District of Smoky River, but not at very high levels,” said Mori, adding the pest was historically a problem in southern Alberta before making a big leap into the central part of the province. Growers in the south should continue to use a seed treatment.

Cabbage seed pod weevil is another pest to watch for. In the spring, it attaches to canola flowers.

“Adults will chew a little hole in the developing pod, lay an egg or two and the larvae continue in that developing pod, consuming it,” he said. “The best way to monitor is to be out there with your sweep net at 10 to 20 per cent flower.”

Recent work by Hector Carcamo, an Ag Canada research scientist in Lethbridge, and Meers determined a spraying threshold of 2.5 weevils per sweep.

Mori recommended sampling four locations through a field and taking 25 sweeps at each location. (Meers has a YouTube video titled ‘Proper Sweepnet Technique for Cabbage Seedpod Weevil.’)

Weevils will often head to the first field in flower, and have been an issue in southern Alberta.

Entomologists across the Prairies are currently doing research on parasitoids that can control this pest.

Wheat midge has been another pest that has caused trouble in Alberta. However, wheat midge needs a lot of moisture, so it hasn’t been as active in recent years. Mori recommended looking into wheat midge-tolerant varieties for producers who have had issues with the pest in the past, as well as monitoring for midge by going out around dusk and looking for midge on wheat heads.

The post New insect expert introduces himself and advises on key pests for 2020 appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“An evaluation of available scientific information confirmed that there are risks of concern for non-target organisms, including species at risk, for products registered to control ground squirrels,” said Health Canada.

The specific proposal is to cancel the registration of Maxim 2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate, and to require the removal of ground squirrels use from the label of S.A.R.M Gopher Poison R.T.U.

People can comment on the proposal until Sept. 27. To comment or for more info, go to the Government of Canada website.

The post Phase-out of strychnine proposed appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Beneficial insects play a vital pest control role in cropping systems. It’s time to give them more awareness and attention,” explains Pat Flaten, research programmer with WGRF. She notes that the need to promote the importance of beneficial insects was identified at a Prairie Pest Monitoring Network working group meeting. Producers and agronomists have been asking members of the network for more information.

Allowing beneficial insects to help control yield-robbing pests is an important part of integrated pest management. Beneficials can reduce spraying, lower cost of production, save time in the field and protect the environment.

“Healthy populations of insects like lady beetles, ground beetles, lacewings, damsel bugs, and many parasitoids can often keep crop-feeding insects at insignificant levels,” says entomologist John Gavloski of Manitoba Agriculture. “With good management decisions and the proper environment, this free biocontrol can help maximize the value of a crop.”

Beneficial insect photos, scouting techniques and best management practices are available from various sources across Western Canada. WGRF has compiled key information online at www.fieldheroes.ca. A series of print and online ads will also run throughout the 2017 growing season to get the word out.

WGRF is asking other stakeholders to get on board and support the beneficial insects awareness campaign by visiting FieldHeroes.ca and following @FieldHeroes on Twitter (like, share and comment) for great agronomic information and timely, relevant content.

The post Website identifies your insect friends appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

What started as an annual herb in southern Europe has started spreading into Canada (in British Columbia and Ontario). Like most other weeds, this plant prefers areas of disturbed, bare ground and grows as a summer annual in colder climates — which makes it a perfect invader for Alberta.

This low-lying, dense mat-like plant grows very deep taproots. While the above-ground leaves of the plant can be killed by frost, yearly resprouting can occur from these deep roots. Seeds of puncturevine can germinate when spring temperatures and moisture are plentiful. Its greenish-red stems covered in hairs with a yellow, five-petal flower make this weed easy to identify.

The primary control method is early detection and preventing seed production and dissemination. Seeds, which are hard and have two or three sharp spines can puncture feet (humans and livestock) and bicycle tires. They can also bury deep into the soles of footware, only to release later and increase its spread. Seed production is quick, so control efforts are needed through the growing season.

Currently no selective herbicides are registered for puncturevine. As this plant is toxic to animals, this invasive plant should never be considered as forage. Repeated, shallow cultivation before seed production can be the most effective means of control.

For more information on this or any invasive plant, contact your local Agricultural Fieldman or the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

Aimee Delaney is a Conservation assistant for Red Deer County.

The post Keep watch for this potential new invader appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The critical weed control period for canola is around 17 to 38 days after emergence. Peas can be as early as two weeks after emergence.

“Other, more competitive crops, like the cereals, have a less defined critical period,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “If you can keep the weed pressure down until the critical period is passed, you minimize yield losses from weed competition.”

Start by scouting.

“Once a field has been scouted and a weed problem identified, the degree of threat needs to be assessed,” said Brook. “An example of an early, non-yield threatening weed is whitlow grass. It’s a very slow-growing, small plant that bolts and goes to seed, usually before seeding. It’s not a direct threat to the crop.

“However, if other weedy plants are also present in sufficient numbers and are a threat to yield, you can choose an appropriate control measure.”

Winter annual weeds like stinkweed, narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard, shepherd’s purse, scentless chamomile, and many others can start growing in the fall. They overwinter as a small rosette but are then quickly able to go to seed once spring arrives.

“Control of them in the spring requires very early action. You need to know the weeds present to choose the best control method. Crop volunteers from previous years are also an increasingly problematic weed obstacle. Volunteer canola is one of our top weed control issues every year. These and other problem weeds will require additional products when applying a spring burn-off with glyphosate.”

To get the best result from any early herbicide application, the herbicide must be applied when the weeds are actively growing.

“Under cool or cold conditions you can expect poor results from the spray as the target weeds are either dormant or growing too slowly,” said Brook. “They cannot absorb and translocate enough active ingredient to kill them. Weeds also have to be large enough to absorb enough herbicide to be killed.

“Low spray volumes and coarse sprays can lead to insufficient herbicide landing on the plants. Best temperatures for application should ideally be above 12 C to 15 C when the plants are actively photosynthesizing.”

Another tool in weed control is the competitive nature of the crop itself.

“Highly competitive crops can reduce the effects of weeds on yield,” he said. “Once a crop canopy has covered the soil, sunlight no longer can penetrate to the ground and weeds stop germinating.

“Heavier seeding rates can also squeeze out weeds. Hybrid canola and barley are our two most competitive crops. You still have to choose a competitive variety. Semi-dwarf barleys are less competitive than regular barleys. Heavier seeding rates always increase the crop’s competitive nature against weeds. Thin crops allow light to hit the ground, stimulating more weed growth.”

The post Know your enemy and its destructive potential, says provincial crop specialist appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Flowers can be a purple- to blue-coloured clustered head, resembling a chive flower. Hairy leaves form a rosette around the base and are deeply lobed. Field scabious can grow up to 1.5 metres tall, but can be very difficult to see from a distance, as it is so thin and spindly. This plant prefers nutrient-rich, moderately dry soils and develops a deep taproot that will compete with native grasses for resources.

The goal for control of this weed is to stop seed production. However, be careful when hand pulling because this plant will cause skin irritation and itching, so it is best to wear long sleeves and gloves. Field scabious is listed as noxious under the Alberta Weed Control Act and therefore must be controlled, meaning its growth or spread must be prevented.

For more information on this or any invasive plant, contact your local Agricultural Fieldman or the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

The post Don’t be fooled by this weed’s pretty flower appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Following a review, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has proposed phasing out Imidacloprid over the next three to five years.

“Our re-evaluation found no risk for human health,” said Scott Kirby, director general of the environmental assessment directorate with Health Canada. “But our environmental risk assessment found that it does pose a potential risk to terrestrial and aquatic insects.”

Aquatic insects are vital in ecological communities, particularly in nutrient cycling. Spray drifts and run-off of Imidacloprid may result in toxic effects to aquatic insects, even though the chemical does not pose a risk to fish, amphibians, algae or aquatic plants. The risks were determined by environmental modelling and water monitoring.

The chemical also poses a risk to birds and small mammals that consume treated seed. Imidacloprid is used in greenhouses, ornamental production, commercial vegetables, potatoes, vineyards, corn, canola, and pulse production. The PMRA is seeking to phase out the use of Imidacloprid in trees, greenhouses, outdoor agriculture, commercial seed treatment, turf, and lawns. The chemical poses no risks when used around buildings, as an application for tree injection, or in flea, tick and lice collars for cats and dogs.

Imidacloprid is used in products such as Sombrero, Stress Shield, and Alias. It is a minor use product in pulses, but is quite important in soybeans.

Kirby said he cannot speak on the implications of the phase-out for agricultural producers, but Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are looking to find alternative chemicals that can replace Imidacloprid. The two agencies are also looking to determine strategies for transition to other products, if available.

All stakeholders have had the opportunity to engage in the consultation, said Nevin Rosaasen, program and policy specialist with the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission.

“Growers should be voicing their concerns to their grower organization and to any type of body that represents their concerns or their bottom line,” said Rosaasen. “Growers themselves are also welcome to submit an individual submission to Health Canada.”

Many groups are making submissions — including pulse organizations from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. The Canola Council of Canada and the Grain Growers of Canada are also talking to their members.

“Keep in mind that right now all we have is a proposed decision and that’s being consulted on,” said Kirby. “We’re going to get a lot of information from grower groups and the agricultural industry that will give us information on alternatives, as well as what kind of impact this will have on farmers.”

Under the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be re-evaluated by the PMRA to ensure they continue to meet modern health and environmental safety standards. While the proposed phase-out deals only with Imidacloprid, the neonicotinoids Thiomethoxam and Clothiandin are under review. The phase-out of Thiomethoxam could have a definite impact on pulse growers, since there is no alternative for pea leaf weevil control.

Comments can be made until March 23 at Health Canada’s website at hc-sc.gc.ca (search ‘Imidacloprid’).

The post Concerned about the upcoming phase-out of Imidacloprid? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Biologicals are huge right now in greenhouse production and we’re seeing people introduce them and monitor them carefully for pests but at the same time aren’t quite sure where to take it from there,” said provincial horticulture specialist Dustin Morton.

The hands-on workshop will be held at Thiel’s Greenhouses in Bruderheim. Suzanne Wainwright-Evans of Buglady Consulting will look at methods of applying them, and how best to treat incoming plants and hot spots.

To register, call 1-800-387-6030.

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