Reading Time: 2 minutes Research scientist talks about the prevalence of aster yellows in canola in Alberta, with testing on its pest carriers and conditions in which it affects yields.
Aster leafhoppers: An unwanted guest migrating from U.S. for canola
New test confirms aster yellows in leafhoppers in canola within minutes
Trap crops to cut faba bean spraying?
Trap cropping may concentrate pest insects away from the main crop so they can be better managed, with less ecological spillover
Reading Time: 3 minutes Trap cropping may draw pests away from the main crop and concentrate them for blitz control with less insecticide and friendlier farming for beneficial bugs.
Growers urged to monitor for pea leaf weevil despite low 2025 activity
Damage can be hard to assess, but it helps to pay attention to the insect’s life cycle
Reading Time: 5 minutes The pea leaf weevil has moved north in Alberta, but the outlook for damage from the insect is 2026 is promising.
Conservatives call for approval of emergency strychnine use
Poison used for pest populations of gophers was phased out over the first half of the 2020s.
The federal Conservatives called for the government to authorize emergency use of the poison strychnine against infestations of gophers.
Alberta gives green light for problem elk hunting
Problem elk can cause thousands of dollars of damage to a ranch, but a new program allows them to be hunted
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta farmers and ranchers have been calling for a solution to the problem elk issue in the province, and the Government of Alberta has now responded by giving the green light to a problem elk hunting provision for Alberta’s producers.
Alberta deregulates fusarium
Crop disease comes off province's 'zero tolerance' list
Alberta is moving to keep fusarium in check by means other than the “zero tolerance” policy it has in effect on agricultural pests such as rats, rabies and clubroot. Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen announced a ministerial order Wednesday to remove Fusarium graminearum from the list of pests covered by the Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation, […] Read more
Walmart patents hint at future where its drones tend the farms
New York/Chicago | Reuters — Walmart’s patent filings hint that it may see a future where farmers use its drones to not only spot crop problems but selectively apply chemicals or even disperse pollen to bring shoppers the freshest and cheapest food possible. The world’s largest retailer applied for six patents last year on drones […] Read more
It’s not your imagination — there are more gophers this year
Sadly, there aren’t many control methods that can reduce the large gopher population
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you think you’ve got more gophers than usual, you’re probably right. The gopher problem is particularly bad this year, particularly in central and east-central Alberta. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ian Murray, a cattle rancher who lives near Acme. “It’s absolutely astounding.” Last year, the gophers flourished near Murray’s canola fields and […] Read more
New field guide for Prairie pests in Western Canada
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture Canada has a new 152-page full-colour illustrated field guide for managing more than 90 crop and forage pests in Western Canada. Along with diagnostic information for pest species, the guide also helps to identify over 30 natural enemies that prey on or parasitize these pests. The book includes identification characteristics, life cycle, damage or […] Read more
New hotline for reporting rats
Province says even calls left after hours or on weekends will be responded to within 24 hours
Reading Time: < 1 minute Albertans now have a new way to report rat sightings. “Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development has a new easily remembered phone number, 310-RATS (7287), for all Albertans to report possible rat sightings,” said rat inspector Bruce Hamblin. “It’s not a replacement for the current system of reporting rats, but it is an addition to it.” […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
