Spring wheat cash prices were mixed for the week ended Oct. 31, as pressure from declines in United States wheat futures were countered by support from a weaker Canadian dollar that encourages more export sales.
Prairie Wheat Weekly: Declines in U.S. wheat, loonie lead to mixed prices
‘Midgebusters’ lead research attack on wheat midge
From mechanical deterrents like awns to taking inspiration from old varieties, one research team hopes to find new genetic weapons against wheat midge canonical in normal spot
Reading Time: 4 minutes From mechanical deterrents like awns to taking inspiration from old varieties, one research team hopes to find new genetic weapons against wheat midge
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
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
Wheat varieties could move from midge tolerance to midge resistance
Researchers are trying to isolate molecules that appear to transmit resistance to their neighbours
Reading Time: 2 minutes A group of western Canadian researchers is trying to create wheat strains with built-in resistance to wheat midge. Though midge-tolerant varieties are available, they are on a mission to add another layer of defence. “One thing biologists have noticed is there are certain varieties of wheat that, for whatever reason … where the midge will […] Read more
Keep watch for wheat midge this growing season
This silent killer is a ‘big bad’ threat and may be out in force in some areas this year
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask any wheat farmer about orange blossom wheat midge and they may tell you it’s the ‘big bad’ of crop insects and comparable to fusarium in terms of pure destructive power. “It’s kind of insidious,” said AgCanada entomologist Tyler Wist. “Often if you’re not out looking for it you don’t even know it’s there. Then […] 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
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
Safeguard wheat midge tolerance or lose it, growers warned
A single gene that protects wheat from this costly pest could quickly be lost if there’s no refuge in fields
Reading Time: 2 minutes Planting saved soft white spring wheat that’s tolerant to wheat midge comes with a multimillion-dollar risk. If tolerance is lost, it could cost growers $60 million annually and up to $36 per acre, said Mike Espeseth, co-chair of the communications committee of the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Team. A single gene, called Sm1, provides midge […] Read more
Fields wanted for insect survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is looking for pea and wheat fields for its 2018 insect survey. Teams will survey for pea leaf weevil in late spring, and for wheat midge and wheat stem sawfly in the fall after harvest. “We are looking for fields that producers would be happy to have us check. For allowing […] Read more
Get the facts on wheat midge
Reading Time: < 1 minute Wheat midge is about half the size of a mosquito and bright orange, but is commonly confused with lauxanids, which are a little bigger and yellowish brown. Wheat midge lays eggs in the wheat head and the larvae will then feed on the wheat kernels. One midge for every four to five wheat heads can […] Read more
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