Wednesday 25 July 2018

Provincial Insect Pest Reports (Jul 26, 2018; Wk 12)

Provincial entomologists provide insect pest updates throughout the growing season so we link to their most recent information: 

Manitoba's Insect and Disease Updates for 2018 can be accessed here. Issue #9 (posted for July 25, 2018) includes a summary of cumulative bertha armyworm counts from pheromone traps for 2018 and importance of monitoring in canola (bertha armyworm and diamondback moth) and soybeans (spider mites) but an overall low level of insect concerns so far.

Saskatchewan's Crop Production News for 2018 is posted with Issue #5 now available. This issue includes a description of cereal leaf beetle in Saskatchewan. Growers can review articles on how to scout for cutworms, how to assess plant stand densities in flax or canola, and for flea beetles, pea leaf weevils. Also note the following diamondback moth pheromone trap interception counts from across the regions (updated June 27, 2018):


Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's Call of the Land regularly includes insect pest updates from Scott Meers. The most recent Call of the Land (posted July 19, 2018) identified that SOME bertha armyworm pheromone traps over a wide geographic range have started to intercept higher numbers of moths. Elevated trap counts require further in-field scouting to accurately detect the number and staging of bertha armyworm larvae that will now feed on developing canola pods. Pea leaf weevil is a pest of several legume species so growers trying to establish seedling alfalfa in areas where pea leaf weevil has been confirmed are advised to scout. Early trends from the early flower canola survey include relatively lower numbers of cabbage seedpod weevil, lygus bugs, diamondback moth and leafhopper numbers compared to recent years but the prevalence of beneficial arthropods in some fields.