Lygus bugs are a pest that are not particularly picky when it comes to what they feed on. The bug has over 300 known host plants, and feeds on the sap of a plants new growth and reproductive tissue. Unfortunately, among the long list of plants they like to feed on is the canola plant. In particular, the budding canola plant. The bug is a piercing and sucking insect that feed on that developing bud as well as seeds. The adult bug can over-winter in sheltered areas of the field and emerge to feed on early seeded canola, laying eggs from May to July. In the southern area of Alberta, crops can see two generations of Lygus, in northern regions, they are usually limited to one generation. While it’s the second generation that tends to do the most damage, in some cases, that first generation can cause considerable damage.
I spoke with Canola Council of Canada Agronomy Specialist Gregory Sekulic about the Lygus bug situation.
SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL EPISODES
If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.
