Canola School: Estimating Flea Beetle Damage & Protecting Beneficial Insect Populations

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Flea beetle feeding that exceeds 50% damage on the cotyledons will begin to eat into yield and impact maturity
Flea beetle feeding that exceeds 50% damage on the cotyledons will begin to eat into yield and impact maturity

We’ve finally got a crop up in Western Canada, but as soon as those tiny canola plants emerge the attacks begin. Seedling blights are one concern at the establishment phase, but flea beetles can be a huge threat to the canola crop.

In this episode of the Canola School, Lyndsey Smith is joined by Canola Council of Canada agronomist Gregory Sekulic to scout for both striped and crucifer flea beetles, identify feeding sites, assess damage and review thresholds ahead of a potential spray (the magic number is 25% defoliation before considering an application, in case you’re in a rush), and discuss when to consider beneficial insects (hint: all the time).

Related: Are striped flea beetles resistant to seed treatments?

Want to see more Canola School episodes? Click here for the entire library!

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Canola School (view all)Season 6 (2014) Episode 18
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