Grasshoppers, both pest species and not, thrive in dry conditions. When back to back (to back) years end up in a dry cycle, grasshopper populations can explode and wipe out a crop. One year of higher moisture isn’t likely to undue that lifecycle bump, so farmers in Saskatchewan and Alberta need to stay vigilant on emerging pest grasshopper populations.
As discussed in this Wheat School episode with James Tansey, provincial entomologist with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, there are 85 species of grasshoppers with only four of them being pests of concern in cereal crops.
“Wings in the spring, it’s not a pest, or if it makes noise when it flies,” Tansey says. This means that scouting and keeping feet in the field is of utmost importance in managing for potential issues.
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One of the best ways to scout for grasshoppers is by putting your foot down and counting how many insects you see scatter. Sweep netting doesn’t work as well for adult grasshoppers as they have excellent vision and will either scatter or hold on tight. Sweep nets do work well for determining species and for nymphs, says Tansey.
There are new guidelines being proposed to account for nymph population numbers, Tansey explains, with a plan to provide as much advance warning of a ballooning population as possible.
In this video, Tansey also discusses the restrictions on lambda-cyhalothrin, which has been a go-to for farmers when it comes to grasshopper control. This active ingredient in products, such as Matador and Silencer, can no longer be used on crops intended for feed, but is still permitted on a broad assortment of food crops. Tansey says to always check the label, as well as the Guide to Crop Protection for permissible products to use for grasshopper control.
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