Orange wheat blossom midge — or simply, the wheat midge — devastated spring wheat yields in the ’90s. Since then, wheat breeders have been working hard to build protection into wheat varieties. To help with tips to scout for the pest, why spraying is a limited option, how Field Heroes help, and what’s new in… Read More
Category: Beneficial Insects
Ground beetles are some of the most abundant natural enemies for crop insect pests, but their free services in the field often remain overlooked and under-appreciated, says an entomology professor from the University of Manitoba. “They’re far more abundant than most people realize, but many of our species are really restricted to the ground and… Read More
Earthworms are not just great for fishing bait, but also an indication of soil health. Or is that actually true? The origin of this topic popped into my head as I travelled across the Prairies last week shooting agronomic videos. At a couple stops the farmers referenced earthworm populations as an indication of soil health…. Read More
Scouting fields, it’s very common to see several species of beetle scurrying along the ground and up plants. Plenty of these beetles are likely friends and not foes, as ground beetles are a diverse species with plenty of members doing good work in the crop canopy. Dr. Khaldoun Ali, a plant-insect ecologist at the University… Read More
Wheat stem sawfly is a sneaky pest, as the damage caused by the larvae happens inside the cereal plant away from scouting eyes and out of reach of insecticides. Regardless of the struggle, this little yellow and black insect does require scouting and careful planning for its management as it is a pest on the… Read More
Along the lines of think before you drink and call before you dig, farmers should be scouting before they… tear out old fence lines and shelterbelts or fill in potholes. OK, we’ll admit the tagline needs work, but current Prairie ecosystems don’t always have huge areas to host biodiversity, and even small pockets of brush,… Read More
Some Prairie pests coast in on wind, but several pest populations overwinter in the area. It’s these pests that can run in cycles, ebbing and flowing with conditions and predator populations. Knowing what pressure was like — and where — the year previously can be very helpful in anticipating pest problems. For this episode of… Read More
Canola has the toughest start of any crop in Western Canada, if only because it’s the preferred food of striped and crucifer flea beetles that lie in wait for the first sign of green each spring. Flea beetle pressure has become so heavy that seed treatments and a foliar spray can, at times, not be… Read More
Iowa State University has been collecting data and building a scouting app that can identify about 2,000 insect pests at varying stages. “This app can not only identify the adult stage insect, but it can also identify other various stages, like a nymph or caterpillar,” says Dr. Arti Singh, assistant professor in the department of… Read More
Although spiders can sometimes get a bad rap, when we are talking about beneficials and crop health, the eight-legged creatures actually can go a long way in protecting plants from hungry pests. For this episode of the Pests & Predators podcast, brought to you by Field Heroes powered by the Western Grains Research Foundation, host… Read More
Usually a pest of canola, but sometimes a pest of faba bean and other pulses, the bertha armyworm is a significant eater of crop yield in Canada. For this episode of the Pests & Predators podcast, brought to you by Field Heroes powered by the Western Grains Research Foundation, host Shaun Haney discusses a fascinating… Read More
If your idea of a beneficial insect is one that sits back and waits for dinner to crawl on by, you’ve likely never heard about the secret lives of lacewings. Green lacewings are nothing short of ferocious, and, as Dr. Tyler Wist of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada explains, they’re more like aphid-hunting lions than laid-back… Read More
Can you tell an armyworm from a hover fly larva? What about a helpful pirate bug from a lygus? The trouble with insect identification is that it’s actually incredibly difficult, especially when you’re looking for adults but find nymphs, or are nervous about a pest species and a look-alike pops up. John Gavolski, entomologist with… Read More
Mitigating pests will always be a top priority for many, but how much of a role can Mother Nature play in that process? In our season premiere of the Pests & Predators podcast, we’ll be talking about the relationship between unwanted pests and insects. This time we’re adding in a third element: weather. Host Shaun… Read More
The University of Saskatchewan has launched the Insect Research Facility (USIRF), the first of its kind at a western Canadian university. The new facility will also be one of only a few facilities in Canada specifically designed to conduct research on arthropod plant pests and beneficial insects. Funding for the design and construction of USIRF… Read More