Despite spring weather dividing the province of Saskatchewan in two, one thing that remains consistent across the entire province is flea beetle damage in canola crops. This, along with late spring frosts and dry conditions in the west, means some farmers haven’t put their seeders away just yet. Matthew Struthers is a crop extension specialist… Read More
Category: Flea Beetles
Validating economic thresholds for flea beetles can be tricky — especially when we know the damage the insect can do to the canola crop. Héctor Cárcamo, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at Lethbridge, Alta., recently completed a study that confirms an economic threshold. The team at AAFC found that 25 per cent… Read More
When it comes to seeding depth of canola, there are many different opinions and recommendations out there. While there may not be a right or wrong answer — did you know you can potentially mitigate flea beetle pressure through seeding depth? Flea beetles can be one of the most detrimental insect when it comes to… Read More
On this episode of The Agronomists we’ve brought in two guests who know all there is to know about the pesky pests that seem to inevitably find their way into your crops. We are talking about the infamous wireworm, flea beetles that can wreak havoc on canola crops, and cutworms that, let’s face it, are… Read More
Flea beetles are a common insect pest in early growing canola across the Prairies. There are two important species of concern for canola (and mustard) growers: the striped flea beetle and the crucifer flea beetle. “The feeding is indistinguishable, but the striped flea beetle comes up earlier,” says James Tansey, provincial entomologist with Saskatchewan Ministry… Read More
Some insect pests overwinter in or near fields, while others blow in later in the season. For those that overwinter, early scouting is especially important. Following a relatively mild winter, some insect pests are making the most of dry conditions on many parts of the Prairies and are beginning to emerge and feed. For this… Read More
The organizations representing Canadian canola growers and the canola industry are welcoming a pair of Health Canada decisions regarding two active ingredients found in seed treatments for canola and other crops. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) released its final decisions following special reviews of the impact of clothianidin and thiamethoxam on aquatic insects… Read More
It’s been a challenging year on many fronts, but here we are, yet again, gearing up for the new season. And that’s exciting! Rootworm, western bean cutworm, and flea beetles are just a few of the insects that are on the watch list for Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist with OMAFRA. James Tansey, entomologist with… Read More
Weed control questions, millipede feeding, and a crusting quandary — it must be early June! This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word is a little longer than usual because there is just so much going on and so many great questions rolling in. Host Peter Johnson has got the answers this week to everything from tufted vetch… Read More
What’s bugging your crop? (See what we did there?) Scott Meers, independent agronomist and founder of Mayland Ag Consulting joins RealAg LIVE! host Shaun Haney for an informative and fun chat all about counting bugs. Well, not really. Also not all insects are bugs. Scott would want us to say that. Check out the video… Read More