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“The little worm gets inside the root and injects something into the vascular tissue of the plant. This actually changes the biology of those plant cells and they start producing food for the nematode. It’s fascinating.” – Greg Tylka, Iowa State University.
Crops, Oilseeds, Pulses

SCN: The new tough guy on the block

Soybean cyst nematode’s survival mechanisms make it difficult to monitor and control

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Soybeans arrived in Manitoba in the early 20th century, but it took another 100 years for them to become a major crop. Now, almost two decades into the 21st century, an old enemy from the homeland has finally followed. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is already a serious pest in the soybean belt of the American Midwest. It is
“Don’t be happy to have one set of resistance genetics available for your farmers. Keep working to develop that second one because that first one will eventually wear out.” – Greg Tylka, Iowa State University.
Crops, Oilseeds, Pulses

Tracing roots for a strategy against soybean cyst nematode

How soybean ancestors helped scientists tease out SCN resistance

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If there’s an answer to soybean cyst nematode, it may lie in the soybean family tree. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has been a tough problem since it first appeared in North America back in the 1950s. It’s a soil-bound pest so it can’t be sprayed. Instead, the solution must be found through biology—finding a weak
Clumps of grasshoppers, killed by a fungus, are scattered throughout a field.
Crops, News

Weird pest phenomena a boon for farmers

They might sound creepy, but aphid ‘mummies’ and ‘summit disease’ are signs friendly fungi, insects are at hand

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For once, it’s not a bad thing if the mummy returns – unless you’re an aphid. In 2022, pea aphids plagued many Manitoba farmers, said John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. Aphids on soybeans also hit economic levels, particularly in the central, east and Interlake regions. “Some people were caught in a dilemma,” Gavloski told
A trap crop could lure the pests into a spot where they can be more readily managed.
Crops, News

Pea leaf weevil a tough pest to control

Uneven emergence and unpredictable life cycle make it a worthy opponent

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The pea leaf weevil has a biology that’s a real pain in the anatomy when growing field peas or faba beans. Whatever the management strategy, the beetle shrugs and walks away pretty much unscathed. Agriculture Canada entomologist Meghan Vankosky in Saskatoon has spent the last few years looking at the weevil’s biology to find a
“It is an ongoing process, and we want to make sure that we’re continually monitoring and applying those mitigation strategies to control the pests.” – Brent McCallum.
Crops, News

Group brings many viewpoints together in pest battle

Prairie Biovigilance Network promises proactive approach to managing weeds, insects and disease

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A new Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) initiative takes a holistic approach to agricultural pest management. The Prairie Biovigilance Network comprises a group of experts in plant pathology, entomology, weed science, economics and agronomy that is led by AAFC research scientist Brent McCallum, who works from the Morden Research and Development Centre. He said biovigilance
Grasshopper eggs.
Crops, News

Don’t count your silver linings before they’re hatched

Cool, wet conditions may slow grasshopper emergence, but it’s unlikely to make a dent in this year’s populations

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Farmers who think they might get a reprieve from the grasshopper problems they’ve had in recent years, because of the excessive rainfall in April and May, may need to temper those expectations, warns Manitoba Agriculture entomologist, John Gavloski. “A lot of people make the assumption that if there’s a lot of standing water in the
Cereal leaf beetle larvae may leave long, white streaks on cereals, forage grasses and some grassy weeds.
Crops

AAFC wants your cereal leaf beetles

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has put out a call for samples to monitor biocontrol on the insect

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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is asking farmers to keep an eye out for feeding damage and “shiny, slug-like creatures” on cereals, potential markers of cereal leaf beetle larvae.  “We need samples to monitor the biocontrol insect that kills this pest,” said Dr. Haley Catton. If found, AAFC is asking farmers to send them samples
Flea beetles.
Crops, News, Other

The four horsemen of the crop-pocalypse

Three of the big four crop pests could be poised for a comeback in the coming season

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Four pests caused the most problems last season, and given the right spring conditions, three are poised to return. That’s according to John Gavoloski, provincial entomologist, who says farmers should head into spring watching the weather and with their eyes open. “If I had to predict which three pests farmers could be at a higher
Flea beetle is one of the pests a Manitoba researcher is targeting with biotechnology.
Crops, News

Targeting your crop enemies

Is the future of crop protection environmentally friendly biotechnology?

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So far biotechnology in agriculture has driven the use of crop protection products through genetically engineered herbicide resistance. But the next wave could displace at least some of those applications by opening up another front in the war on two familiar canola concerns — sclerotinia and flea beetle. Mark Belmonte, a professor of biological science
Cabbage seedpod weevil.
Crops, News

What’s bugging you?

These three beetles are the latest addition to the pest spectrum in Manitoba

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Manitoba farmers have, in recent years, found themselves hosts to three new uninvited guests. That was the message from John Gavloski, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development entomologist, to the Ag in Motion Discovery Plus virtual farm show this summer. He said all three of these new pests are types of beetle, and all three first

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