Both made the highlight reel for the most serious pest damage in the province, according to a seasonal summary released by Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development in early November.

In both cases, it’s a continuation of a multi-year trend that has seen pressure for those pest species on the rise.

Why it matters: Pest pressure can carry over from season to season, making a seasonal summary a valuable tool.

Flea beetle populations have been “chronically high” in the last few years, according to provincial entomologist John Gavloski.

“At this point, there’s really no hint of that trend going down,” he said.

Producers reported that seed treatments — the go-to first line of defence for flea beetles — were not making the cut this spring. Feeding damage delayed crops already stressed by spring conditions, while some areas reported stem feeding.

Foliar control became a common theme in patches across the province, both on field edges and full-field application. Some producers had to jump into the sprayer cab as many as four times, the summary noted.

Reseeding was reported in the northwest, Interlake and eastern Manitoba. In early June, an estimate out of eastern Manitoba suggested that 10 to 15 per cent of canola acres had been resown.

The issue also was not limited to the spring. Agronomists and farmers noted late-season flea beetle feeding on podded canola, leading to yet more foliar insecticide passes in August.

Part of the issue, Gavloski said, might just be the sheer amount of canola available for flea beetles to munch.

The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) reported over 3.37 million acres of canola last year.

There has been predation and parasitism, Gavloski noted, “although not to the point where growers can ease up… they definitely have to still be on their guards for flea beetles.”

No dice with Mother Nature

Weather was also stacking the odds against canola this spring.

Dry soil and wildly fluctuating temperatures stalled growth and ran out the seed treatment clock, since flea beetle management relies heavily on the hopes of growing canola past its vulnerable stage before the effective treatment window runs out.

“Really, the key is getting the plants to the point where they have at least three or four true leaves quickly,” Gavloski said.

If germination is slow or if crops stall at the early-seedling stage, as seen in some fields this year, flea beetle risk goes up.

In addition, plants were shocked by a wild see-saw of temperatures in the early season, with forecasts swinging from frost warnings to significant heat in the space of a week.

“When you look at that type of stress on the crop, you can’t lay blame on the plant, the seed treatment, nothing,” Justine Cornelsen, agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada said. “Mother Nature just threw the biggest curveball at canola… ”

No-win scenario

It is often the early-seeded canola hit hardest in recent years, Cornelsen noted, leaving some producers to push seeding back in the hopes of better conditions and quicker growth. Some producers opted for that strategy this spring.

“The strategy of seeding a bit later into a bit warmer soil and, if possible, into moisture, some years that can work quite successfully,” Gavloski said. “What didn’t happen this year was the soil moisture part.

“The growers were doing all the right things, but they didn’t get co-operation from the weather,” he added.

In contrast to the trend in recent years, however, Cornelsen noted that early-seeded canola this year might have been further along and better able to handle the extreme temperature swing.

Seed treatments were also less effective this year, Cornelsen noted. Products require water to move through the plant, she said, and there was little available.

“There was a lot of blame placed on seed treatments this year,” she said. “where, in all reality, it was like you were growing an untreated variety, just based on the conditions. The treatments just were not able to be taken up into the plant to be useful.”

Considering Manitoba’s recent history with flea beetles, Gavloski urged producers to scout and, on top of seed treatments, “anticipate that, at least in some years, a foliar insecticide application may be needed… ”

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers, likewise, have been on the rise in recent years.

Some canola fields also saw spraying for grasshoppers from mid-June to late August this year, sometimes linked to the pests moving in from nearby forage land.

The pests were noted in a range of crop fields this year, ranging from flax to dry beans, soybeans and hemp.

Perhaps the most talked about damage, however, came from forages. Livestock producers noted worrying levels of grasshopper damage in hayfields and pastures, not least of which because drought had made grazing and hay in short supply in many of those same areas.

“It’s a combination of a couple of things happening,” Gavloski said. “One, the grasshopper populations have been climbing the last few years, and that’s partially because of the hot, dry summers we’ve been having.”

Under those conditions, grasshoppers are also left with less naturally occurring food in places like ditches, increasing the incentive to feed on crops, Gavloski noted.

Drought-stressed crops also have limited ability to compensate for feeding damage, he said.

Management

Gavloski urged producers to keep a sharp eye out for pest grasshoppers next year starting in early June.

Field edges are typically hot spots for those insects, he said, or “anywhere where there was a lot of lush, green vegetation in August and September the previous season.”

“That’s often where you get the higher hatch occurring,” he said.

In some cases, control may only be needed at the field edge, while other fields may have a more uniform population through the field.

Producers dealing with grasshoppers in a pasture, meanwhile, might want to consider laying down insecticide in strips. Gavloski pointed to research out of the University of Wyoming, which indicates that strip treatment gave almost as much control, and much less cost, of spraying the whole pasture.

As well as grasshoppers and flea beetles, the province saw some patches of diamondback moth, alfalfa weevil and aphids, among others, the pest summary noted.

The post Grasshoppers and flea beetle key pests of 2021 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

At the top of the list are flea beetles, cutworms and grasshoppers, according to Manitoba’s provincial entomologist, John Gavloski.

Speaking at the recent Manitoba Agronomists Conference in Winnipeg, Gavloski said these three pests were of major concern in Manitoba in 2019, and army worms and thistle caterpillar also had a number of significant localized populations that prompted producers to spray in some areas.

Flea beetles on canola

Most canola seed is treated with some form of neonicotinoid, which gives approximately three weeks of protection, but a number of producers last year, who were concerned about flea beetles based on previous years’ experience, seeded their canola later, into mid-May, to try and reduce the risk for flea beetles.

“It’s not a bad strategy. In some years, that can work quite successfully, but it didn’t work that well for many producers this last season because after seeding, the seed wasn’t germinating because of the dry conditions, or the seed was germinating and just sitting in that cotyledon stage for weeks,” says Gavloski. “Some people who, in addition to the neonicotinoids, had enhanced seed treatments like a Lumiderm on the seed, still ended up doing foliar spray.”

Some producers also had to reseed because of flea beetle injury. “I had people call me saying that they had reseeded and ended up spraying the reseeded canola for flea beetles, something that doesn’t usually happen,” said Gavloski.

Some producers with extreme flea beetle issues sprayed up to five times, but many producers had to spray more than once, so flea beetles were definitely a major problem this past year, largely because weather conditions were conducive.

“Anything that keeps the seedlings in that seedling stage for a prolonged period of time is going to increase the risk and that’s what happened this past year,” said Gavloski.

Although delayed seeding last year wasn’t effective to reduce flea beetle risk in many cases, numerous studies in Canada and the United States have shown it can be an effective tool to avoid flea beetle damage.

“The big factor is, anything that gets you from the time you seed to the three- to four-leaf stage quickly is going to help reduce the risk,” said Gavloski. “Some years, seeding later can help, but other years it’s just not going to do it.”

A number of cultural controls can be effective in reducing the risk for flea beetles, including seeding as shallow as available moisture allows, direct seeding and increasing seeding rate.

“Anything that you can do again to get quick germination, so you want to seed into moisture and if you can seed shallower, you might get quicker germination and quicker early growth that certainly can help,” said Gavloski. “A study done in Alberta looked at flea beetle damage in flax direct seeded into stubble versus plots that were worked up. They got less flea beetle feeding when there was some stubble, potentially because flea beetles like an open, hot, dry environment to feed in, so they’re more attracted to the open areas where there was no stubble than to plots where there was stubble.”

Increasing seeding rate provides more cotyledons for the same number of flea beetles to feed on, so it spreads the damage out more, added Gavloski.

Cutworms

Cutworms were widespread across Manitoba in 2019 and again, producers did a lot of spraying and reseeding in some cases. Cutworms are not restricted to any particular commodity, and affected canola, sunflowers, corn and soybeans among other crops.

Different species of cutworm meant that producers were dealing with this pest on an ongoing basis from early spring to early summer.

“We had two main species; the dingy cutworm, which overwinters as a partially grown larvae, which is there feeding on seedlings as they’re coming up in the spring, and redback cutworm, which overwinters as an egg, so you usually don’t start noticing them until late May, early June,” said Gavloski.

In a few cases there was also a third species – pale western cutworm – which does most of its feeding below ground and rarely comes above ground.

“The dingy cutworm and redback cutworm you can kill with an insecticide quite easily; the pale western cutworm is hit and miss,” said Gavloski. “Some people were telling me they were spraying and not really getting good results. The pale western might be one reason for that, but there could be other reasons too depending on when they were checking for them and when they were sprayed.”

Some commodities can compensate for cutworm feeding better than others.

“One that can compensate somewhat is canola,” said Gavloski, citing a study at the University of Manitoba that found there’s not a direct correlation between plants lost due to cutworms and yield loss. “The remaining plants are able to fill in, produce more pods, more seeds per pod and heavier seeds, so don’t make the assumption that if you lose 10 per cent of your plants, that’s 10 per cent yield loss.”

Gavloski recommends that producers use acceptable plant stand counts to help with cutworm decision-making in a crop like canola where there are some compensatory capabilities.

Forecasting the likelihood of cutworm problems in 2021 is tricky because there are multiple species and they are not easy to monitor. There are pheromones available for traps but no one knows how to properly interpret the data from them.

“We really don’t know what 300 cutworms in a trap in the fall means,” said Gavloski. “People have tested it, tried to figure out what it means, but the data was not good, there was too much variability. So, we don’t use pheromone traps to try and do any kind of predictions.”

The best advice Gavloski can offer to producers is to watch their fields in the spring. Based on what happened last year, the way cutworm cycles usually work is they build up, are bad for three to four years and then the curve goes the other way.

“That’s if you’ve got natural enemies that are regulating populations,” said Gavloski. “We had a really bad year last year. I’m hoping that we’re peaking and are going to go down the other side of the curve, but I would say be vigilant for cutworms for at least another year or so.”
Natural enemies that can help control cutworm population include parasitoids such as parasitic wasps, bee flies and tachinid flies, as well as predators like ground beetles and some fungal pathogens.

Grasshoppers

Again, with grasshoppers, there are multiple species and two of the most dominant in 2019 were the two-striped and migratory grasshoppers. The population of grasshoppers has been building consecutively for three years, which has coincided with three drier-than-normal years, conditions that favour grasshopper populations.

“When we get these periods of extended hot, dry summers, consecutively, it tends to build the grasshopper population up,” said Gavloski. “Going into next year, a lot will probably depend on the weather. If we get another hot, dry summer, anticipate some additional grasshopper issues.”

Many producers are asking, with the late rains and early snowfall across most of Manitoba this past fall, has that helped to kill off grasshopper populations, but Gavloski says probably not.

“Grasshoppers all overwinter as eggs and eggs are very resilient,” he said. “Grasshopper eggs can handle flooding well, so with the heavy rain in October and the early snow there might have been fewer eggs laid because if you don’t have nice sunny days, the grasshoppers are less active, but the eggs that are in the ground are likely going to make it through.”

It needs to get to around -15 C where the grasshopper eggs are in the soil, an inch or two down, Gavloski said, and if that doesn’t happen, there won’t be much winterkill. “Grasshopper eggs are often in ditches, and areas where snow accumulates, so don’t count on winterkill for grasshoppers,” he said.

Similarly, heavy rains in April and early May won’t likely provide much control either, although if heavy rains came in June it could decimate a grasshopper population, so it all depends on when the rains come next year.

Gavloski recommends producers consider management techniques that minimize harm to grasshopper predators and parasites, such as bee fly larvae, blister beetles, ground beetles and field crickets.

Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development’s website says,’Preserving natural enemies by only using insecticides based on threshold guidelines is an important component of managing grasshoppers. When only low levels of grasshoppers are present, broad-spectrum insecticide applications can do more harm than good by reducing the number of natural enemies, which leaves grasshopper populations free to increase without natural population checks.’

Other cultural controls include seeding early and choosing vigorous crops that develop rapidly before the grasshopper eggs hatch, which will tolerate feeding better than later-seeded crops. Crops that are less preferred such as peas and oats can be used as guard stripe around more preferred broadleaf crops like canola, sunflowers and soybeans.

When insecticides are necessary, spraying the crop margin or border area surrounding the crop may be adequate, and insecticides with long residual activity is most effective, particularly if not all the eggs have finished hatching.

Insecticide applications are most effective when applied after the eggs hatch and while the nymphs are in the third to fourth nymph stage and still concentrated in their breeding areas. The lowest dosage given on the insecticide label should be used when the grasshoppers are small and the vegetative cover is low.

If a crop or vegetation outside the field contains flowering plants, it’s best to apply insecticides that are not harmful to pollinators either prior, after flowering, or as late in the day as possible, and only if needed. Most insecticides registered for grasshoppers in Canada are broad spectrum and harmful to pollinators, the exceptions being chlorantraniliprole (Coragen) and the bran baits Eco Bran and Nolo Bait.

Grasshopper bran baits are a good alternative to foliar sprays where practical. They are low cost and do not harm pollinators or most beneficial insects. The bait can be spread by application equipment designed to spread granular herbicides or seeds.

Thistle caterpillars

The thistle caterpillar is a butterfly that migrates from the southern U.S. and Mexico. Gavloski usually refers to thistle caterpillar as a one in 10-year problem, but it seems to be bucking the trend all of a sudden.

“About every 10 years on average, we have an issue with thistle caterpillar,” he said. “It’s been an exception recently; we’ve had two bad years in the last five years so that seems to be out of the norm. Last year, was probably the worst that we’ve seen in quite some time.”

Thistle caterpillar is mainly a problem in soybean and sunflowers, as well as weeds and thistles. Soybeans can compensate for defoliation, so in most years, Gavloski advises holding off spraying to determine how bad it gets.

“Usually the soybeans do compensate quite well from thistle caterpillar defoliation,” he said. “The problem this year in some of the areas, drought also factored in, so we had thistle caterpillars on small plants, there was a lot of defoliation and the plants just weren’t able to grow and compensate the way a growing soybean plant would be able to. So, the thistle caterpillar combined with the dry conditions created some economic issues this year.”

Natural predators for thistle caterpillar include tachinid flies which look like large houseflies with hairy, bristly tips to their abdomen.

“When you go out into any kind of crop in June and July and your sweep net is full of these flies, that’s good news, you want them around,” said Gavloski.

Will thistle caterpillars be an issue in 2020?

That’s hard to predict, said Gavloski, because they purposefully migrate and it depends on what the populations are like where they overwinter, mainly in California, Arizona and Mexico.

“We usually don’t get two bad, back-to-back years, they are usually a one in 10-year problem, so it all depends on if they migrate in or not,” said Gavloski.

There are no insecticides registered in Canada for controlling thistle caterpillars.

Army worms

Army worms, sometimes called cereal army worm or true army worm, don’t overwinter well in Manitoba, but the adult moths blow in from the southern U.S., so it’s hit or miss whether or not Manitoba gets a significant population or not.

Last year they blew in mainly in the eastern part of Manitoba, into the southern Interlake and down towards Carman and Morden, so there were economical populations, but it was regional.

Control of army worms starts with biological controls.

“We had lots of army worms in late June or July and by mid- to late July, I was getting a lot of phone calls and emails with pictures of eggs all over wheat heads and oats,” said Gavloski. “They weren’t eggs, they were pupal clusters of a wasp called Cotesia that are natural parasitoids. Each of these wasps will lay anywhere from 20 to 60 eggs in an individual caterpillar.”

Tachinid flies are another parasitoid of army worms, and producers when they scout should look out for their eggs on army worms. “If you start seeing caterpillars with white little eggs behind the head, good chance those are tachinid eggs, that’s a good thing too,” said Gavloski.

Other predators are ground beetles and rove beetles, and for cultural controls, destroying grassy weeds, one to two weeks before seeding, will minimize the risk of attracting egg-laying moths and subsequent infestations.

The post Year in review: Keep an eye out for these critters in 2020 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“We’re extremely dry,” said Brunel, who farms 6,500 acres of cropland. “We haven’t seen any significant rain all summer.”

Brunel said his hay is yielding about half a bale per acre. In his area, if you get a bale per acre “you’ve done well.” He added that some of his crops may be in crop insurance territory. His crop yields have likewise been disappointing.

“We haven’t been this dry since the ’80s,” Brunel said.

Dry conditions have persisted in the province for about three years now, but while some might be tempted to point to climate change, the explanation isn’t that simple.

“A shift from wet to dry doesn’t mean climate change,” said Paul Bullock, professor of soil science and agro-meteorology at the University of Manitoba. “You have to look much more long term to determine climate change.”

From 2005 to 2016, Manitoba had a series of wet years said Bullock. This has just shifted in the last three years.

Bullock said a “climate period” is considered 30 years — a long enough data period to even out the highs and lows.

To determine climate change, he looks at averages from the last climate period (1981 to 2011) and compares them to the previous (1950 to 1980).

Based on that data, Canada is warming, said Bullock — at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Oddly, it’s the overnight lows that are climbing, not daytime temperatures. Winters have also warmed more than summers.

Bullock also cautioned that the Prairies are a big place, and the dryness has not been consistent across them. His family’s farm, on the Saskatchewan side of Lloydminster, has actually seen a wet spell this year. Sections of northern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan have also been wet, said Bullock.

“It’s always more complex than people normally think about,” he said.

Variable yields

Within Manitoba, conditions have also been variable.

“It’s been kind of an interesting year,” said Anastasia Kubinec, manager of crop industry development at Manitoba Agriculture.

Kubinec said most areas had good moisture levels going into the spring — better than 2018 — but a cool, dry May and June resulted in some poor germination for small-seeded crops like canola. Frost further hampered progress.

The central portion of agro-Manitoba got rain in June and July, which was a “huge reprieve,” said Kubinec. July was hot, and August has been sufficiently warm that many crops are advancing normally.

However, the Interlake and west-lake area along the east side of Riding Mountain National Park have seen a prolonged dry spell. Kubinec said she’s seeing poor crop establishment, shorter crops, and crops drying down faster.

“Is it a disaster? No it’s not,” said Bruce Burnett, director of weather and markets information at Glacier FarmMedia.

Burnett said yields will be quite variable. In general, cereals are in decent shape due to more moisture at planting. Canola has seen issues from dryness, and lower yields are to be expected. Manitoba has planted a lot of corn this year which could use rain over the next month to fill properly, he said.

Pastures suffering

Kubinec said pastures in some areas have been better than in 2018, due in part to some farmers reseeding pastures to rejuvenate them.

“It’s done quite well,” said Kubinec.

This renewal hasn’t extended to the Interlake, said Kubinec.

Burnett said pastures have been poor across the province largely because they depend on early rains, which didn’t come.

“They never recovered,” he said.

With hay yields down, “it’s going to be a very tight situation,” said Burnett.

West of the lake, Brunel said he’s seen people selling standing wheat for silage, and has heard talk of selling soybeans for silage also.

Burnett said dry conditions in more cattle-heavy regions may increase abandonment of cereals to be cut for silage. Likely not enough to notice statistically, he said.

Kubinec said more producers are looking at relay cropping, intercropping and cover cropping to adapt to dry conditions. She’s also seen more producers cutting sloughs and ditches for hay.

Grasshoppers surge

In Brunel’s area, grasshoppers have put further pressure on forage and pasture.

“Pastures have been devastated in the area,” he said. Brunel added that while he hasn’t had to spray for them, he’s seen grasshoppers eating canola and soybeans.

Grasshopper levels are the highest in the last decade, said John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. After low to moderate levels for a decade, dry conditions have helped the flourish.

Gavloski noted he’s seen “fairly widespread” grasshopper damage, though he’s seen much worse years in the late ’90s.

While a fourth dry year may increase populations further, Gavloski said grasshoppers’ natural predators may also rise. He said he’s seen more bee flies and blister beetles, which feed off grasshopper egg pods.

If Manitoba gets a lot of cool, wet weather in late August and early September when grasshoppers are laying eggs, this may slow them down for next year.

Manitoba still has two months of growing season left, said Kubinec. If there’s a wet September and lots of snow over winter, things could be different next year.

Brunel agreed that it’s too early to predict next year, adding he’s not sure how much fall tillage he’ll do. The ground may be too hard and dry.

Too soon to say?

According to the most recent Manitoba Agriculture crop report available at press time (the August 13 edition):

• Less than 10 per cent of the crop is off.
• The majority of that is winter wheat and fall rye.
• So far yields for those appear, across the province, to be near average.
• Early barley and oat yields so far look above average.

Last year at the same time:

• The harvest was 16 per cent completed at the same date.
• Even then it was the third full week of August before consistent reports of peas, spring wheat and barley appeared.
• That will likely be similar this year, or slightly delayed.
• Canola will take even longer, likely until the fourth week of August.
• Due to the patchy nature of moisture this growing season, isolated reports aren’t necessarily

The post Dry conditions impacting crop yields for some Manitoba farmers appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“Right now, there’s pockets in the province that do have some very high levels of grasshoppers,” provincial entomologist John Gavloski said. “There’s quite a bit of edge spraying going on where people are trying to control the populations around their field edges. There is some whole field spraying going on as well, but most of it is, right now, edge spraying.”

Why it matters: Grasshopper populations have been climbing in the last three years, but not all grasshoppers are equal and even different pest species may be a threat to different crops.

That may change as insects mature and become capable of flight and therefore more mobile, he added. The two-striped grasshopper will be anywhere between the third and fifth instar as of early July, Gavloski said, although another pest species, migratory grasshopper, seems to be further ahead.

Some non-pest species mature more quickly than the two-striped grasshopper, and should not be confused.

Farmers have had to spray in grasshopper “hot spots,” the province’s insect and disease report said July 11.

The pests have taken a chunk out of the already stressed hay crops in the northwest and Interlake. The July 9 provincial crop report noted both grasshopper and alfalfa weevil damage across both regions.

In early July, producers in the northern Interlake expressed concern that grasshopper damage would chip away at what little first cut they expected.

“All you’re left with is a stem,” producer Arden Weigelt of Moosehorn said in late June.

The region was beset by poor growing conditions and little rainfall in the first part of the season and many pastures were “just hanging on,” the province reported July 9.

The eastern part of central Manitoba has also taken a hit. Some fields had seen economic thresholds and were being sprayed, the province said, while forage stands got a double hit of grasshopper and alfalfa weevil, much like regions farther north.

Haying in the east forced grasshoppers into neighbouring annual crops, the report went on. Grasshoppers were noted in cereal crops in the region.

The two-striped grasshopper has caused the most problems this year.

Gavloski counts three pest grasshopper species out of over 80 kinds of grasshopper and katydid present in the province. Both two-striped and migratory grasshopper are threats to crop, he said, along with the clear-winged grasshopper.

“It’s really not a great name because the wing that you see when they’re sitting with the wings folded is the forewing, which actually has some big black dots on it,” he said. “The clear wing is actually the hind wing, which gets covered by the forewing when they’re seated.”

Clear-winged grasshoppers tend to target grass and cereals, while migratory and two- striped grasshopper have a more varied diet, he said. Two-striped grasshopper prefers broadleaf crops, Gavloski added, although it will feed on grasses and cereals as well.

Name that hopper

Only three grasshopper species are a true threat to crops and even those different species may be more of a threat to some crops than others, according to the province. Here’s what to watch out for:

Migratory grasshopper

• Black mask-like markings behind the head on both juvenile and adult;
  “V” markings on leg;
• Rectangular markings on wing when seated.

Two-striped grasshopper

• Light stripes from head to wing in adults;
• Dark stripes on thorax in juveniles;
• Slightly larger than migratory grasshopper;
• Dark leg band in both juvenile and adult.

Clear-winged grasshopper

• Dark dots on wing when seated;
• Clear hind wing.

The post Young grasshoppers’ patience rewarded appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

If you’re seeing plenty of grasshoppers in your fields, you’re likely far from alone. John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, said at the Crop Diagnostic School on July 9 that populations have been on the increase for about three years. So, what action should you take if you see these hungry pests eating your crop?

In this video, Gavloski offers some of the strategies Manitoba producers are using this year to control grasshoppers and one spray study in the U.S. that allowed farmers to reduce their spray costs and still get 80-90 per cent effective control.

The post VIDEO: How to treat grasshoppers that have made the jump to your fields appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The good news is they aren’t much interested in ripe cereal and canola crops, soybeans aren’t their preferred food and corn has so much leaf area it can withstand high populations, says Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski.

“It’s not an outbreak,” Gavloski said in an interview Aug. 14. “There’s localized spraying going on. A lot of it is around field edges, but there have been some whole fields (sprayed). It’s localized where people are doing a bit of spraying. It’s not widespread.”

A lot of cereal and canola crops are being harvested, as well as ditches cut for hay, and that has grasshoppers looking for new food sources — preferably vegetation that’s lush and green.

Often grasshoppers will be more plentiful on field edges after moving in from ditches, Gavloski said.

“Don’t make the assumption that what you see in the first 10 or 15 feet into the field is what the whole field is like,” he said. “It may be quite different. In a lot of cases if people do have a heavier population they can get away with just doing an edge spray.

“If they seem to be focusing on the vegetation outside the field if it stays lush enough they may not even move in (to the field). If they do move, is it an edge effect or more widespread?

“Soybeans aren’t their favourite food. They’ve got a lot of other things they’d rather feed on.”

There are reports of grasshoppers in alfalfa. If they overwintered there as eggs, populations could be higher than if they have moved in from ditches, Gavloski said.

“You should keep an eye on it,” he said.

One option is to cut the alfalfa if it’s at the right stage for making hay.

“They shouldn’t hang around too long after a cut because the food quality is all of a sudden going down hill,” Gavloski said. “Especially this time of year they are going to be adults and mobile. They should move out after the field has been cut.”

The economic threshold for spraying grasshoppers in field crops, including alfalfa, is a bit vague at around eight to 12 per square metre, Gavloski said. The tougher part is estimating their numbers.

“It is a hard thing to assess because you’re walking and things are jumping and you’re supposed to be estimating numbers,” he said.

If farmers do spray crops to control grasshoppers they need to adhere to the insecticide label’s pre-harvest interval. That can range from as little as one day to several weeks.

“When you get to this time of year there becomes very few (insecticide) options in some crops,” Gavloski said.

Grasshoppers, which are in the adult stage are harder to kill now too.

Because they can fly they are more spread out.

The best time to scout and control grasshoppers is between June 20 and July 20 after most eggs have hatched, but the grasshoppers are still juveniles and concentrated in ditches and field edges, he said.

Dry, warm weather is ideal for grasshopper egg laying. That could mean lots of grasshoppers again in 2019, but not necessarily, Gavloski said.

“If we get some very, very heavy rains in late May or early June that can really knock the grasshopper population back,” he said.

Gavloski conducts an annual survey of grasshopper egg laying in the fall and publishes the results early in the new year.

“There are no guarantees, but we try to provide some sort of forecast based on these late-summer populations, more to just make sure people are out there scouting in June the following year,” Gavloski said.

The post Grasshoppers are on the move appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus

There was a report of spring wheat suspected to be infected with Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) near Wawanesa. The disease is showing up in patches in the field and dead winter wheat is evident in the same areas. The field was winter wheat in 2015 and soybeans in 2016. It is suspected that a flush of winter wheat volunteers emerged post-harvest last year. The key management technique for WSMV is breaking the green bridge. Ideally this mean making sure winter wheat does not emerge in the fall until after nearby spring wheat has ripened/been desiccated. This virus is spread by wheat curl mite that travels to nearby fields on wind currents. If you have a spring wheat field that is bordering a winter wheat field, be sure to check for WSMV.

Fusarium Head Blight Risk Maps

Winter wheat in the province is nearing or at the heading stage. The first Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) risk map for the season was produced today and is posted on the FHB Risk Map site. Maps will be posted on a daily basis (Monday to Friday) until the end of the spring wheat flowering period. Wheat is most susceptible to FHB infection during anthesis. The maps should be used as a guide as local conditions can vary and infection depends on the crop being at the susceptible stage.

Flea beetles

There continues to be some foliar insecticide applications for flea beetles.

A reminder that once canola gets into the 3 to 4 leaf stage it can usually compensate well for flea beetle feeding.

Flea beetles will feed more aggressively on hot, calm days.

If it has been greater than 3 weeks since seeding, and your canola is still not at the 3 to 4 leaf stage, do scout canola fields for flea beetle feeding. The nominal threshold suggested is if greater than about 25% of the plant tissue is damaged, and flea beetles are still actively feeding, and the crop is not yet at the 3 to 4 leaf stage, then there is reasonable odds an insecticide application would be economical.

Remember that if using a pyrethroid insecticide for flea beetle control that this group of chemistry has temperature restriction – check the labels or the Guide to Crop Protection.

Cutworms

There continues to be some localized insecticide applications for cutworms.

Dingy cutworms will often remove plant tissue, but do less clipping than some other species. They feed at night, and are hidden during the day. So if you are seeing defoliation but no insect activity, dig around affected plants to see if dingy cutworms are the cause.

Dingy cutworms are turning to pupae, a non-feeding stage, in some fields.

Grasshoppers

There are 3 main grasshopper species in Manitoba that potentially can be pests, and many others that never get to pest levels.

Hatch has started for the potential pest species, but numbers are currently low.

Any grasshopper that is large this time of year is not a potential pest species. Those large grasshoppers you may see while hiking this time of year, that click as they fly away, are not potential pest species.

A good general guideline is that about 10 days after the lilacs are flowering, the egg hatch for our pest species of grasshoppers has begun. In a study in Montana, a comparison was made between the phenological phase dates of purple common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) and Zabeli honeysuckle, and 6 common species of rangeland grasshopper. Results indicated that spring hatch (75% of first instar) occurred about 10 days after the begin bloom phase of purple common lilac. Peak occurrence of grasshoppers for instar 2 coincided, on average, with the end bloom phase of Zabeli honeysuckle, whereas peak instar 3 occurred about 10 days later. About 75% adult stage occurred about 14 days after red berries first appeared on Zabeli honeysuckle (Journal of Range Management. 1991: 583-587). So when the grasshoppers are smaller and harder to scout and stage, some botanical observations may help.

Agronomists, Farmers, Farm Production Extension Specialists, Extension coordinators, and others scouting crops: Please remember to send in reports of insects or plant diseases over the growing season so we can make these updates as complete as possible, and alert farmers and agronomists where and to what degree insects and pathogens are of concern or being controlled. Information can be sent to: John Gavloski (entomologist) at John.Gavloski@gov.mb.ca (phone: 204-750-0594) or Holly Derksen (plant pathologist) at Holly.Derksen@gov.mb.ca (phone: 204-750-4248).

Visit the insect pages on the Manitoba Agriculture website at www.gov.mb.ca.

Click here to view the complete Manitoba Insect & Disease Update on the Manitoba Agriculture website.

The post Wheat streak mosaic virus found in spring wheat, fusarium maps available appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Last week’s Our History item was from 1961, which had been driest ever on the Prairies, even drier than the 1930s. That dubious distinction ended in 1988, and our front-page story described crop conditions as “desperate.” The Red River Valley was particularly hard hit, with grasshoppers munching on what was left.

The word “desperate” also appeared in a story on U.S. crop conditions. The same drought affecting Canada had scorched the Dakotas and much of the Corn Belt.

We reported that some farmers were challenging changes to the Western Grain Stabilization Plan which was launched in 1976 as an insurance plan against low grain prices. Farmers who joined and made maximum contributions would have paid $9,925 in premiums but received $90,000 in benefits because of several years of low prices. The federal government had decided to write off $750 million of its deficit in the program, but some farmers who had chosen not to join argued that constituted a separate subsidy and that they should also receive a portion.

Another story said that scientists at Monsanto had “achieved a breakthrough in genetically modifying a soybean plant, which could, in the next decade, result in insect- and virus-resistant plants.” However, one scientist cautioned that this was “just an experimental result.”

The post Mobile phones of yesteryear and crops reach a “desperate” stage appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Generally, condition of most crop types is rated as good, although variability is noted across the province.

Majority of acres and crop types have entered the flowering and grain fill stages of development.

Although many areas did receive much needed rainfall, precipitation would still be welcomed in some areas.

Good weather conditions permitted producers to make good progress with haying operations.  Yields are average to below average with good quality being reported.

• Click here for the Crop Weather Report for the week ending July 12

Southwest Region

In the Southwest Region, warm and humid weather conditions prevailed most of the week. Majority of crops in the region are rated in good condition. However, moisture is becoming a limiting factor in some areas of the region. Scattered showers over the weekend brought moderate amounts of precipitation. Killarney, Inglis, Birtle, Erickson and north of Neepawa areas received 35 to 40 mm, and Carberry area reports 65 mm of rain. Pea-sized hail was also reported in some areas and resulted in localized crop damage.

Winter crops are in the grain fill stages of development and starting to turn. Most acres are rated as good with no major issues. Spring cereal crops continue to develop with more disease starting to develop on the flag leaf. Most producers have applied fungicide. There are reports of cereal armyworm in the southwest corner of the region.

Early seeded canola crops are in full flower, with later and reseeded fields starting to bolt. Some producers are looking at spraying for disease management in the later seeded crop. Bertha armyworm counts are a little higher from the previous weeks but still below the economic threshold level.

Sunflowers are in the early bud stage. No major issues are reported and the crop continues to grow rapidly with the excellent growing conditions.

Corn is also benefiting from the hot temperatures. Soybeans are at R2 stage of growth, which is full bloom. Some fields are showing moisture deficiency. Flax is flowering. Peas are flowering, with 20 to 30 per cent podding.

Producers continue with first cut haying operations and yields are average to below average. Recent rains will impact hay quality if crop was cut and not baled. Pastures have been impacted by the heat and lack of rain, and in some areas overgrazing. Dugouts are 70 to 75 per cent full.

Northwest Region

Scattered showers throughout most of the Northwest Region midweek and again over the weekend resulted in rainfall amounts ranging from 12 to 64 mm in the Roblin and Swan River areas. The rain was very welcome and will help for grain fill, as well as the late seeded and reseeded canola. Warm temperatures have also advanced crops along rapidly. Overall, crops are in good to fair condition in the Northwest Region; The Pas is the only area reporting some wheat and canola in excellent condition.

For winter wheat, 75 per cent of the crop is in the dough stage. Maturity on spring cereal crops ranges with 40 to 60 per cent heading out and 20 to 50 per cent in the milk stage. Cereal growth in some fields is stunted due to dry conditions and moisture is needed for grain fill.

Canola progressed rapidly this week with 90 per cent flowering, although some late and reseeded fields are still in the rosette/bolting stage. Overall, canola ranges from good to fair condition, mostly because of dry conditions.

Corn progressed rapidly with the warm temperatures and is also in good to fair condition.  Approximately 10 per cent of acres are in the V1 to V5 stages, with the remaining 90 per cent of acres V6 to V13. Soybeans are generally in good condition with 40 to 90 per cent of acres flowering, some fields are podded. Peas and flax are in full flower throughout the region.

Some spraying for Fusarium head blight and sclerotinia is reported. Due to dry conditions, disease pressure is generally low.

Much needed rains for pastures and second cut hay fields were received over the past weekend in areas of the North Parkland and Valleys North. Haying is progressing with average to below average yields. Water supplies are adequate, although some dugout water levels are reported as low.

Central Region

Warm and humid weather conditions continued for much of the week, allowing for rapid crop growth in the Central Region. Most areas have adequate moisture, and heavy morning dews are common. Unsettled conditions over the weekend resulted in scattered thundershowers. Rainfall amounts ranged significantly, from as little as 10 mm to as much as 40 mm. Most areas have adequate moisture for excellent growing conditions but variability across the region exists; some areas are looking for more rain, while others have standing water in low lying areas and ditches are running.

Cereal crops throughout the region are rated as good, although many are lodged. Some fields have recovered however. Weather conditions are conducive for disease development in much of the region, and fungicide applications continue as crops come in to stage and where conditions warrant treatment. Winter wheat and fall rye are starting to turn as grain fill continues.

There is a wide range in canola development due to the varied seeding dates. The later seeded fields will soon flower. Fungicide applications for the majority of canola fields in the eastern part of the region range are complete; the later reseeded canola will see application shortly, where moisture conditions warrant. Many of the most advanced fields are finishing flowering.

Corn has recovered from lodging and is growing rapidly. Sunflowers are growing well, with buds forming. Soybeans are flowering and nodulating well. Most fields have grown through the yellowing of iron chlorosis deficiency. Wrinkling of leaves is evident due to the recent rapid growth. Edible beans are flowering and fungicide applications continue. With recent heavy rains some fields are showing stress symptoms of yellowing. Overall most fields look good. Pea fields are flowering. Potato and vegetable crops are being irrigated in the Portage area.

Diamondback moth and bertha armyworm trap counts are average to low. Numbers are slowly increasing, with higher numbers in western parts of the region. Grasshopper nymphs are present at field edges and on roadsides, at average populations to date. Some hot spots from last season have seen control measures taken. Some armyworms were found in cereal fields, but not in sufficient numbers to warrant control, and most seem to be at quite an advanced stage. Ongoing monitoring will continue.

Alfalfa grass first cut continues as weather permits. Baling progress is slow due to high humidity and rains; curing is taking more time. This week’s weather forecast may continue to delay haying operations. Hay yields are average to below average depending on factors including frost, winter injury, and drier conditions. Pasture growth is good with the abundant moisture and warmer temperatures. Alfalfa weevil damage is visible in some of the alfalfa/grass fields. Rain has replenished dugouts and water supplies are considered adequate.

Eastern Region

Warm temperatures accompanied by high humidity levels and generally sunny skies contributed to good growing conditions last week in the Eastern Region. Localized thunderstorms and rainfall events of varying severity occurred throughout last week and over the weekend with accumulations ranging from of 10 to 100 mm. Rainfall amounts were generally higher in central and southern districts, and fields in these areas show more evidence of standing water and areas where crop is being drowned out. In these areas, some further crop lodging was noted as well as some recovery from lodged crop conditions which had occurred in the previous week. Soil moisture conditions on crop land are rated as mostly adequate to surplus with most of the surplus situations in central and southern districts.

Development of spring cereal crops range from the late flowering to milk stage. Winter wheat is in soft dough. Canola development is ranging from mid-flower to pod fill. Soybeans range from V3 to V5 trifoliate leaf stages to late R1, nearing R2. Sunflowers are in R1 with corn ranging from V8 to V12.

Post-emergent herbicide applications are almost complete with mostly late applications of glyphosate to soybeans remaining. Fusarium head blight fungicide applications to spring cereals are almost complete. Fungicide applications for sclerotinia in canola are also almost complete. In southern and central districts, more aerial application occurred because of field conditions.

Reports of armyworms in cereals, forage seed crops, canola and soybeans were received with limited insecticide application occurring. There are also reports of diamondback larvae in canola with very limited spraying occurring. Threshold levels of sunflower rust were found in the Beausejour area and fungicide applications are occurring. Rhizoctonia root rot in some soybean fields is noted.

Across the region, the majority of hay and pasture lands are in good condition. For first cut hay, it is estimated that 40 per cent is standing, 30 per cent is cut and 30 per cent is baled or put up as silage. Quality is rated as good. The warm weather last week was welcomed as producers resumed haying towards the end of the week, flipping swaths to dry and bale. Pastures are generally in good condition. Availability of livestock water is adequate.

Interlake Region

Hot temperatures and humidity were experienced throughout the Interlake Region. Scattered showers occurred throughout the week leaving trace amounts of precipitation. In the Arborg, Riverton and Arnes area, the lack of precipitation was welcomed as low areas of the fields still have standing water. Reports of 20 to 30 mm of precipitation occurred during the weekend in the Moosehorn and Ashern region, which was welcomed considering the reduced precipitation throughout the growing season.

Fungicide application on spring cereals is still on-going, with the majority of acres being sprayed last week. Winter wheat continues to mature, spring wheat and barley is at or nearing the end of flowering, and oats crops are still being sprayed at the flag leaf stage on later seeded fields. Some canola fields in the South Interlake region are almost finished flowering. The hot temperatures are shortening the flowering period of the canola crops.

Soybean crop staging is R1, and corn V7 to V10. Armyworms are being found in fields, with minor damages to the crops reported to date.

Forage grass seed fields such as timothy are finished flowering. Alfalfa seed fields continue to bloom as leaf cutter bees continue to pollinate these fields.

Scattered showers this past week were of benefit to hay fields and pastures. Conditions continue to vary considerably throughout the Interlake Region, with the east side being moist to very wet and the west side needing rain. The hot, dry conditions are allowing for hay to dry and cure however. Well managed pastures are showing resiliency to the drier conditions. Adequate water for livestock is noted.

The post Manitoba Crop Report and Crop Weather report: Issue 11 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Armyworms in cereal crops are present in noticeable levels in many areas of Central Manitoba. Larvae can be scouted for by counting the number of larvae per square foot on average. The majority of larvae will be on the ground during the day and often hidden under debris on the soil, under clumps of soil or in crack in soil, so scout the ground thoroughly. Many will curl up when disturbed. The colour of the larvae can sometimes vary considerably between individuals.

Read the full report on the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development website.

The post Manitoba crop insect and disease update appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.