Diamondback moth monitoring

The host plants of the diamondback moth (Figure 1) belong to the family Brassicaceae, which includes canola, mustard, and broccoli. They lay their eggs on these plants, and these hatch to be small miners, which live inside the leaves. Older larvae are yellow-green caterpillars, which eat the leaves, flowers, and other tissues of the plant. The larvae finally pupate in cocoons on these plants and emerge as moths.  Each year, Diamondback moths travel north into Canada using high altitude air masses.  Moths travel from Mexico, southern United States and the Pacific northwest from April and on through the growing season.

Figure 1. Diamondback moth adult, larva and pupa (Wikimedia Commons, Government of Manitoba).  Note the two prolegs at the rear of the larva that form characteristic "spurs".

The IPM team monitors diamondback moths throughout the Peace River region with the goal of determining the timing and magnitude of the moths’ mass migration. To do this, we set up delta traps (Figure 2). These traps are lined with sticky cards and baited with the alluring scent of female pheromones to attract male diamondback moths. We align the traps east-west to funnel the prevailing winds. The traps are generally set out in late April and the sticky cards are collected weekly for 6 weeks or longer, depending on the timing of the moths’ arrival. Later in the season, once the crops have grown, we also count the number of diamondback larvae present on the plants per unit area by doing a beat sample. For more information about the life cycle and monitoring of the diamondback moth, check out our monitoring protocols.  

Figure 2. Delta trap used to capture diamondback moth moths in situ.  The pheromone lure is hung inside the trap and moths are collected on the sticky card inserted on the inner surface of the trap.

Back at the lab, we count the number of moths on each card (Figure 3). Working with the cards can be challenging, as the sticky substance will cover the lab tables, the instruments, and students’ fingers if these items are not protected. We also record the results of the beat sample and amalgamate all the data. The location of the site and the timing of each collection, along with the economic threshold for each crop, provide information about when crops should be sprayed with pesticides.

Figure 3.  Sticky card with diamondback moths marked using a blue dot.  By-catch insects include flies and beetles.

- Laura

Pea Leaf Weevil Monitoring

The pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus) is an insect pest native to Europe but established in Alberta in 2005 and southwest Saskatchewan in 2007. Host plants include peas and faba beans and pea leaf weevils can cause considerable damage and yield loss in these crops. Losses result from the larval stage feeding on plant roots and the reduction of nitrogen fixation by preferential feeding on root nodules. Losses can also result from adults feeding upon leaves which is characterized by scalloped notches along the edge of pea leaves.

Pea leaf weevil overwinter as adults which become active early in spring.  The adults move from overwintering habitats to legume host plants to feed, generally from late May through to early June.  During this time, pea leaf weevil populations are best estimated by plant damage assessments. More details on pea leaf weevils and monitoring protocols can be found here.

Figure 1. Pitfall trap containing RV antifreeze solution and covered with wire mesh.

Pheromone-baited pitfall traps are used to detect and monitor pea leaf weevil. Pitfall traps intercept arthropods at ground level.  Each trap consists of a plastic container (500 mL) that is submerged in the soil so the opening sits at ground level (Figure 1).  Each trap is baited with an aggregation pheromone lure then ~175 mL of a solution of RV antifreeze and water (ratio of 1:1) is poured into the base of the pitfall trap.  The solution both kills and preserves the arthropods that are attracted and fall into the trap (see Figure 1). The pheromone, developed by the University of Alberta, is suspended from the wire mesh and attracts the pea leaf weevils (see Figure 2).  The pitfall trap is then covered with wire mesh to exclude field trash and small vertebrates.  All arthropods  are collected weekly from traps then preserved in 95% ethanol for later identification. Back in the lab, the arthropods are processed by selecting out weevils, ground and rove beetles which are pinned or pointed to enable identification.

Figure 2. Pheromone suspended from wire mesh using green twist tie.

The monitoring of pea leaf weevils is important since its distribution has recently changed to include a more northerly range.  Pea leaf weevil was initially discovered in Alberta near Lethbridge in 2005.  Since then, its distribution increased to include southern Alberta to just north of Edmonton and east into southwestern Saskatchewan. In 2015, pea leaf weevil damage on faba bean was observed in central Alberta and helped confirm an increase in range compared to its previous limit. The 2015  risk map for pea leaf weevil is available here. More information on the impact of pea leaf weevils feeding on faba beans can be found here.

- Hannah

Canola Scouting Chart for Insect Pests

The canola insect pest scouting chart is available to help support your in-field scouting.  

The chart was first offered in 2015 but we again post it to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies. Two versions are accessible on the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Blog – the first version contains hyperlinks to help growers learn more about some of our insect pests and how to monitor while the second version may be easier to view or print.  

2016 Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's WEEKLY UPDATES

Weekly Updates are now available as downloadable PDF files on the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Blog.

You can also access the Weekly Update as a series of Posts on that Blog's homepage.

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge!

This spring we again welcome students to the Farm.  These young people are learning about agriculture and gaining experience in our labs while accomplishing important tasks that allow our research to progress.  We're pleased that so many have come from so far!

Meet the IPM Program's new staff members and see what Hannah, Celine, Emily, Laura, Kaitlin, Jadin, Shelby, and Amanda are busy doing!

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Laura

Hello! My name is Laura and I just finished my third year of Environmental Science at the University of British Columbia. I love learning about all living things from trees to insects, and I especially enjoy searching for new bird species. My passion outside of biology is sailing: I race sailboats at the collegiate level and last summer I was a sailing instructor for kids. I am excited to work at the Beaverlodge Research Farm this summer and explore a new ecosystem! There isn’t as much sailing here on the prairie, but I am enjoying the Albertan birds.

Figure 1. Applying Tanglefoot to plastic.

This week, we are busy making emergence traps for wheat midge so we can collect the the newly emerging adults from the soil. To do this, we spread a sticky substance called Tanglefoot onto a plastic sheet (Figure 1) then we cut it into strips.  The strips will be mounted inside plastic buckets that have the bottoms cut off and will be pushed into the soil at our producer-cooperator fields. If the midges land on the sticky traps, they won’t be able to fly away and we will be able to collect them and determine how many have overwintered in the field.

I’ve learned that wheat midges are tiny flies that overwinter within cocoons in the soil. They emerge as adults over a 5-6 weeks period between mid-June to mid-July. They only live for four or five days but during that brief period the females lay eggs on the wheat flowers. When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl within the spikelet (Figure 2) then feed upon the developing wheat kernel.  They are highly concealed larvae, existing and feeding within the spikelet then, once the weather turns damp, the larvae drop to the soil to form their cocoon in preparation for overwintering.

Figure 2. Structure of wheat plant and head (Image: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2009/adam9s2/index_files/image1207.jpg)

Typically, wheat midges are sampled using soil cores and by examining the plants for adults when they are laying eggs, but Amanda is doing research on other methods of monitoring this pest (as she writes about in her own post!).

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Amanda

Jadin and I heading back to the truck after a long day of work.

Happy field season! I’m back for another summer at the Beaverlodge Research Farm! This year I’m starting a Master of Science degree through the University of Alberta.  My project will examine the monitoring tools used to forecast wheat midge emergence timing and populations. I’ll be collecting data in commercial fields throughout Peace River region.

Emily and Celine collect soil cores amid the weeds and stubble.

Last week, I collected my first samples of the field season with help from Jadin, Celine and Emily. We collected soil core samples from field sites that were planted with wheat last year. The soil core samples are now being reared out back at the lab. Wheat midge overwinter in the soil then pupate and emerge as adults. In 3-4 weeks, wheat midge adults will emerge from the soil cores and I will be calculating how many wheat midge survived the winter. 

An adult wheat midge by Gilles San Martin via Wikimedia commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]

I’ve been busy this week phoning producer co-operators and preparing field sites. This is a job that we students don’t normally get to do, so I’m excited to take on more responsibility and learn new skills.  

- Amanda

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Shelby

Hello!  My name is Shelby and this will be my third summer working at Beaverlodge Research Farm.  I recently completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at the University of British Columbia.  I am excited to say that I will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Biology this upcoming fall.

For my Master’s project I will be studying the natural enemies of wheat midge, an economically important pest of wheat.   There are two major categories of natural enemies that I will be looking at: predators and parasitoids.  As part of this project, this summer I am carrying out a study that is looking at the effect of crop rotation on ground beetle populations and the rate of predation on wheat midge larvae (Figure 1).  

Despite working at the Farm for so long, I find that there are always opportunities to learn new things while working at the station.  This past week, we seeded the plots that will be used as part of the crop rotation study and I was able to learn all of the processes involved in seeding.  Greg Semach, the Agronomy & Crop Adaptation Biologist at AAFC-BRF, showed me all of the process involved in seeding (Video clip below).  He explained how to load seed into the station’s Conserva Pak, how to change the seeding rate, and to how to clean the seed drill between seed types.  The entire process was incredibly interesting and I am lucky to have been able to see all of the hard work that goes into setting up and seeding all of the Farm’s research plot trials.

Figure 1. This 16-treatment trial includes wheat midge susceptible and tolerant varieties of wheat but also canola, peas and even a weed species. 

Greg Semach begins seeding the wheat into the first plot of the rotation study.  Greg explained that the knives on the Conserva Pak cut the seed rows as seeds are deposited down from the seed boxes via the tubs to fall into the seed rows.

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Emily

These past 2 weeks have been a rollercoaster of new information to me. So far I have learned about various insects I had no idea even existed like the Diamondback Moth (DBM) and the Flea beetle (FB). I have been introduced to both of these insects through the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN) we do at the farm, where I’ve been shown how to catch them by using pheromone lures and sticky cards (Figure 1). Working outside in the field requires us to wear protective booties to prevent spreading soil disease such as clubroot or sclerotinia.

Figure 1. Inserting sticky card within diamondback moth pheromone trap.

Sclerotinia is a type of fungus that causes stem rot and is a problem for all Canadian canola farmers as it is one of the most destructive diseases. The fungus itself looks like a tiny golf tee-shaped mushroom that grows up to 2cm long and spreads up and down the stem of the canola plant, cutting off all nutrient and moisture flow. Symptoms of sclerotinia include bleaching and whitening of stems of the canola plant and leaves will turn light brown. Sclerotinia flourishes in damp weather because it spreads by releasing its spores after rainfall. The main control strategy for this destructive disease is foliar fungicides which still may be a long fight as the disease is known to attack over 400 different plant species at any stage of growth. 

PPMN monitoring involves more than just setting out traps on a weekly basis. Once all FB and DBM traps are collected, the sticky cards need to be examined and the insects are identified to species level so data can be collected.  This week, I was shown how to identify the various Flea Beetle species using a stereomicroscope (Figure 2).  The dominant species on our sticky cards is the Striped Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta striolata) but we also learned to identify the Hop Flea Beetle (Psylliodes punctulata) and the Crucifer Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae). Overall, a good indicator for identifying the Flea beetle is looking for its enlarged femor on the third pair of legs.

Figure 2. Sticky card processing includes circling Striped flea beetles (~3mm long) while working under the scope.

Reflecting on the past 2 weeks of my first Co-op work term with my Natural Resource Science program, I am looking forward to coming out of this summer with an entirely new outlook on insects and more knowledge of the behind the scenes work of scientists in our lab. Thanks for reading.

- Emily

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Jadin

Hello! My name is Jadin and this is my third summer here in the IPM lab on the Beaverlodge Research Farm.  I moved to Beaverlodge in 2007 when my parents bought Anna’s Pizza, a family restaurant located in town. I just finished my third year at the University of Alberta where I am studying a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Nutrition – I have found quite an interest in biochemistry, specifically bioenergetics metabolism and how it relates to nutritional deficiencies! In the fall, I will be entering the final year of my degree and I hope to continue on to an After Degree Registered Nursing program at the U of A.

Figure 1. Setting up diamondback moth trap in producer-cooperator field.

It has been a busy week (as usual) in the IPM lab as we get the sites set up for Prairie Pest Monitoring and we’re all training our four new and eager summer students: Hannah, Celine, Emily and Laura! So far we have seven sites in the Beaverlodge area, a site near Valleyview and two sites in the BC Peace.  These producer-cooperator sites are important; we are already monitoring Flea Beetles, Diamondback Moth and Pea Leaf Weevil – later on in the season we will be adding Bertha Armyworm and Wheat Midge traps near these sites for more monitoring! When doing field work, it is of up most importance to maintain proper sanitation.  We wear Tyvek booties in the field to avoid the spread of diseases such as Clubroot and Sclerotinia. 

At this time of year Flea Beetle and Diamond Back Moth monitoring are crucial. Flea Beetles are a pest in canola fields and they are attracted to a bright yellow sticky card that we place 25 meters apart along the edge of a commercial field. These traps are collected weekly and brought to the lab for processing using a stereomicroscope. We record the number and species species and number of flea beetles retained on the sticky cards and this data allows us to gain insight into the diversity and densities that are active in growers fields, especially for the Striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta striolata).  It also allows us to follow lesser-known species like Psylliodes punctulata, Phyllotreta cruciferae, Chaectnema protensa and C. irregularis.  This year, we will be using Alpha Scent Flea Beetle sticky cards which measure 5.5” x 8” in size (Figure 2) as opposed to the smaller Contech sticky cards that measured 3” x 5” (Figure 3) and were used in the past. Below are pictures showing the two different types of sticky traps. 

Figure 2. Flea beetle sticky card measuring 5.5" x 8" supplied by Alpha Scents.

Figure 3. Contech sticky card (3" x 5").

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Kaitlin

My name is Kaitlin.  I am currently working on my Bachelor of Science in Registered Nursing degree. This will be my third year returning to work with the Integrated Pest Management program here on the Beaverlodge Research Farm and I am very excited for what the summer has in store for us! 

This week we have been very busy with setting up new Prairie Pest Monitoring Network sites for our weekly field monitoring! With the early heat, it is important that we set up our sites ahead of schedule this year, as the insects will become active sooner. We have seven monitoring sites set up in the Beaverlodge area, one near Valleyview, and two in British Columbia near Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.  Our sites are located in producer-cooperator fields. 

The monitoring sites we have set up so far include Flea Beetle traps, Diamond Back Moth traps, and a few contain Pea Leaf Weevil pitfall traps. The Flea Beetle traps consist of small bright yellow cards covered in a very sticky substance called tanglefoot. The colour of the card attracts the Flea Beetles and the tanglefoot traps them to it. The Diamond Back Moth traps are made up of white Delta traps that we bait with a pheromone lure which attracts male Diamond Back Moths plus a sticky card to that traps the moths. The Pea Leaf Weevil pitfall traps are buckets placed into the ground containing RV antifreeze, and a aggregation pheromone lure to attract the PLW. We then place chicken wire over the trap opening to protect small animals and frogs from falling in. 

Figure 1. Busy setting up an Alpha Scents sticky card to monitor Flea Beetles. 

When setting up our PPMN sites, producer-cooperator sites are selected according to the insect we plan to monitor. The traps need to be placed a certain distance away from each other since some lures will be rendered ineffective if they overlap. The Flea Beetle sticky card traps are spaced 25m apart to monitor activity (Figure 1).  Diamond Back Moth traps are spaced 50m apart from each other and can be overlapped with the Flea Beetle traps.  Pea Leaf Weevil traps can similarly be overlapped with Flea Beetle sticky card traps.  Sanitation is very important in the prevention of spreading crop or soil diseases when we enter and exit fields so we wear white Tyvek booties to prevent transmission.

As the summer continues we will be deploying different types of traps for monitoring different insects.

Follow this link to find more information on Flea Beetles, Diamond Back Moth, Pea Leaf Weevil.

- Kaitlin

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Celine

Two weeks in and we are getting more into the swing of things! This week started off with finishing up our drivers training and heading on out the next day for PPMN (Prairie Pest Monitoring Network) field work. Jadin and I were out all Tuesday collecting and deploying sticky cards for both Diamondback Moth and Flea Beetle. We set up four new sites at our producer-cooperator sites (Sears, Wilson, Nordhagen, and Longson). When we arrive at a site, we first need to examine the lay of the land.  Normally, pheromone traps are set up to allow the prevailing winds to carry a pheromone plume across the field.  Because the wind blows from the west in the south Peace, we usually set up our pheromone traps on the west side of the field along a north-south transect.  We set up our diamondback moth traps ~3 feet above the ground so that means we need to pound in some stakes (Figure 1)!  

Sometimes protocols have to be adapted when we’re doing applied research.  Our Wilson site included fallen trees and ant hills so we had to make some modifications and instead set up along the southern edge with traps running along an east-west transect. 

Figure 1. Pounding in a stake to set up our diamondback moth pheromone trap.

Note how I am wearing booties! These are to protect the fields from encountering any clubroot that may have been picked up by our shoes. We have to put on booties at every field we go to to prevent the spread of this disease. Another disease the booties help to protect against is Fusarium Headblight, most commonly caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. This fungus thrives in moist and hot conditions, overwintering in the crop debris. It affects crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and other cereal grains and causes premature bleaching of the heads of the crop. All three prairie provinces in Canada can experience this fungus, and these diseases are only the beginning…

The past couple weeks have been full of introductions, new information, and learning from each experience (both good and bad) as they come. Our days included but were not limited to: data collections, processing and uploading data from the field, updating cooperator information, learning about the pests of the Peace River region, an introduction to to pinning insects and helping out with various tasks around the laboratory. I am looking forward to working in the IPM lab with all of the lovely folks throughout the rest of the summer!

2016 Staff at Beaverlodge - Hannah

Hey there! My name is Hannah, and I just finished my third year of Environmental Sciences at the University of British Columbia. My area of concentration is Ecology & Conservation, and if you’re having trouble locating me I’m probably taking a gander in the forest or mountains. 

I have just completed my second week with the IPM team at Beaverlodge Research Farm and I have already learned many things, including deploying diamondback moth pheromone traps, flea beetle sticky traps (Figure 1), and pea leaf weevil pitfall traps. I have also had the opportunity to process samples collected from these traps and observe these little fellas under the microscope. An important part of pest management research is the preservation of samples for further studies, and I have had an introduction to how to preserve samples in ethanol as well as drying and pinning specimens. 

Figure 1. Deploying flea beetle sticky traps along the edge of the field.

Along with collecting and processing samples, I also have learned the importance of disease control, specifically of clubroot in crops in the Brassica family. Clubroot is caused by a protist pathogen that induces a gall on the roots of canola and related crops. The pathogen inhibits water and nutrient uptake and results in stunting, wilting, and can eventually cause severe yield losses. The spores can stay dormant within the soil for up to twenty years and it is near impossible to eradicate which is why the control of clubroot is so important. Because of this, we wear sanitary booties in the field in order to prevent the spread of soil from one site to another. Clubroot is an example of one aspect of IPM that I have learned so far in the program and I look forward to learning more as the summer progresses!

2016 Weekly Updates

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Weekly Updates are now available for the growing season.  Access the Blog to read the Posts OR access a downloadable PDF.

2016 BC Wildfire Interactive Map

A large wildfire is burning near Fort St. John BC.  Check out the interaction map showing the BC Peace. 


We are hoping the best for our growers!

2016 Alberta Cutworm Reporting Tool and Map

Reminder please for Albertan help!

Please ask growers to report their cutworms on the Alberta Agriculture & Forestry's live Cutworm reporting tool.

Every entry is important because it helps estimate what kind of cutworm problem we have now and into 2017.  Once data entry occurs, your growers can view the live 2016 cutworm map.

A screen shot of the live map is below (retrieved 10May2016):

And here is a screen shot of the updated map (retrieved 22Jun2016):

A summary of the nominal and economic thresholds for cutworms has been pulled together by Dr. John Gavloski who is the provincial entomologist for Manitoba.  Access the thresholds and important cutworm information here.

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network has been posting Cutworm information and monitoring tips within the 2016 Weekly Updates which is comprised of a series of Posts updated each week during the growing season.

More information about cutworms can be found by accessing the pages from the new "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and Field Guide".  An excerpt of ONLY Cutworm pages from the guide have been posted as a downloadable PDF below to support in-field monitoring.

 


More information about the new guide is posted here including how to download a PDF copy of the entire guide in either English or French.