I would say one of my favorite canola survey memories was my first survey in 2021 with our supervisor and integrated pest management scientist, Jennifer Otani. We saw an incredible amount of grasshoppers in certain areas throughout the Peace River region, often in numbers above the economic threshold (Fig. 1)! In some locations, there were so many that the ditch looked like it was moving when we swept it - I have never seen anything like it! This is the first time I was able to see what grasshopper feeding looked like in canola. They are super messy eaters! While we were surveying, Jennifer pointed out butterflies sipping salt from mud puddles, which I never knew they did! It was quite the sight about 10 butterflies all still on the earth. I remember coming home that day (at 10:00pm), excited at having learned so many things about surveying and insect monitoring. Jennifer is an great person to learn from. That was my longest work day to date and one of my favorites. The next day I had trouble moving my arms because they were so sore from all of the sweeping, but I would do it all over again (and did for the rest of the week)!
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I was so excited to go to work every day during the canola survey!
I enjoyed collecting sweep-net samples, moving at a fast pace, and covering a huge
geographic area - it’s exhilarating (Fig. 2)! We try to cover as much of the
agricultural land in the Peace River region as possible– sometimes working up
to 12 hours in a single day (Fig. 3)!
Figure 2. Aarika walking back to the vehicle after collecting a sweep-net sample for the 2021 Canola Survey.
I always look
forward to the results of the survey because it covers a larger area than our
weekly surveying. If we observe anything unusual, this data is shared publicly
with producers so that they are able to make informed decisions when managing
their canola. Working at the research farm, I have gained an appreciation for the
importance of surveying as it provides invaluable data over many years. The
canola survey is a great example of this, representing 20 years of data for an
important crop in our region. It takes a village to be able to execute such a
big endeavor.
Figure 3. Sweeping in action in Fort Vermillion, AB! We kept busy this day,
doing both alfalfa fields as well as canola survey sites to make the most of
our 6 hour drive up.
Each field is its own adventure and it is always interesting to see what insects and staging you find in fields a few or a hundred kilometers apart. There is so much biodiversity in our region from the BC Peace to Fort Vermillion to Peace River. The final bonus of surveying: you get to stop in small towns and try the local food while sitting outside in the sun. It truly makes for a great day. I never get tired of seeing the beauty of different regions of the Peace River region and spending time with great coworkers, doing a job I love!
Author: Aarika Harpe