Winter 2022 and our IPM Team!

Our field research program at Beaverlodge hinges on technical support - these are people who implement the science we are fortunate to be supported to do in the Peace River region!

This winter, our program has new people hired who are rapidly learning a LOT about how to process and begin to identify the more than 110 arthropod species that are active in annual and perennial field crops  grown throughout the region. Learn more about Jordon, Vicky, Tessa, and Tanya. They join Shelby, Amanda, and me and we're the IPM Team for the winter of 2022!

Welcome Vicky!

Hello! My name is Vicky Tang. I am a Co-Op Student at the University of Manitoba currently working with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) lab at the Beaverlodge Research Farm this winter! This is my first work placement and I am anxious and excited to learn about the ins and outs of working in a lab. 

I am a 4th year student at the University of Manitoba pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. I am pursuing a major in environmental and integrative physiology and a minor in entomology. My interest in environmental conservation opened my eyes to the importance of insects and their role in agriculture. 

Figure 1. Vicky picking tomatoes to send to the marketplace in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I used to shiver at the thought of insects, but my first entomology course changed that fear into passionate interest! I am excited to help with processing, data entry, and data management resulting from the hard work that went into collecting samples in the crazy year that was 2021. I want to learn more about how this data is used to promote further study and benefit growers in the Peace River region.

I am looking forward to learning how to identify pest insects from this region and developing crucial lab skills. 

Welcome Tessa!

Hello! My name is Tessa Ferch and I am a new Co-Op Student with the University of Manitoba in the Insect Pest Management Program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. I will be working in-person at the research farm from January to August 2022.

I am a fourth-year student at the University of Manitoba, where I am in the process of obtaining a Bachelor of Science. I'm pursuing a major in Evolution and Biodiversity, and a minor in Entomology. I have completed five different entomology courses as part of my studies that covered a wide range of topics including crop pests, animal pests, predators and parasites of pests, and pollinators.

Figure 1. Tessa enjoying the winter weather in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As an undergraduate, I've been working to build my skills and experience. Prior to coming to Beaverlodge, I worked as a Co-Op Student with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Brandon Research and Development Centre. While at Brandon, I worked remotely and contributed towards building research background information related to agronomic studies focusing on crop rotations. Before that, I spent two summers working at Henteleff Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba where I was involved with maintaining the park. During this time, I witnessed a huge diversity of insects.  My work experiences, supported by my university education, have contributed to my fascination with different types of animals - especially insects. I am excited to join the IPM team!

Cereal leaf beetle information

Information related to Cereal leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Oulema melanopus) has been posted below so growers and agrologists can print or view during the 2017 growing season.  
Cereal leaf beetle overwinters as an adult and the larval stages can cause economic losses owing to feeding damage on the leaves of cereals although the species has a broad host plant range (i.e., includes oats, wheat, barley, rye, corn but also wild oats, quackgrass, timothy, canary grass, reed canary grass, annual and perennial ryegrass, foxtail, orchard grass, wild rye, smooth brome and fescues).  There is one generation per year.

Extensive Cereal leaf beetle information for the Canadian prairies is posted and updated on the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Blog (click to link to an example including biology and monitoring tips).

Fact sheets for cereal leaf beetle are published by the province of Alberta and available from the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also access the Oulema melanopus page from the new "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada - Identification and management field guide".  A screen shot of the page is below for reference.

Cereal leaf beetle is attacked by an effective biological control agent, Tetrastichus julis, which is a small wasp that selectively seeks out and parasitizes the larval stages of its host.  Dr. Hector Carcamo (AAFC-Lethbridge) recently prepared a description of T. julis and its impact on cereal leaf beetle in Canada.  A screen shot is below for reference or hyperlink to the document.

During the growing season, be sure to check out the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Blog for the Weekly Updates.  Bioclimatic modelling is used, together with current environmental data from across the prairies, to predict the occurrence of the various developmental stages of Cereal leaf beetle larvae to aid scouting efforts.  Because the weather changes, the bioclimatic model outputs are updated weekly through the growing season and particularly in the spring.  Additionally, bioclimatic modelling is used to help predict when the biological control agent, T. julis, will be active and to help predict its development within its host (cereal leaf beetle larvae) through the growing season.