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!

Return of our student team!

 We're really pleased to welcome back our student team for the 2021 field season! These folks are coming soon to a field (and field plots) near you!!  Well, that's true ONLY if you're fortunate to be in the Peace River region!

Learn more about Maiya, Aarika and Donovan.  They join Shelby, Amanda, and me and we're the IPM Team for the summer of 2021!

Coming back to work in the IPM program

Hi, my name is Aarika and I am more than excited to be coming back to work in the IPM program again this summer!

About Me

I am going into my fourth year of Bachelor’s of Science specializing in Psychology at the University of Alberta. I am interested in pursuing medicine, specifically neurology or psychiatry. Although my studies are a bit different from agricultural entomology research, I have become very passionate in this area of agriculture from working at the Beaverlodge Research Farm last year. I was THRILLED when I knew I would be coming back to work here this summer. I grew up on a grain farm near Valhalla Centre and have been eager to become more involved. I have been helping out in the field when I get the chance to and learning to drive more of the equipment.

Last year I learned so much valuable information in the IPM program including starting to monitor insects in fields. I was able to review various pieces of scientific literature and take online courses to expand my knowledge on insect predators, pests, economic thresholds, insecticides, and more. 

Figure 1. Aarika rolling canola in her family’s fields.

What I Look Forward to... This year, I am excited to have the opportunity to do more fieldwork in different areas and on a wider variety of insects. I look forward to continuing learning about insect monitoring, scouting, and gaining more practical experience. This job has given me a greater awareness of what isgoing on in a smaller scale (insect scale) in those large fields! I have scouted some of my family's fields already and have seen insects already working away! I am eager to see how this year is in comparison to previous years as I have seen a lot of fluctuation with the weather.

Anyways, I am very excited to be working with the wonderful team for my second year here in the IPM program! They are truly incredible people to work with and are passionate about what they do.

Back for the 2021 field season!

Hello everyone! My name is Maiya and I am a returning student in the Insect Pest Management (IPM) Program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. I worked with the IPM team last year, but this is my first year both returning to the program and working in-person. I will be at the Farm for the 2021 summer from May to August. 

I recently completed my third year at the University of Alberta pursuing an undergraduate degree in Science, majoring in Biological Sciences and Psychology. Though I have not focused on insects in my studies, I have taken a few ecology and zoology courses that often use entomological examples. I am looking forward to applying my school-based knowledge to the job and gaining more practical experience in biology this summer. 

Previous work with the IPM program brought me a new appreciation for the wide range of insects with which producers must cope to grow a successful crop. Last summer I was only able to do fieldwork on my family’s farm in the Peace region (Fig. 1) and performed several online tasks and training while working from home. Therefore, I am eager to spend more time outside getting some hands-on experience with pest monitoring and laboratory techniques this summer. 

Figure 1. Maiya holding a sweep-net used for monitoring Lygus bugs and other insects in her family’s canola field.

Back for the 2021 field season!

Hi there! I’m Donovan, a returning student in the Insect Pest Management Program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. Last summer, I worked remotely with the IPM team, mainly performing online insect-related tasks and research. This year, however, I’m working on-site from May to August, and I can’t wait to get that true pest monitoring experience!

I am a third-year student at Carleton University pursuing a BSc in Ecology while minoring in Statistics. Growing up, animals of all shapes and sizes intrigued me (Fig.1). Whenever I went to zoos, I never wanted to leave until I had the chance to see every animal, much to my parent’s occasional discontent. Later in my educational career, I realized I loved translating my ecological research into numbers (or vice versa), which prompted me to incorporate statistics into my studies.

I have a deep passion for entomology since working for the Canadian National Collection of Insects housed at AAFC-Ottawa. While working there, I marveled over the sheer diversity of insects and all the weird and wacky forms they possess. When I worked remotely for the Beaverlodge Research Farm, I was fascinated by how much of an impact insects have on agriculture, whether beneficial or detrimental, and I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge on these compelling arthropods with the IPM team this summer!

Figure 1. Donovan celebrating the 12th birthday of his miniature labradoodle, Keegan.

So far in our monitoring.....

What we're seeing so far in our field monitoring.....

We finished our Annual Canola Survey of the Peace on July 8^th but we are processing the samples from the 156 sites.  Please watch our IPM Lab Blog though – I will post our survey results there first.

Earlier this spring, there were cutworms and fields in the Peace were sprayed to try and manage that – I have no idea the number of acres though.  To date, our monitoring has shown low DBM and BAW pheromone count interceptions.  Wheat midge was forecasted to be lower populations through most of the entire Peace this season, however, midge flight synchronized fairly well with wheat anthesis in the south Peace.  We have seen some higher lygus bug numbers in some of our canola survey samples but the persistent rain throughout June-present has been a major factor in all our field crops.  More specifically, we aren’t seeing the typical nymph densities that we’d expect in the canola so far (because we know many have died owing to rain falling every 4-6 days from bolting through to early flowering) – stay tuned for the survey results though.  Grasshoppers are present but the situation is nowhere near the high risk originally forecasted back in January for the Peace. 

Almost all the fields we’ve seen around the south and north Peace have received some fungicide whether it’s been wheat, peas, or canola.  As Jim notes, producers are sometimes keen to tank-mix insecticide with the fungicide application and only the agricultural industry people will know those statistics on what product has been sold so far this season. 

From what I’ve seen so far, I would have expected a bit of grasshopper spraying by now and the next 10 days of heat and sun may bring about some spraying for Lygus but most canola will be at the pod stage by then and surely with the heat.  Overall, there are some very nice crops are out there despite some water damage.  Apart from cutworms, it hasn’t been a big insect pest outbreak year so far in the Peace.

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 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 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.

Preparing for Spring

Here's some information and links that grower may find helpful as they start to think towards Spring.....

Link here to open our downloadable Canola Insect Scouting Chart.  You can print it but it’s also designed as a hyperlinked pdf file.  Each insect name can be clicked and it will take you directly to the page within the new “Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada”.  That complete guide is available as a free download both for printing or as an enhanced digital version.

We also encourage people to bookmark or subscribe to the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network Blog (for Weekly Updates and to access Risk & Forecast Maps produced during the grower season).  That Blog is active during the growing season.

I also mention the Manitoba Cutworm Fact Sheet with the nominal cutworm thresholds which is located at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/fad06s00.html

For Albertans, the Cutworm Reporting tool which also maps will be located in the Spring at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm13779

Also keep the Syngenta flea beetle scouting pdf on hand – it’s a great visual guide to help assess percent defoliation.

Canola Scouting Guide

Field scouting is critical because it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Canola production systems across the Canadian prairies will suffer insect pest outbreaks. However, the identification of these insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

This year we offer a generalized canola scouting chart to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies. This guide contains hyperlinks to help growers learn more about some of our insect pests and how to monitor.

Whenever possible, monitor and compare to established economic thresholds so pollinators and beneficial arthropods are preserved.  Economic thresholds, by definition, can help growers avoid crop losses due to an insect pest.

Good luck with the growing season!

This, along with many other resources, can also be accessed at the Prairie Pest Monitoring blog.

June is Cutworm month!

We have ~143 cutworms and the majority came from the Guy/Falher area between Jun 3-5, 2015.  About 65% of the material we are shipping to AAFC-Saskatoon where we’ve requested they try to include them in future multiplex PCR or CO1 barcoding to identify the species x  host crop associations. 

Anyone seeding an annual into 2014 legume stubble should be carefully scouting for cutworms if they’re anywhere East of Wanham.  The absence of precipitation but warm temperatures mean that cutworm damage is showing up quite suddenly where other years moisture helps the plants grow quickly and tolerate cutworm feeding

Please report Albertan cutworm sites! 

Every entry is important because it helps us all estimate how much of a problem we have now and into 2016.  Once data entry occurs, your growers can be checking the live cutworm map located here.

2015 Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's Weekly Updates

The Weekly Updates for the 2015 growing season are now being compiled.  Each week, growing conditions, pest updates and scouting tips are summarized into a single place to enable in-field scouting of our economically important field crop pests.  Access the Weekly Updates by linking here or view them on the Prairie Pest Monitoring Blog.