Welcome Rudra!

 Hello! My name is Rudra Patel, and I am a co-op student working with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. I am in the fourth year of my Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry and minoring in agriculture at the University of Alberta. 

In my third year, I took an insects in cropping systems course where I learned different cultural, biological, physical, and chemical management techniques, as well as monitoring initiatives for several insect pests common in the Canadian prairies, including diamondback moths, flea beetles, and wheat stem sawflies. I am incredibly excited to apply what I learned in the classroom to the field! 

Figure 1. Rudra successfully capturing her first wireworm!

I am eager to learn more about the monitoring of insect pests for producers in the Peace River region, as well as hopefully getting to do some stem dissections! Outside of school, I love to watch movies, read, and hand sew! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to gain more experience in the field this summer! 

Welcome Jodh!

Hello - my name is Jodh and I am originally from Calgary. I am in the fourth year of my Bachelor of Science studying Plant Biology at the University of Calgary. This is my first time working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and I am incredibly excited to be with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) team at the Beaverlodge Research Station. 

My background is primarily in plants so I am enthusiastic to delve deeper into plant-insect interactions I’ve learned about in class with hands-on field research. I am most excited by the 2026 Tillage Field Plot Experiment that looks at how tillage and pesticide affect arthropod biodiversity in wheat (cv. Brandon) in the Peace River region. Throughout the season we will assess agronomic indicators (via germination, growth, and yield assessments), root health (via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi root sampling) and soil health (via soil-core sampling). So far I have been involved with every step of the study which has included labeling, placing and flagging the plots and traps, taking and measuring initial soil samples and recording wheat growth every week. I look forward to continuing this project and seeing the results generated by hard work of the whole IPM team! It is such a privilege to have this amazing opportunity to learn so much this summer. I could not be more thankful to my supervisors and the federal government for supporting my journey here.

Figure 1: Jodh proudly holding a bag of freshly pulled weeds while standing in front of a plot in the 2026 Tillage Field Plot Experiment growing near Beaverlodge AB.

Welcome Ethaniel!

 Hi - my name is Ethaniel, and I’m a third-year biology honours student at the University of British Columbia with a strong interest in ecology, biodiversity, and field-based research. I worked for the Beaty Biodiversity Museum as a herbarium curatorial volunteer for the last term where I was responsible for cataloguing and organizing hundreds of preserved bryophyte and lichen samples. The samples are kept as part of the museum’s long-term archive and serve as a valuable resource for research, as well as monitoring and conservation efforts. Beyond my coursework, I grew up spending many hours on my grandparents’ hobby farm working with crops including tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers. 

Figure 1. Ethaniel with bighorn sheep in Jasper National Park.

Both of these experiences helped develop an interest in agriculture and the relationship between organisms and their environments. I’m excited to contribute to the ongoing research with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) lab, and I’m particularly looking forward to hands-on fieldwork in the prairies! 

Figure 2. Ethaniel busy weeding in a field plot experiment growing near Beaverlodge AB in 2026.

Welcome Evelyn!

Hello - my name is Evelyn  and I will be working at the Beaverlodge Research Farm in the Insect Pest Management (IPM) program this summer. I just finished my fourth year of my Bachelor of Science degree focusing on Environmental Science at Simon Fraser University. My interests are in ecology and environmental archaeology. 

Last summer I worked for ESCropconsult as an integrated pest management scout in cranberry farms throughout the Fraser Valley. I learned a lot about insect identification and agricultural pests in cranberries. I had the opportunity to collect and identify multiple cranberry pest species including fireworm (Rhopobota naevana) and tipworm (Dasineura oxycoccana). I also participated in cranberry tipworm research and potato variety trials. I am excited to further expand my entomology knowledge as well as my field and lab experience at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. 

This summer, I am eager to learn about pests and management practices in the Peace River region. My previous experiences have highlighted the roles of pests and how important management of them is for the agricultural industry. I have never been to the Peace River region before or worked with crops like wheat and canola. I can’t wait to expand my knowledge of Alberta’s crops and pests and contribute to research. 

Figure 1. Evelyn holding a wireworm, larva of the Family Elateridae.

 

Welcome McKenzie!

Hello! My name is McKenzie and I am a third-year biomedical engineering student studying at the University of Victoria. Throughout my schooling I have enjoyed extra curriculars with an environmental focus including the Environmental Club at Bonnyville Centralized High School (BCHS) and the University of Victoria Environmental Engineering Club (UVEEC). Through the Environmental Club I ran and promoted electronic recycling drives, built a medicine wheel garden at the front of BCHS, and attended Envirothon 2022. In UVEEC, I am collaborating on the design of an underwater glider to collect conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) data in the Saanich Inlet. I work on the electrical team within the club, designing essential glider components. 

Figure 1. Visiting the Victoria Bug Zoo and getting a "hands-on" visit with a well-behaved Madagascar hissing cockroach.

 

Outside of school, I enjoy backpacking, art, and relaxing outdoors. Growing up in the M.D of Bonnyville, AB, instilled my love of nature. In the spring and summer, I would be surrounded by fireweed, paintbrushes, wood lilies, and dogwood; all of these flowers inspire my present art. The wildlife around my home was also very impactful to me. My favorite insect is the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. As a child I would often see them around my house in the spring. I enjoyed their bright colouration and frequent visits to my butterfly garden. As I became older, I started backpacking in the Canadian Rockies. My visits to Alstones Lake, Jasper National Park, and Kootenay National Park made me fall in love with the mountains and realise that ecosystems like these need to be closely monitored and maintained to minimize human and pest impact. 

Figure 2. McKenzie enjoying time with their barn-cat-turned-indoor pet named Silver.

 Over the winter and spring, I am excited to work outdoors and take a research-based approach to help improve the environment and agriculture industry. It’s exciting that I will be learning about the impact that prairie pests have on the ecosystem, observe and collect data in the field that reinforces the learned information, and use both the learned information and my engineering background to analyse and interpret that data. Data from these projects can be used to inform decisions about prairie pest management in the future.

Welcome Jake!

My name is Jacob Landry-Doran and this is my first summer working with the Beaverlodge Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. I am in my last year of a B.Sc. in Conservation Biology. 

Figure 1. Sharing a moment with a great plains toad during the summer of 2024.

I previously worked for Natural Resources Canada, collecting and processing pitfall samples with invertebrate natural enemies in upland oil reclamation sites. I also have years of work and volunteer experience in entomological laboratories, including the Mori and Frost labs at the University of Alberta, and the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton. 

I’ve always had a passion for insects and have a personal collection of native beetles and invertebrates. This personal collection has changed my career path towards becoming more involved with these amazing creatures! It’s fascinating that creatures as small as insects can have such a large impact on the environment around us. 

Figure 2. A thumbs-up after a long day of pitfall collecting!

I am really looking forward to working with the Beaverlodge IPM team to learn about different pest management projects. I’m always excited to further my experience and knowledge about insect interactions, including how research and collections can aid in the management of agricultural plant pests. I’m excited to be a member of the team!

Welcome Roza!

 

Hi! My name is Roza Gabdullina and currently I am completing my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Lethbridge. My academic journey has taken me through diverse fields, including a Bachelor in Fine Arts, a Master’s degree in History, and graduate studies in Archaeology, but my passion has always been grounded in discovery and applied research.  

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to explore molecular diagnostics through an internship with Paramoria Agri-Science, where I worked as a Molecular Pathology Intern. There, I conducted qPCR analyses to detect and quantify crop diseases from field samples and optimized protocols for diagnostic efficiency. I also worked on developing an RNA toehold switch biosensor for clubroot detection in canola. The idea is to create a test that functions much like a rapid COVID test, using freeze-dried toehold switches embedded on paper to detect pathogen RNA and produce a visible signal that could give growers real-time results right in the field. I co-authored a publication focused on the biophysical characterization of GFP-nanobody interactions, building on research I conducted using biophysical techniques.  

This summer, I’m excited to expand my experience into entomology and gain practical skills in insect sampling, field plot maintenance, and integrated pest management. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how molecular biology and field ecology intersect to support sustainable agriculture in Canada. 

Figure 1. Roza taking a break from labelling insect specimens.

Welcome Jacques!

Hello there! My name is Jacques Jolivet and I am a co-op student at the University of Victoria working in the Insect Pest Management (IPM) program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm this summer. I am a third-year science undergraduate student majoring in Biology at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island, where I grew up. I have always had a passion for bugs of all sorts and in the past few years I have started breeding isopods and collecting ant queens during their nuptial flights.

I grew up on a small hobby farm, and have been heavily involved in the 4-H Program for 13 years, so agriculture is very near and dear to me. On our farm, we raise sheep and chickens. In my free time, you can find me cuddling with my sheep, playing tabletop roleplaying games and dying for hours on end in brutally difficult video games.

This summer working with the IPM team is my first job and I am really excited to do interesting, meaningful work!  I hope to learn as much as I can about insect biology and identification, agriculture in the Peace River region, and how to conduct proper field and laboratory analysis.

Figure 1. Jacques cuddling with his fluffy friends.

Welcome Bao!

Hi! My name is Bao Ngan Tuong, and I’m a third-year Food Science major at the University of British Columbia.  I’ll be working at the Beaverlodge Research Farm with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program from May to August 2025.

Although my studies aren’t directly focused on entomology, insects play a vital role in my field. Crop yields are critical in the food industry and are strongly influenced by pest management and growing conditions. My perspective on insects broadened significantly last summer when I worked as a camp leader at the UBC farm. The farm maintains its own bee colonies, which allowed me the opportunity to observe and to gain a better understanding about its role in agriculture. I then shared this knowledge to the campers and guided them through the field to see the bees. We also explored books on pest species and discussed how others can cause major crop losses and lead to significant economic impacts like grasshoppers and beetles. That experience helped me recognize both the positive and negative contributions insects make to agriculture.

Joining the IPM program gives me an exciting opportunity to deepen my understanding of insects and their role in agriculture. I’m particularly excited to gain a perspective on northern agriculture in the Peace River region, where crops like canola, wheat, and peas are grown. I’m eager to gain hands-on experience and build lab and fieldwork skills, especially on sample processing and data management, sample labeling and tracking, taxonomic identification, and insect monitoring. These are all crucial and transferable skills that I hope to apply in my future career in the food and agriculture industry. 

Figure 1. Bao at a strawberry u-pick in BC!

Field Bio-Sanitation Protocol and Mitigating Transmission of Soil-borne Diseases

Clubroot is a soil-borne disease of canola and other cruciferous plants of the Brassicaceae family which is caused by a pathogen called Plasmodiophora brassicae. Clubroot is spread when infested soil is transported by vehicles and farm machinery or though wind and water erosion. Roots of infected plants have a club-like appearance (Fig. 1). Above-ground symptoms vary depending on the growth stage at time of infection. Common symptoms include wilting, stunting, yellowing, and premature ripening. Above-ground symptoms are similar to common canola disorders thus it is important to carefully dig up suspect plants and inspect the roots.

Figure 1. Characteristic clubroot galls on an infested canola plant. 

Photo: (LL, ND, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The distribution of clubroot in the Peace River region has increased since first appearing in Big Lakes County (August 2017) and now includes additional sites in northwestern Alberta:

• Access the current clubroot map here to learn more about where this disease occurs within Alberta.
• Refer to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's website for more information on clubroot. 
• Refer to Clubroot Disease | Canola Encyclopedia (canolacouncil.org) for more information.
• Refer to Preventing Clubroot: Agricultural Sanitization for more information on preventing clubroot.

Back in 2004, the Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) implemented biosanitation protocols including use of tyvek booties and sterilization of all field equipment. From 2017-2018, field sanitation involved the use of Virkon and bleach and, since 2019, involved bleach only. As of May 2023, our biosecurity protocol includes:

• Adhering to a strict field research sanitation protocol.
• Identifying ourselves by operating marked Government of Canada vehicles when visiting fields. 
• Reducing or cancelling field work activities on rainy days to avoid tracking mud.
• Washing AAFC vehicles at commercial car washes BEFORE and AFTER conducting field work (Fig. 2).
• Sterilizing and washing vehicle floor mats with bleach each day (Fig. 3).

Figure 2. Washing AAFC vehicle at the commercial to remove soil after a long day of fieldwork. 

Photo: Maddy Jones-AAFC Beaverlodge.

Figure 3. Floor mats are hung and sterilized with bleach while at the commercial car wash. 

Photo: Maddy Jones-AAFC Beaverlodge.

• Wearing impermeable shoes while operating and exiting vehicle. These shoes are sterilized each day.
• Sterilizing impermeable boots using bleach both AT and BETWEEN each field (Fig. 4). 
• Wearing disposable booties are over sterilized impermeable boots prior to entering field or pull-in (Fig. 5).

Figure 4. Impermeable boots are placed into bins containing a bleach solution while traveling between field sites. Photo: Maddy Jones AAFC-Beaverlodge.

Figure 5. Disposable booties are donned over sterilized impermeable boots prior to field entry at each site. 

Photo: Maddy Jones AAFC-Beaverlodge.

• Parking AAFC vehicles on the side of the road - we NEVER drive into a field!
• Using sodium hypochlorite or bleach (2%) to sterilize vehicle tires, wheels, and wheel-wells both AT and BETWEEN each field (Fig. 6). 

Figure 6. Wheel-wells and tires are sterilized upon arrival to each field site using a bleach solution. 

Photo: Maddy Jones AAFC-Beaverlodge.

• Soaking all field equipment that contacts soil (e.g., spades, trowels, soil core samplers) in bleach after use in each field. 
• Bagging and sterilizing all booties using an autoclave (employs high temperature and pressure).
• Carrying multiples of small field equipment to allow for soaking in bleach and/or sterilization using an autoclave.
• Maintaining a log of all visits and all field sanitation protocols implemented.

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns! If you wish to personally see our sanitization efforts in action, we can arrange it! You can contact us by emailing Shelby Dufton.

We thank growers for their continued support of field research by way of granting permission for our staff to access land to collect data. Out staff continue to do our utmost to ensure every field remains protected. 

Post prepared by Madysen Jones

City of Grande Prairie Youth Career Discovery Expo

The IPM Program participated in the 2024 Youth Career Discovery Expo in Grande Prairie AB today! Our program helped promote our field entomology research program while also describing how High School, Post-Secondary, or even Graduate students can apply to work for the Federal Student Work Employment Program (FSWEP). We talked about the Beaverlodge Research Farm which is part of the network of Agriculture and Agri-Food Research and Development Centres spread across Canada and the types of research that takes place at our Farm. 

The day-long event drew at least 2000 students from across the region! We were pleased to showcase a small portion of our insect voucher specimens (Figs. 1-2 and 4-7) using an interactive "Insect Scavenger Hunt" created by our two technicians, Amanda and Shelby!  Keen visitors were challenged to find three different insects amongst the pinned voucher specimens we brought along to view. Winners earned their very own ground beetle to take home (Figs. 3 and 8)!  We were one of the few agricultural careers to be included in this special event!

Many thanks to our program's two excellent technicians, Amanda and Shelby, and to the City of Grande Prairie for hosting this important event!  Amanda, Shelby, and Jennifer spoke with 200-some students who stopped by to talk! The most exciting part of the day was that 60 carefully curated ground beetle specimens were adopted to good homes with students who left us feeling pretty excited about Entomology! 

Here's a few photos of the day-long event at our booth! 

Figure 1. Booth, including our interactive insect scavenger hunt, is ready to go!

Figure 2. Our booth at the Youth Discovery Expo is ready to go and here's our first visitor of the day!

Figure 3. Our ground beetle "prizes" are ready and waiting to be won by visitors taking on our interactive insect scavenger hunt!

Figure 4. Standing room only by 10 am - great interest from our student visitors and some super entomological identification skills at work!

Figure 5. Shelby talking insects with students while they completed the insect scavenger hunt.

Figure 6. Amanda describing insect characteristics for the pinned voucher specimens.

Figure 7. More student visitors to our booth - we had really great interest and excellent questions!

Figure 8. We brought 70 "prize" ground beetles and, by the end of the day, 60-some were adopted to good homes by our enthusiastic student visitors!

#Entomology #Agriculture #WiSTEM #WestCdnAg #CareerOpportunities #PeaceRiverRegion #AAFC #IPM #FieldHeroes #NaturalEnemies

20 Years of Canola Surveying

 Ready. Set. Go! 

Things are heating up in the Peace River region and the canola is blooming! As a result, we are about to hit the fields to sample canola for our survey! You’ve learned about the insect pests we've targeted (1,2), where we go (3,4), and how we survey (5) – but what happens in the field and what other information do we collect? 

Typically, we survey in teams of two, with one person serving as both driver and sweep-net sampler (Fig. 1a) and the other taking notes, preparing supplies, and collecting field information (Fig. 1b). Once we arrive at the field, the driver gets out, dons rubber boots and Tyvek booties, and enters the field to sweep-net sample. The sweep sample is collected in a large arc from the field edge out into the field and back. Ten sweeps are collected in each of five sets (for a total of 50 sweeps), spaced every 10 paces to cover multiple locations throughout the field. Samples are then bagged, examined briefly for any abnormal insects or insect densities, and then placed in a cooler on ice. 

 

Figure 1a. Co-op student, Becky Philip, sweeps a canola field near Ft. Vermilion, AB for the 2018 Beaverlodge Research Farm Annual Canola Survey.  1b. Program supervisor, Jennifer Otani, diligently takes notes for the 2008 Beaverlodge Research Farm Canola Survey.  

The passenger exits the vehicle and completes our biosecurity protocol, including vehicle sanitization. Once finished, they conduct growth ratings and identify stubble type (Fig. 2a-d). Staff are trained to detect differences in stubble such as branching white canola stubble, thin curls of pea stubble, or hunting for a wheat or barley head. Why do this? Field stubble can tell us a lot about a field! For the past 20 years, stubble assessments have provided valuable information about crop rotations used by grower-producers in the Peace River region. It can also help explain why certain insects are appearing in higher numbers. 

Figure 2a. Madysen Jones collects growth ratings and identifies stubble in a field near High Level, AB for the 2022 Beaverlodge Research Farm Canola Survey. 2b-d. Can you identify these types of stubble? Sometimes it’s not this easy. Highlight here to reveal the answers: b) canola, c) barley d) wheat. 

During my first year (2014) as a co-op student with the Beaverlodge Insect Pest Management (IPM) program, we found a parasitoid wasp, Macroglenes penetrans (Fig. 3), numbering in the thousands in some survey samples. This parasitoid preys on an economic pest of wheat, wheat midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana). Stubble type helped us to identify that M. penetrans were emerging in canola fields (2014) seeded to wheat the year prior (2013) and then moving to neighboring wheat fields. Discoveries like this help to show how spraying insecticides in canola can potentially negatively affect natural enemies for pests in other crops as well. 

Figure 3. Macroglenes penetrans wasp. Photo credit: Shelby Dufton-AAFC Beaverlodge

 

Canola survey has, and continues to be, my favorite part of the field season for our group! 2023 will be my 10th year conducting the survey and I can’t wait for many more. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the producers willing allowing us to survey on their land this year! And I would like to say a big thank you to all our IPM staff this year and in the past 20 years for helping to make this incredible data set a possibility. Check out the video below to see some of the incredible Beaverlodge IPM staff and collaborators in action over TWENTY YEARS OF SURVEY! 

Author: Shelby Dufton