Farmers in central and northern Alberta who had later than normal seeding dates due to excessive moisture may also have issues with insect pest management.
“Crop development requires growing degree-day accumulation, as does pest development,” said Jim Broatch, insect pest management specialist with Alberta Agriculture at Stettler.
“Often, these developments need to be co-ordinated between the pest and the host crop to cause production concerns. If a crop is not well developed, grasshopper feeding can cause severe damage at lower population numbers than when a crop is more advanced. This year, it’s unlikely we’ll see major grasshopper populations, but other insects could be influenced.”
Read Also
VIDEO: Ag in Motion documentary launches second season
The second season of the the Western Producer’s documentary series about Ag in Motion launched Oct. 8.
Orange wheat blossom midge is most damaging when its population peak coincides with the emergence of the wheat head from the boot. Timing for this developmental stage is usually the end of June or the first week of July.
Later seeding this year will result in the delay of this crop stage. Only in-field scouting will determine what stage the crop is in, whether there is an insect problem and whether the insect will cause yield or grade damage.
“Another pest that may be of concern this year is bertha armyworm. The adult moths are monitored by the Alberta Pest Monitoring Network, so information on potential egg laying concerns will be available to producers on Alberta Agriculture’s website once pheromone trap captures are reported,” Broatch said.
“Delayed seeding may open a window for more feeding time for larvae, and a swathing option to limit pest damage may not be as useful to producers this year. However, insecticide preharvest intervals may be easier to maintain and the increased moisture levels may help advance or increase the impact of a fungal disease that was observed in the bertha armyworm population last year.”
Concerns are not confined to the early part of the growing season. There is also the possibility of a tough harvest.
Broatch said last year, storage insects were a major concern because the presence of insects in grain limits delivery options for producers. Producers should prepare for such conditions by getting their storage bins ready.
