The Canadian Wheat Board is shining its pest spotlight on grasshoppers this year.
Wheat board agronomist Mike Grenier told farmers attending CWB Day at Crop Production Week in Saskatoon in January that they will have to watch for the usual array of pests, including wheat midge, fusarium head blight and ergot.
But grasshoppers pose the biggest potential threat.
“There could be a substantial increase in grasshoppers,” he told producers.
Grenier acknowledged that a lot of factors, primarily weather, can come into play between now and grasshopper season, but as things now stand, the voracious hopper tops the pest list.
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“The grasshopper population has been on the rise and farmers will have to pay particular attention beginning in June and keep an eye on the hatch and the buildup in population,” he said in a later interview.
“Before they become a threat in terms of feeding and moving into the fields, you’ll need to control them with pesticides where required.”
During his presentation, Grenier used grasshopper forecast maps published by the Saskatchewan and Manitoba governments to provide graphic evidence of the grasshopper outlook.
In Saskatchewan, the map indicates severe to very severe infestations in areas south of Swift Current, south and west of North Battleford, near Central Butte and around Prince Albert.
Forecast maps for Alberta and Manitoba are not yet available.
In a commentary attached to its map, Saskatchewan Agriculture said grasshoppers represent a significant threat in the coming year.
The forecast is based on a fall survey of adult grasshopper populations by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance. It reflects the number of grasshoppers capable of reproduction and egg laying and an estimate of the number of eggs that can survive the winter.
Grenier said wheat midge damage should be no worse than last year. The area at greatest risk has shrunk from last year.
“That smaller risk area, plus the new midge tolerant varieties available in 2010, is good news for producers,” Grenier said.
Fusarium head blight will remain primarily a Manitoba issue, but it is starting to move into other areas.
New hot spots could include the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, including Melville, Yorkton and north, and south-central Alberta.
“It’s not at high levels in the field, but it’s there and growers need to understand they’ll need to be monitoring for it,” Grenier said.
If growers don’t know what fusar-ium looks like, they should find out, he said.
They should also select varieties that have the right level of fusarium tolerance to reflect conditions in their area.
While the incidence of ergot was low in 2009, it was a downgrading factor in the 2008 crop.
“We’re not out of the wood yet on this because it can persist for a couple of years,” Grenier said.
