Terry Spence took time out from fencing on his farm near Bonnyville in
northeastern Alberta to talk about grasshoppers.
“The drought is bad. The grasshoppers, that is worse, a lot worse and
it looks bad for next year already.”
Normally Spence wouldn’t have the time to put up fence or talk to a
reporter. He would be aerial spraying in most years.
As the owner of Bonnyville Air Service for the past 22 years, he
follows insect populations and crop conditions closely. This season the
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grasshoppers are abundant, but farmers aren’t spraying.
“We’ve reached the economic threshold to spray. That’s seven hoppers
per (sq.) metre. We’ve got lots of pastures and fields with 50, 100,
150. Folks are more worried about finding pasture or water for cattle
than about spraying for grasshoppers,” he said.
Areas that didn’t get decent rain this season have poor crops and
pastures. Farmers are choosing to cut their cash losses by not
spraying. But Spence said unless conditions are cool and wet next
spring, there will be even more grasshoppers in 2003 after this year’s
population breeds in August.
Alberta Agriculture has characterized the outbreak as the “worst in 30
years.”
Dan Johnson of Agriculture Canada in Lethbridge said many areas from
northwest of Edmonton to south of Swift Current, Sask., and from
Athabasca, Alta., to Lloydminster, Sask., are at risk of moderate to
severe grasshopper damage.
“Every farmer has to evaluate their own situation. Time spent checking
fields only to find they don’t have a problem is never wasted,” he said.
Near Drumheller, Alta., south to Fort Macleod, Spence said the aerial
attack is well under way.
“Where they got some rain and the crops and pasture are better,
producers are choosing to spend the money on spraying. And these are
definitely hot spots for grasshoppers,” he said.
Despite recent rain, Johnson is finding populations of more than 30 of
the insects per sq. m in some Southern Alberta roadsides that are still
lush with grass.
“Normally they would be moving to the adjoining crop by now. But the
rain resulted in grass and the grass is keeping them in the ditches.
They tend not to move much if there is food available.
“But I saw five to 10 percent crop damage in those places despite
this,” he said.
In east-central Alberta and west-central Saskatchewan, grasshoppers are
compounding the already serious drought. Dryness and heat have resulted
in low mortality and accelerated growth for the grasshoppers in this
region.
A cool, late spring delayed grasshopper development and it was hoped
that this would keep the high populations from breeding.
“They were two weeks behind. They’re only one week behind now and every
35 C day is the same as two or three days in a normal year,” said
Johnson.
“So it looks like they’ll breed this year after all.”
Not every grasshopper is a pest. Many early-appearing grasshoppers are
not a problem.
But 90 percent of the grasshoppers found in crops and ditches now are
pest species. On pasture, 60 percent are pests. As of July 17, the
first of the grasshoppers were starting to fly, but 90 percent were at
the fourth instar stage with only wing buds.
“In the wetter areas we could see some serious head clipping in all
cereals including oats. No matter where a producer is, there could be
risk to crops this year,” he said.
Johnson recently got a grant from Alberta Agriculture to hire two
summer assistants to help monitor the population this season. The
students have already started work, Johnson said.
“Now we will be able to provide regular, accurate reports about the
situation and gather information to use in next year’s forecast.”
The assistants will also allow the provincial annual grasshopper
forecast to be released in December rather than February.
He said it is difficult to get funding from producer groups or
government for grasshopper research and monitoring despite the high
annual cost of the pest.
The Alberta government recommends that farmers spray in crops where
there are seven to 13 or more grasshoppers per sq. m and on roadsides,
with municipal approval, where there are 13-24 or more. It will pay a
benefit of up to $4 per acre to assist with spraying costs.
For more information, visit /res2.agr.ca/lethbridge/stafprof.htm and
click on Dan Johnson.
