SASKATOON – Wheat midge caused $60 million worth of damage to Saskatchewan crops this year, said the provincial entomologist.
Wheat midge caused $10 to $12 an acre in damage on four million to five million acres, said Lloyd Harris.
Only about one-third of those acres were sprayed.
Wheat midge was found in areas of the province where it had never been a problem. It has also been discovered in North Dakota and Manitoba. Alberta and Manitoba have not done surveys of wheat midge damage, but Saskatchewan was the most affected of the prairie provinces.
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“For the first time populations were big enough to get everyone’s attention,” Harris said.
He is collecting and analyzing soil samples to see where infestations are likely next year. That should be finished by February or March.
“The areas are going to change.”
With high wheat prices, Harris expects an ever-widening circle of infestation.
“It’s already extended south and west of where it has been in the past.”
For the first time it was discovered as far west as Caronport and Mortlach, west of Regina. It was also found at Outlook and Lloydminster in the west-central areas of the province.
Hope they go away
“You don’t stop an insect population, you just live with them and hope the environmental conditions change so you don’t have to deal with them.”
Harris said the reports will also be used by chemical companies to help calculate the amount of insecticide to manufacture. There is less than 10 days during the summer when the crop can effectively be sprayed to control the insects.
“You can have a lot of wheat damage before you know it,” he said.
A parasitic wasp has been an effective control in established wheat midge areas. It will control up to 40 percent of wheat midge populations. But it takes several seasons for the wasp to move to newly infested areas.
