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Flea beetles poised to feast on canola crops: insect specialist

May 23, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Saskatchewan’s canola growers have reasons to fear flea beetles this year, according to the province’s insect pest specialist

James Tansey said one way to get around flea beetle damage has always been to plant early, but farmers were not afforded that opportunity this year due to the long winter. Added to that has been the recent weeks of hot, dry weather.

“What this means is the potential for young seedlings to be exposed to high flea beetle numbers and high flea beetle activity,” he said.

Tansey said a more mature seedling has much higher resistance to flea beetles then a younger seedling because the younger plants will be beginning development at a time when flea beetles are at their peak numbers for the year. Tansey said insecticidal seed treatments are still very effective, but not against all species.

“There are two major species of flea beetles,” he said. “The striped seem less susceptible to the seed treatments,”

Tansey said there are other products that have group 28 insecticides which can offer better control.

Grasshoppers

Tansey said the annual grasshopper pressure is measured based on surveys taken from the previous year. This year, he said those surveys all indicated numbers will be low.

“There were relatively low numbers of grasshoppers last year laying eggs, so this year’s population looks relatively low,” he said.

Tansey cautioned there may be some outbreaks in localized areas, so producers who may be affected should still routinely check their fields.

 

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NigelMaxwell