Midge-tolerant wheat varieties include AAC Broadacres VB, AAC Chiffon VB and AAC Whitehead VB.
It’s estimated that based on wheat priced at $10 per bushel, producers can achieve $70 per acre in yield and grade benefits by planting midge-tolerant wheat, the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Program says.
The data collected from the survey will be used to manage the program, which the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition operates.
Some farmers could see higher populations of wheat midge in 2023 compared to previous years.
In Saskatchewan, for example, the 2023 Wheat Midge Forecast Map “shows increased numbers of wheat midge compared to the relatively low counts for the 2022 forecast.”
Farmers are encouraged to scout fields to determine if a pesticide application is necessary.
“To determine midge populations and, if necessary, timing of an insecticide application, growers are urged to monitor conventional wheat fields during the susceptible period – when the wheat head becomes visible as the boot splits until mid-flowering (anthesis),” Saskatchewan’s map says.