Two specific pests are targeting canola
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Alberta producers need to be aware of a number of pests that could harm their crops.
And which pests to scout for can vary depending on the crop.
“In Southern Alberta, some of the canola is coming in to flower and that’s when we scout for cabbage seedpod weevil,” Scott Meers, insect management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, told Call of the Land. “We haven’t heard a lot about threshold numbers yet but it’s really early.”
Cabbage seedpod weevil
The red turnip beetle has also been discovered in Alberta canola fields. The beetle usually doesn’t pose a large risk, but producers shouldn’t take it lightly.
“Occasionally some canola gets chewed off,” Meers said. “Producers may have to spray the edge of the field to stop them. Not widespread but certainly getting reports of that happening.”
Red turnip beetle
While those pests can be problematic for producers, other insects appear as if they may not impact crops at all.
“We’re getting some reports from agrologists out of Southern Alberta that in their lentil crops they’re seeing very few if any pea aphids,” Meers said. “Pea aphids have been a big concern the past two years but this year in their initial scouting they’re not seeing any. It looks like it’s going to be a low year for that insect.”
Pea aphids
Grasshoppers and pea leaf weevil have also been noticed in some fields.