Buy a subscription

Home Contact Sitemap Checkout

Farming Smarter

Print This Page

Project Abstract

Distribution and abundance of insect pests in Alberta that affect field crops is correlated with climate, weather, agronomic practices, and natural enemies.

These factors can be used to forecast insect pest populations and better understand where and when crops may be affected. Bertha Armyworm and Diamondback Moth traps/lures are the first pest Farming Smarter assesses in the spring, on our field just East of Lethbridge.

Following those is Pea Leaf Weevil notch counts, conducted throughout Lethbridge and Taber counties. Next, Farming Smarter conducts canola sweeps in the Lethbridge and Taber counties, collecting the insects and sending them to Shelly Barkley for counting multiple insects, focusing on Cabbage Seedpod Weevils.

Last, but not least Farming Smarter collects soil samples for wheat midge and counts saw fly infected wheat stubble in the Lethbridge and Taber counties. Shelly Barkley promptly uploads the collected data to the Pest Monitoring website so farmers can be aware of pest population patterns and make management decisions in a timely manner each year.

This program is vital for sustaining Alberta's agriculture production.

Project Details
Timeline 2019-2022
Principal Investigator:

Shelley Barkley
Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
Project Contact: Trevor Deering
Funded By:

Wheat and Barley, Pulse, & Canola Commissions (25%), CAP, Canada (75%)


Project Objective

  • Actively monitor multiple insect pest populations in Lethbridge County and M.D of Taber

Methods

For detailed methods of each pest, visit: https://prairiepest.ca/monitoring-protocols/

Diamondback Moth & Bertha Armyworm

Pea Leaf Weevil

Location Selection

Location Selection

Canola field

Farming Smarter contacts its partners that produce canola in the Lethbridge and Taber Counties and/or drives around the counties to find pea fields

Adjacent to last year's canola field

5 pea fields in each county are chosen and must be at least 20km apart from each other

On the field margin, not in the crop, in an easy to access location to visit weekly

The fields should not have been sprayed yet, and plants should be between the 4th and 6th node stage (usually late May to early June)

Avoid: shelterbelts or a grove of trees, adjacency to a steep ditch, or ½ km vacuity to a strong light source (farmyard light)



Set up and Reporting

Counting and Reporting

Farming Smarter puts up to traps (reported as one location) at least 50m apart in one field

5 location, 1 m into the field and 10 m from the field entrance, are counted in a row

The traps are placed together in the crop margin

Feeding notches are count on each leaf from 10 plants

When the time is ready, traps are put up with Lure and/or Vapona products to attract the moths

  • Diamondback moth sticky card traps are placed in the field in early may for 6 weeks

  • Bertha Armyworm traps are placed in the field in mid-June for 6 weeks

The 5 locations should be 25 m apart from each other

Once a week (after setup) the insects are collected and counted, then reported online for fast update of the Pest Monitoring website.

Counts are collected and data sent to Shelly Barkley for reporting


Cabbage Seedpod Weevil

Wheat Midge Soil Sampling

Location Selection

Location Selection

5 commercial canola Fields, that are at 25% flower (approx. late June into early July), in each county are chosen and must be at least 20km apart from each other

Wheat fields that have been combined

The fields should not have been sprayed with insecticide yet

5 wheat fields in each county are chosen and must be at least 20km apart from each other


Sweeping and Reporting

Sampling and Reporting

25, 180-dergree sweeps are done in the crop 5-10 meters into the field

In a swathed field, samples are taken in between swathes and under swathes, randomly

Samples are collected, labelled, stored in a cooler

If combined, samples are taken in between and in swath rows, randomly

Samples are sent to Shelly Barkley for sorting, counting, and reporting each pest type

Also, samples are taken within stubble rows and in between stubble rows, randomly

4≥6-inch cores are taken, 17 cores with a ¾ inch core sampler, and 10 cores with a 1-inch core sampler

Each sample should be 10 meters apart in a horseshoe pattern

The samples are aggregated into a pale then bagged and tagged, then sent to Shelly Barkley for counting the midge and reporting (samples should not be frozen at any time)

Wheat Steam Saw Fly Counts

Location Selections

Wheat fields that have been combined

5 wheat fields in each county are chosen and must be at least 20km apart from each other

Counting and Reporting

A meter stick is used to count the wheat stubble that have wheat stems that are short and stubby, cut by saw fly (it can be easier to count stubs by pulling or digging up the wheat crowns)

4 counts are conducted 50 meters apart from each other

Cut and Uncut wheat stems are counted, recorded, and sent to Shelly Barkley for reporting

Results

2021 Summary -> Lethbridge County

Good News, no wheat midge larvae found in any of the fields we surveyed in 2021. Wheat midge does not pose a significant risk in Lethbridge for 2022. Producers and agronomists should be prepared though to monitor the wheat when it heads out if we get a wet June and there is also delayed seeding which puts wheat flowering square in the period of wheat flowering.

The bertha armyworm site was well below the first warning level of 300 moths. Trapping will continue to be very important in 2022.

Three out of the 5 locations surveyed for wheat stem sawfly in Lethbridge had cutting, one 17%. We only visit 5 fields in the entire county, so there could be pockets of higher sawfly damage that we didn't find. Sawfly numbers will increase if the dry summers continue.

Pea leaf weevil damage was low in three of the five sites sampled in Lethbridge county. There were 2 fields that were above threshold, which will put a red blob on the pea leaf weevil map for 2022. Producers are going to want to evaluate the need to treat seed with insecticide using their experience on their farm and their risk tolerance.

Cabbage seedpod weevil were generally lower compared to most years but there were still 1-3 samples that were near or above economic threshold. Cabbage seedpod weevil will continue to be a potential problem every year, especially in the first to flower fields.

Three fields with sawfly cutting damage were found. We will return to the vicinity of these fields for the 2022 survey, because the sawfly will fly across the road or fence line to lay eggs in adjacent wheat fields. Wheat stem sawfly populations have been increasing in southern Alberta due to the current hot, dry weather cycle we are in.

Diamondback moth traps across the province, did not catch many, if any, so it is pretty safe to say that diamondback moth did not get blown into the province during trapping period.

2021 Summary -> Taber County

Good news, no wheat midge larvae found in the samples.

Wheat stem sawfly was found in one of the fields. Expect sawfly to increase if the dry weather cycle continues. We will return to the vicinity of fields with saw fly in 2022 survey.

Pea leaf weevil damage was present in nearly all fields surveyed in 2021, of course producers will want to make decisions on seed treatments based on their experience on their farm and their tolerance of risk. Pea leaf weevil will be a perennial problem. Taber too, will probably be a red blob on the map.

Cabbage seedpod weevil were generally lower across southern Alberta compared to most years but there were still some samples that were near or above economic threshold, especially from the online reporting done by agronomists. Cabbage seedpod weevil will continue to be a potential problem, especially in those fields to come into flower in first in June.

2020 Summary -> Lethbridge County

Found no wheat midge larvae in any of the field surveyed in 2020. Wheat midge does not pose a significant risk in Lethbridge for 2021.

Of the 6 bertha army worm sites in Lethbridge, only one was above the first warning level of 300 moths and one over the second warning level. Trapping will continue to be very important to determine if this small outbreak may be bigger in 2021.

Wheat stem sawfly numbers in Lethbridge County were zero, but that doesn't mean all producers escaped damage by the insect. We only visit 5 fields in the entire county, so there could be pockets of sawfly we didn't find. Sawfly numbers will increase if the dry summers continue.

Pea leaf weevil damage was fairly low in Lethbridge County, except for one field. This is consistent with the situation across southern Alberta. They will continue to be a perennial problem.

Cabbage seedpod weevil were generally lower compared to most years but there were still some samples that were near or above economic threshold. Cabbage seedpod weevil will continue to be a potential problem every year.

Diamondback moth traps had very low levels of moths caught.

2020 Summary -> Taber County

One field contained wheat midge larvae. Wheat midge does not pose a significant risk in Taber but could build up in irrigated wheat if lots of wheat is grown in successive years in an area or repeatedly on the same field.

Three bertha army sites in Taber and all were below the first warning level of 300 moths. Trapping will continue to be very important to watch for a possible build-up in the population.

Wheat stem sawfly was not found in any of the fields surveyed this fall, however that doesn't mean there isn't any in the MD. We only visit 5 fields in the entire MD, so there could be pockets of sawfly we didn't find. Sawfly numbers will increase if the dry summers continue.

Pea leaf weevil damage was fairly low compared to historical averages. They will continue to be a perennial problem.

Cabbage seedpod weevil were generally lower compared to most years but there were still some samples that were near or above economic threshold, especially from the agronomist collected samples. Cabbage seedpod weevil will continue to be a potential problem every year, especially for the first fields to come into flower in June.