It was a busy weekend for pest activity.
Flea beetles in canola continue to be a problem in some areas of the province, particularly Owen Sound, New Liskeard and Meaford. This hot weather is ideal for them to get ahead of the crop. Scout frequently to determine if thresholds have been reached. The Ontario Canola Growers’ blog has photos to show you what 25% feeding damage looks like. Once the crop is beyond the 4 leaf stage, it can usually grow ahead of the feeding activity. See the Field Crop Protection Guide for foliar recommendations. If using Matador, apply it early in the morning or late in the evening after the heat of the day as spraying above 25C temps can lessen the products effectiveness.
Cereal leaf beetles are in very high numbers in the Clinton area. Leanne Freitag (Cargill) informed me that eggs they were monitoring last week have hatched and they have found a field that had populations as high as 10-15 per plant in part of the field. One adult or larvae per plant is the threshold. Protecting the flag leaf is most important. Scout frequently to determine if they are present and stay ahead of any feeding activity. Spray timing may or may not coincide with Fusarium control. Don’t wait to control CL B for more than a few days if thresholds are already reached and feeding on the flag leaf has started. More info on thresholds and products is available in the Agronomy Guide for Field Crops and the Field Crop Protection Guide.
True Armyworm eggs have been spotted on wheat in the Chatham area by Joe Tomecek. No reports of larvae or damage have come in but lets stay alert and make sure that armyworm does not get ahead of us. Wheat needs to be scouting every 3-4 days to stay ahead of both CLB and true armyworm activity.