There is clearly a renewed interest in trapping for Western bean cutworm (WBC) in 2015. This is understandable, given that WBC caught us off guard in 2014 with ear damage being reported across much of Ontario, beyond our typical hot spot areas. Sign up to the Ontario WBC Trap Network: We will be mapping trap […]
Let’s start on a positive note. We did not find any brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) during our corn or soybean field survey this year. Though the eager summer students are always disappointed that they come back each year with nothing to show for their training and scouting efforts, I am always relieved. The not-so-great […]
Many Ontario Fields Don’t Need Neonicotinoid Treated Seeds Assess Your Risk for Early Season Insect Damage Fill out the Pest Evaluation Checklist for Corn or Soybean for your farm at ontario.ca/bx1n Use this Pest Evaluation Checklist to target the use of insecticide seed treatments on corn and soybean seed for fields with identified risks. […]
Author: Jocelyn Smith, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus “Check your fields for WBC and ear rots now and consider harvesting early to stop mould growth. Adjust your combine to discard lightweight mouldy kernels and dry mouldy corn as soon as possible.” If you had trouble finding Western bean cutworm (WBC) egg masses when scouting back […]
Either our own resident WBC populations did fine over the winter or the recent storm fronts brought in the bunch of moths from the US or a combination of the two. But reports are coming in that fields between Thamesville and Bothwell and near Rodney have reached threshold, well, sort of. What is messing up […]
Authors: Jocelyn Smith and Andrea Hitchon, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus The time to start scouting corn for corn rootworm has arrived! There are a few important objectives for scouting for rootworm injury including: scouting can help protect yield, plan control measures for next year, and detect potential cases of resistance to Bt traits. The […]
We are starting our 2014 field survey for the new invasive insect pest, brown marmorated stink bug. In particular, we are looking for corn and soybean fields that meet the criteria below. We will scout for the pest within the first 30 rows of field (where we expect to first find the insect), as well […]
Author: Jocelyn Smith, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus Growers in the high WBC risk areas (sandy soils) saw heavy infestations of WBC in 2013 and many were surprised by the survival and amount of damage by WBC on Bt corn. Bt corn hybrids that express the Cry 1F insecticidal protein such as the Herculex® and […]
Low levels of armyworm, cereal leaf beetles and grass sawflies have been spotted in various wheat fields over the last week. Scout to make sure these don’t get out of hand. With any of these, protecting the flag leaf is most important. Armyworm and grass sawflies clip the wheat head off too. Armyworm feed at […]
When springs are cool and wet, it results in two things. 1) Difficulty with getting good weed control in before planting and 2) Pushing planting into cooler soils that may cause the seed to sit for a while. Both of these can increase the risk for early season pest issues. Here are some of the […]
Early season corn insect pests can significantly impact stand establishment. Below are the main corn seedling pests along with scouting technique, action thresholds and management strategies. (OMAFRA Publication 811, Agronomy Guide, Chapter 13 and Publication 812, Field Crop Protection Guide) Wireworm Description: Wireworms are 7 – 35 mm (1/4 to 1-1/3 inches) long, cylindrical, copper-brown […]
There continues to be some mixed messaging going on in terms of when and where Bayer Fluency Agent must be used this growing season. Here are the facts as stated by PMRA. NOTE the exceptions below: 1) The mandatory use of Fluency Agent only applies when planting corn and soybeans. All other crops are exempt. […]
Many people are assuming that pests won’t be a problem this year given the long and very cold winter we had. Though overall there could be a reduction in pest populations, this is not necessarily true for all of our key pests. Some of them are quite tolerant to harsh winters and deal with it […]
In order to mitigate risk of dust exposure to bees, Ontario stakeholders believe that practical initiatives to reduce dust released during planting should be considered. This includes the use of an improved seed lubricant and the use of planter deflectors, in order to minimize pollinator exposure. Two key ways to mitigate dust drift, as referenced […]
We are looking for OSCIA members who are interested in planting on-farm strip trials of neonicotinoid and fungicide only corn seed this year. Key objectives include: 1) gaining a better understanding of where the important soil insects are in Ontario corn fields so that we can develop high risk maps and 2) measure the economic […]