On occasion we see this odd looking injury in corn in Ontario. It can be deceiving as the culprit that did the damage is usually long gone. Only once the whorl of the corn opens up is the damage noticeable. Stink bug injury is often confused with mechanical injury from the sprayer or even herbicide […]
There have been 5 western bean cutworm moths found in traps so far in Ontario. All have been in the southwestern part of the province. First two were caught on June 14th! To put things into perpective, last year it took until July 12th to catch a total of 5 moths in the province so […]
Our first weekly soybean aphid scouting map is now available. Click on the link below to see it. Ontario Soybean Aphid Scouting Map for Week of June 14th 2010 So far, no aphids have been found at our sites though I am aware of soybean fields near Palmyra and Ottawa with soybean aphids in them. […]
I had the fortune of speaking with specialists at the University of Delaware (Galen Dively and Joanne Whalen) yesterday and learned more about these grass sawflies. Delaware finds them in many of their fields every year and scouts early each season to see if they are going to be a problem. Here is what I’ve […]
There have been a few sightings of large masses of rose chafer adults in corn, soybeans and even other crops like strawberries. These adults are known to be pests in grapes and well, roses. Even though the masses of adults look alarming, they are not going to do much damage to the corn and soybeans. […]
Several wheat fields were found with grass sawfly north of London from Hyde Park to Kintore and St. Marys. Damage averaged anywhere from 3 heads clipped per square meter to 30 heads clipped per square meter! Reports have also come in from Rodney, Glencoe, Molesworth, Brussels and now northern Huron County. Scout fields to determine […]
There have been a number of reports of heads being clipped in wheat. Some of it can be blamed on armyworm, but some cases (at least in Rodney) have been due to larvae known as grass sawflies. These larvae are green to green-yellow in colour with a yellow brown head. They look like caterpillars but […]
I have heard reports now from a few different locations of both wheat heads being clipped and leaf feeding taking place in corn in southwestern Ontario. This is a good sign that true armyworm is present. Both wheat and corn fields need to be scouted to determine if armyworm is present. Here is an article […]
Calls continue to come in of feeding damage found even in corn larger than 5 leaf stage. Some of the larger plants (6-7 leaf) are being mined into at the base of the plants and smaller plants are being cut off. In most of the cases, the culprit is black cutworm. Though it is odd […]
Gaps in the stand are starting to show this week. Aside from the typical culprits, moist soils can promote the less often accused. Millipedes are typically a beneficial arthropod that breaks down crop debris and decaying plant material. However, in the last few years, we’ve been seeing more direct feeding by them. What is happening? […]
This year’s Southwest Crop Diagnostic Day Program is now available at: http://www.diagnosticdays.ca/index.cfm Register soon as space is limited to 200 people per day! […]
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 […]
Attention WBC Trap Participants – Pick up your trap supplies next week Supply pick up dates have been set for next week. Those who have contacted us and agreed to monitor WBC traps this year can pick up their supplies at the following locations. Please bring a cooler with you or plan to go home […]
Leanne Freitag (of Cargill) informed me this afternoon of some cereal leaf beetle activity in the Clinton area. Adults and eggs were easily found recently and larvae are expected to be feeding soon. Given that the wheat is already near or in the boot stage, it is very important to protect the flag leaf from […]
Thanks to Nick Zwambag for commenting on here that they are seeing cabbage seedpod weevil activity in winter canola near thamesville earlier this week. But with this weather, little can be done about it and fortunately the cool temps should slow them down a bit. Scout once this front goes through and see what infestations […]