Reports of fields in Eastern/Central Ontario with threshold levels of soybean aphids have been coming in this week. Chris DiFonzo, MSU has also alerted us to very high numbers showing up in Michigan, especially in the thumb which could migrate here into Ontario via any future storm fronts. It is very important to be out […]
Our trap network has been up and running for nearly a month and surprisingly, trap counts have been very low so far. The lowest we have ever seen them for this time of year. We typically see moth catches peak the mid to second last week of July which means peak egg laying is usually […]
Question: Once canola starts to bolt, do I need to be concerned about damage from Swede Midge. Answer: Yes. Canola is susceptible to significant damage up to secondary branch development. Once secondary branches begin to bud, canola is not subject to serious damage. The importance of secondary branches to yield depends on plant density. Under normal […]
Our trap counts of adult swede midge this week have spiked to high levels in some areas. To view a map indicating swede midge trap catches go to Ontario Canola Grower’s website at www.ontariocanolagrowers.ca. Regularly check this website for updates on the level of swede midge in your growing area until your canola is beyond the […]
The Ontario Canola Growers, OMAF and MRA and the University of Guelph are working together to monitor swede midge this season. As swede midge is difficult to detect until the damage has been done, monitoring stations have been set up in Ontario’s major canola growing areas. You will find the 2013 trap count maps indicating […]
I have been hearing reports of soybean aphids starting to pop up on non-Cruiser soybeans in Ontario. It has been a few years since we’ve had to deal with them so I thought a refresher might be in order. Soybean aphids initially start to colonize in pockets of early planted fields. Several plants in these […]
I admit that scouting soys when just the cotyledons are out makes for tough pest injury diagnostics. It does take some years of experience to really get to know what you are looking at. Three pests that commonly feed on the cotyledons include seed corn maggot, bean leaf beetle and slugs. Occasionally, the feeding damage […]
Many growers are frustrated by trying to control the high populations of flea beetles this season. Some have sprayed for control only to see high populations reappear several days later. Although flea beetles are most active under warm sunny conditions, moisture generally favours insect development. It is important to not spray too soon. Expect to […]
I was concerned about the potential risk for armyworm this year, given that we had a cool, wet April which is not ideal for their natural enemies. But to have back to back armyworm years is rare. Will Ontario beat those odds this year? I have had reports of armyworm being present in many wheat […]
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is our newest pest of concern for Ontario agriculture. Though we have not detected it yet on any of its crop hosts, we have confirmed it has established breeding populations here in Ontario and is successfully overwintering in homes in Hamilton, Toronto, Newboro and most recently Windsor. It is likely […]
We are getting a lot of calls about alfalfa weevil in various counties nearing or reaching threshold. Scouting is strongly recommended. Joel Bagg wrote a very thorough blog entry last year regarding scouting and management options so I won’t bother to repeat his efforts and instead direct you to that blog here. […]
It is rare to experience back to back armyworm outbreak years. This is usually because the natural enemies (particularly parasites and entomopathogens) build up in an outbreak year and are in good supply the following year to keep up with the armyworm. However, armyworm outbreaks do tend to occur after a cool, wet April since […]
With corn planting season soon upon us, it is a good time to remind everyone to take extra precautions to try to reduce the risk to bees being exposed to neonicotinoid contaminated dust from corn planters. Virtually all corn seed is treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide (ie. Poncho or Cruiser), and with over 200 incidences […]
We are looking for growers who are interested in participating in our study this spring/summer. Art Schaafsma (UGRC) and myself have received funding to work on some particular questions with regards to corn planter dust and bee incidences. We are looking for 2 corn growers per county from the following counties: Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, […]
Dr. Rebecca Hallett will be offering a Swede Midge Identification Workshop on Friday, April 5th from 10 am to noon, University of Guelph. Session in the lab, looking at swede midge and other easily confused insects on sticky cards with naked eye and microscope; swede midge specimens on sticky cards and in alcohol under microscope; […]