Early-season disease and insect pest management tips
Higher-than-average temperatures earlier this month favoured the hatching and development of grasshoppers. Grasshoppers have been spotted in locations across the Prairie provinces. Find out about scouting tips, economic thresholds and management measures at:
• Grasshoppers: Identification, Monitoring and Management
If control measures of grasshoppers (or cutworms) are called for, please be aware of the recent re-evaluation decision on lambda-cyhalothrin (ie: Matador, Silencer). Learn more here.
Herbicide timing is in full swing in the southern part of the province, while the north and Peace region are not far behind. An unfortunately common recommendation seen in Alberta is the addition of a fungicide as a tank mix with herbicide application. This practice is considered a convenient solution for both weed and disease management. However, when fungicide is applied at early stages, does it help to reduce foliar diseases on flag leaf? Does it have yield benefits? Find out more in this article: Should you tank mix fungicide with your herbicide or plant growth regulator?
Crops have emerged and the cutworms are ready for it. The time to start scouting for cutworms is now! Find out more about pale western cutworm, the featured insect of the week by Prairie Pest Monitoring Network.
Be sure to keep the Cutworm Pests of Crops on the Canadian Prairies field guide close when scouting for cutworm!
While you are scouting for cutworms, the parasitoids (or cutworm killers) are scouting for them too! Have a peek at these beneficial insects here.