Insect Pest Management on the Prairies: A Research Update
Meghan Vankosky Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon
Field Crop Entomology at AAFC-Saskatoon
• Dr. Tyler Wist – Wheat and cereal pests (e.g., aphids, wheat
midge, and aster yellows leafhoppers) • Dr. Chrystel Olivier
– Phytoplasmas that cause plant diseases (e.g., aster yellows), flea beetles
• Dr. Meghan Vankosky – Oilseed and pulse pests (e.g., canola flower
midge, pea leaf weevil), insect population ecology (PPMN)
Pea Leaf Weevil, Sitona lineatus
C. Herle, AAFC
Adult image: Natasha Wright, Cook’s Pest Control, bugwood.org
Jon Williams, AAFC
PPMN 2020; map by David Giffen
PP
MN
202
0; m
aps
by D
avid
Giff
en
Ongoing Research
1. Best insecticide management practices
2. Trap crops for new generation control 3. Biological control
Image: Shelley Barkley, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Management with Insecticides
L. Poppy, AAFC
• 5 treatments replicated in 4 blocks at Swift Current, SK – Systemic (S) Insecticide = Thiamethoxam – Foliar (F) Insecticide = λ-cyhalothrin (Matador)
• 3 years: 2017, 2018, and 2019 S + ½ F
S + F
Foliar
Systemic
Control
Image by Lee Poppy, AAFC
Management with Insecticides Assessed: • Feeding notches at 3, 5, and 8-node stages • Root nodule damage at flower • Field pea yield
Thiamethoxam Reduced Foliar Damage in 2017
0
10
20
30
40
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic + ½Foliar
Systemic + Foliar
Feed
ing
Not
ches
per
Pl
ant
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic +1/2Foliar
Systemic +Foliar
Insecticide Treatment (Vankosky et al. 2019)
2017 2018
More Thiamethoxam Effects: • Less damage to
terminal leaves • Less damage to
root nodules A A
B B B 0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic + 1/2Foliar
Systemic + Foliar
Cla
m L
eaf N
otch
es
A A
B B B
0
20
40
60
80
100
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic + 1/2Foliar
Systemic + Foliar
Nod
ule
Dam
age
(%)
Thiamethoxam Protected Against Yield Loss in 2017
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic + 1/2
Insecticide
Systemic + Foliar
Yiel
d (k
g/ha
)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Control Foliar Systemic Systemic + 1/2
Insecticide
Systemic + Foliar
Insecticide Treatment (Vankosky et al. 2019)
2017 2018
Take Home Messages • Weevil pressure varied in the three years of the study
• Systemic insecticide prevented damage and protected against yield loss when weevil pressure was moderate
• There was no benefit to applying foliar insecticides – Dubbed “revenge spraying” by Scott Meers
• Applying insecticides when weevils are absent is costly, may negatively impact natural enemies of PLW and other pests
The Canola Flower Midge: a Newly Identified Species in Western Canada
Meghan Vankosky1 and Boyd Mori2
1 AAFC-Saskatoon, [email protected]
2 University of Alberta, [email protected]
A Tale of Two Midges
(Hallett and Heal 2001; CFIA 2007; Mori et al. 2019)
Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPC, bugwood.org
Contarinia nasturtii (swede midge)
Contarinia brassicola (canola flower midge)
Boyd Mori, AAFC
Canola Flower Midge Research Two projects funded by the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) from 2017 to 2019: 1. Life history and impact research
a. Distribution b. Life history c. Impact d. Biological control
2. Development of a pheromone-based monitoring tool Image by Jon Williams
Distribution of C. brassicola • Transect-based survey of
late-flowering canola
• North to south, AB, SK, MB
• Galled flowers per raceme recorded at 10 locations per field
• Over 700 sites surveyed in three years
(Mori and Vankosky 2017)
Distribution of C. brassicola
Present = Absent = x
(Mori and Vankosky 2019; Map courtesy of R. Weiss)
N = 703 fields in three years
Distribution of C. brassicola
(Mori and Vankosky 2019; Map courtesy of R. Weiss)
Are Swede Midge Present? No!
(Mori and Vankosky 2017, 2018, 2019)
Pheromone trap sites in 2017
Biological Control: Parasitoids Reared parasitoids from larvae collected during the survey • 2017: 9 of 37 sites in SK; 33%
parasitism at one site
• 2018: 3 of 41 sites in SK; one parasitoid per site
• 2019: parasitism observed, but less than in previous years
Image by Shane Hladun
Parasitoid Identification: Ongoing • Two species have emerged from midge collected in
Saskatchewan: – Inostemma sp. – Gastrancistrus sp.
Image by Shane Hladun
• Not found attacking swede midge in Ontario
Phenology of C. brassicola • Emergence cage study:
– Current year canola fields – Previous year canola fields – Both checked weekly
• Canola plant dissection – Un-caged canola plants – Weekly dissections
Images by Jennifer Smith
Adult CFM Activity - 2017
0
5
10
15
20
25 18
-May
24-M
ay
01-J
un
08-J
un
13-J
un
21-J
un
28-J
un
05-J
ul
12-J
ul
19-J
ul
26-J
ul
02-A
ug
08-A
ug
17-A
ug
23-A
ug
31-A
ug
Adu
lt M
idge
Date of Sample Collection
Canola Canola Stubble
(Vankosky et al., in prep.)
Adult CFM Activity - 2018
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
13-J
un
21-J
un
28-J
un
05-J
ul
12-J
ul
18-J
ul
26-J
ul
02-A
ug
09-A
ug
16-A
ug
23-A
ug
Adu
lt M
idge
Date of Sample Collection
Canola Canola on Canola Canola Stubble
(Vankosky et al., in prep.)
Adult CFM Activity - 2019
0
50
100
150
200
19-J
un
27-J
un
04-J
ul
11-J
ul
17-J
ul
24-J
ul
31-J
ul
07-A
ug
14-A
ug
21-A
ug
28-A
ug
04-S
ep
Adu
lt M
idge
Date of Sample Collection
Canola Canola on Canola Stubble Canola Stubble
(Vankosky et al., in prep.)
Seasonal Presence, All Sites, 2019
(Vankosky et al., in prep.)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16 28
-Jun
04-J
ul
11-J
ul
17-J
ul
24-J
ul
31-J
ul
07-A
ug
14-A
ug
21-A
ug
28-A
ug
Larv
ae p
er P
lant
Eggs
and
Infe
sted
Flo
wer
s pe
r Pl
ant
Collection Date
Eggs Infested Flowers Larvae
Eggs laid in/on flower buds or stems
Images by Shane Hladun
Larvae develop in galled flowers
Images by Jenn Holowachuk, Shane Hladun, and Boyd Mori
Larvae drop to the soil to pupate
Images by Boyd Mori
Canola Flower Midge Impact? • Counted the number of harvestable pods on nearly 3000 racemes in late
August • Each pod accounts for 9.1% of yield on an average raceme (containing ~26
seeds) • % Yield loss per raceme = damaged flowers per raceme x 9.1%
– Values below assume consistent levels of infestation across fields, but damage actually seems quite patchy (distribution of damage across fields needs to be determined)
Estimated Damage / Raceme Number of Fields Surveyed Estimated Yield Loss / Raceme
> 3 flowers/raceme 1 > 27.3%
2 to 3 flowers/raceme 2 18.2 to 27.3%
1 to 2 flowers/raceme 17 9.1 to 18.2%
<1 flower/raceme 305 <9.1 %
0 flowers/raceme 378 0%
Canola Flower Midge: Summary • Widespread across AB, SK, and MB
• Parasitoids present but parasitism rates are low and variable
• Likely two generations per year (adults, eggs, and larvae present all summer)
• Damage limited to flowers
• Could impact yield under certain conditions
Image by Boyd Mori
Acknowledgements: CFM SK/MB Survey: Boyd Mori, Shane Hladun, Jon Williams, Jennifer Holowachuk, Owen Olfert, Julie Soroka, et al. AB Survey: Scott Meers, Shelley Barkley, Keith Gabert, Patty Reid, et al. Phenology/Impact: Justin Kim, Kosuke Saita, Aidan Hamilton, Jennifer Smith Map development: Ross Weiss Field site sources: Lyle Cowell, Emily Boorer, canola growers Funding: Canola Agronomic Research Program
Prairie Pest Monitoring Network Coordinated monitoring network, established in 1997 that:
– Standardized monitoring protocols, equipment, and mapping of pest and beneficial insect populations
– Monitors existing and invasive insect populations – Forecasts pest status and issues timely risk warnings – Assesses crop/insect/climate interactions using
modeling tools
PPMN 1. Conduct surveys
– Pests and beneficial insects – Using standardized protocols at set times in growing
season
PPMN 2. Produce Weekly Updates during growing season
– Available at: https://prairiepest.ca
PPMN 3. Use spatial analysis (GIS) to summarize the
distribution and density of pest populations – Technology transfer = distribution and forecast maps
• Provincial and regional scales • Interpretive text
– Maps finalized and distributed in winter
(PPMN 2020; map by David Giffen)
Acknowledgements: PLW, PPMN PLW: Lee Poppy, Jon Williams, Patty Reid, Rob Dunn, Ken King, JP Pettyjohn, Jenny Seward, Alberta Pulse Plot2Field Team, Meghan McNeil, Nathan Heuver, Vivian Morley-Senkler, Victoria Penner, et al. PPMN: Scott Meers, Shelley Barkley, John Gavloski, James Tansey, Carter Peru, Ross Weiss, Owen Olfert, Julie Soroka, Dylan Sjolie, et al.
Canadian Agricultural Partnership Pulse Cluster
Thank You