CROP PROTECTION & PEST CONTROL

General surveys conducted last season were for:

• grasshoppers

• bertha armyworms

• diamond back moths

• army cutworms

As well, several fields were checked for the presence of

• lygus bugs

• beet webworm

• cabbage seed pod weevil

• wheat stem sawfly

We also continue to randomly inspect seed for the presence of the fusarium graminearum pathogen which is a declared pest in our County and we recommend that you test your seed to ensure you are not introducing this pest. We also conducted sampling and undertook control measures around the villages and hamlets for the West Nile Virus mosquito (culex tarsallis), for the second year in a row.  

Last season we also had a beneficial pest show up in the area. This was the Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui). They live on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. From the deserts of northern Mexico, the painted lady migrates and temporarily colonizes the United States and Canada south of the Arctic. Sometimes, population explosions in Mexico will cause massive northward migrations. This is what happened in 2005 and is why this orangy - brown butterfly was so prevalent on the grills of our vehicles and in every field where Canada thistle was growing from the middle of June until the middle of July.  These population explosions are not cyclical but when they occur as was witnessed last year, they can do a number on the thistle.

Gopher control was another area which we were involved in this past season. Last year we sourced a pre-mixed ready to use wet 2% strychnine product from Maxim Industries out of Pincher Creek. The product is mixed using clean AB oats and is considerably fresher than previous years when it came out of Ontario. The feedback  we have received has been positive so we are continuing with the program in 2006. Last spring we distributed forty six 12kg pails and fourteen 8 kg pails to 49 producers.

As usual several insects, diseases and pests could be a problem in the 2006 season so it will be prudent to monitor your crops and gather all of the information you can to avoid serious economic loss.