Crop Production Update:
- Grasshopper eggs are being found by agrologists across the province. Recent rains likely won't have a major impact on grasshopper populations this growing season. Grasshopper nymphs have been found in fields near Outlook, Kindersley and Regina. It’s important for producers to start scouting fields for potential eggs or nymph activity in order for strategic control measures to be implemented.
- Fields in northern Saskatchewan have heavy flea beetle feeding on volunteer canola. Producers across the province should frequently scout canola and mustard crops after emergence for potential flea beetle damage.
- The Fusarium Head Blight Risk Mapping Tool is now available for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba producers. This online resource analyzes weather data throughout the growing season to help producers assess Fusarium Head Blight Index, Fusarium-damaged kernels and Deoxynivalenol risks to their cereal crops.
Crop Protection Lab:
- The Crop Protection Lab (CPL) had a busy winter. Staff completed the lab work for plant disease surveys and the results were put into necessary reports. These reports were accepted and will be published in an upcoming issue of the Canadian Plant Disease Survey.
- The CPL completed herbicide resistance testing for over 70 clients and completed over 175 individual tests. Some client submitted samples that were submitted past the deadline are still pending, while the other tests have been completed and these reports have been sent. Herbicide resistance in weed populations continues to be an issue for many producers. If you suspect that you have a patch of herbicide resistant weeds in your field, the CPL encourages you submit samples to them so you are able to make science-based decisions to optimize crop productivity. The submission deadline for the next round of herbicide resistance testing is January 15, 2025. Please ensure that you are submitting enough seeds (2000 per test) and that you do not send the seeds in plastic bags (paper bags are best), as they will rot. Further submission guidelines can be found on the Herbicide Resistance Testing Samples webpage.
- Further, the CPL would kindly like to remind lab clients to ensure they are following the sample submission guidelines. Staff are anxiously awaiting the first samples to be submitted to the lab for the year and offers disease diagnostics, as well as weed and insect ID’s, if you have a pest that you can’t identify let the lab have a look.
In this issue:
Comparing Different Burrowing Rodents in Saskatchewan - Some burrowing rodents can threaten crop and livestock production in Saskatchewan. It’s important to correctly identify the different species to properly assess risk and implement effective management strategies.
Gopher Control with Raptors – Got rodents? Get raptors. Learn about the benefits of increasing raptor populations within fields to help control pest populations.
Spray Timelines for Fruit Crops - Be proactive and protect your fruit from pests and insects. Spray early in the crop development cycle.