Insect Pest Management on the Prairies: A Research Update

Meghan Vankosky Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon

meghan.vankosky@canada.ca

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

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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

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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

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Thiamethoxam Protected Against Yield Loss in 2017

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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, meghan.vankosky@canada.ca

2 University of Alberta, bmori@ualberta.ca

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

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Canola Canola Stubble

(Vankosky et al., in prep.)

Adult CFM Activity - 2018

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Canola Canola on Canola Canola Stubble

(Vankosky et al., in prep.)

Adult CFM Activity - 2019

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Canola Canola on Canola Stubble Canola Stubble

(Vankosky et al., in prep.)

Seasonal Presence, All Sites, 2019

(Vankosky et al., in prep.)

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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