Watch for cutworm damage after emergence

John Gavloski, provincial entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), says crop insurance assessed a field of canola south of Bagot, Man., last week because of cutworm damage. Scott Hartley, provincial entomologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, recommends that growers scout closely for cutworms based on their higher activity in 2009 and preceding years.

Start scouting for damaged or missing plants on a weekly basis once the crop starts to come up. Cutworm feeding results in notched, wilted, dead, or cut-off plants, as shown in the photo. Patches of missing plants in the field are signs of early cutworm damage.