Return to Canola Council Home
AAFC has published a new cutworm guide, available as a free download, with descriptions of all pest cutworms in Canada as well as helpful management tips, including this excerpt from the scouting section…
Diamondback moth
-
-
Pod-eating insects — including bertha armyworm, lygus and diamondback moth larvae — are at low levels in general in 2016. The biggest factors regulating insect populations are (1) weather, (2) natural enemies and (3) competing food sources. Each is working in favour of lower insect pest pressure this year… -
Thresholds for diamondback moth larvae are 100-150 larvae per square metre in immature to flowering plants and 200-300 larvae per square metre (20-30 per square foot) in plants with flowers and pods… -
Before spraying, make sure your canola is at the right stage to be damaged by the worms and that the worms are actually the species you’re trying to control. Here’s how to tell the difference… -
Lygus is one insect you may find in canola this week, but spraying lygus before pod stages rarely provides an economic benefit. Lygus do most of their damage at the pod stages… -
Diamondback moth larvae and grasshoppers have been reported, but so far nothing of widespread significance. The photo shows what grasshoppers can do to a canola plant, but their damage is usually isolated to small patches. Bertha armyworm adult traps are coming down with very little in the way of hotspots… -
Bud damage and insects are being found together in some canola fields, but that does not mean insects are the primary reason for the damage. Take a moment to assess the damage before making unnecessary or poorly timed insecticide applications. Key points to consider… -
Grasshoppers. If populations are significant and crop feeding has begun, a spray or bait application around field edges may be enough to reduce the threat. Grasshoppers are easier to manage…… -
Flea beetle thresholds don’t change with frost, but frost may have changed the crop assessment situation. Here’s how…
