The 2008 Peace Region Lygus Bug Survey

The Insect Pest Management Program, based at the Beaverlodge Research Farm, performs an Annual Canola Insect Pest Survey in commercial fields grown throughout the Peace River region.  The objectives of the surveying efforts are to monitor and collect biological data for insect pests of canola (e.g., lygus bugs, diamondback moth, Bertha armyworm, cabbage seedpod weevil).  Canola fields are randomly monitored using a sweep-net and staff members perform fifty, 180° sweeps per field.  A total of 135 commercial canola fields were randomly surveyed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada staff throughout the BC and Alberta Peace in July.  Sampling was performed on the following days within the following areas:

• July 8: Beaverlodge, Hinton Trail, Rio Grande, Hythe.
• July 9-10:  LaGlace, Sexsmith, Dunvegan, Fairview, Hines Creek, Bluesky, Grimshaw, North Star, Manning, Hotchkiss, Peace River, Nampa, Guy, Valleyview.
  
• July 12: Valleyview, Debolt, Bezanson, Grande Prairie.
  
• July 13: Woking, Spirit River, Blueberry, Savanna, Silver Valley, Bay Tree, Dawson Creek, Doe River, Clayhurst.
  
• July 15: Dawson Creek, Fort St.John, Montney, Baldonnel, Taylor.
  
• July 16: Eaglesham, Whitemud Creek, Guy, Jean Cote, Tangent, Watino, High Level, LaCrete, Fort Vermilion.

Summary

Lygus bug numbers (i.e., adults + nymphs) are expressed in the attached map as the number per 10 sweeps.  Points in yellow or red exceeded the economic threshold for lygus at flower as compared to updated economic threshold values that now account for greater fluctuations in commodity prices and application costs.  As always, producers are strongly encouraged to monitor individual fields prior to making their pest management decisions.  Also, producers need to be cautious with pre-harvest intervals if insecticides are being considered for control measures.

AAFC staff again found no evidence of cabbage seedpod weevil in 2008 in their surveying within the Peace River region.  Diamondback moth and larvae were present in some sweep-net samples, occurring only in very low numbers.  Otherwise,  sweep-net samples were relatively pest-free with low arthropod numbers recovered in most fields.  It is interesting to note, a single field of Polish (B. rapa) was surveyed out of the 135 fields monitored in 2008.

Acknowledgements for surveying and data processing go to:  Amie Nemecz¹, Corry Lemire¹, Ross Weiss², Hector Carcamo³, and Joe Unruh⁴ , all of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.  We thank the many canola producers throughout the Peace River region who allow us to monitor their fields.
1         Beaverlodge Research Farm
2         Saskatoon Research Centre
3         Lethbridge Research Centre
4         Fort Vermilion Research Farm

Project Funding

Project Funding Funding for this project was provided by: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canola Council of Canada, and Western Grains Research Foundation.

Contact Information

Contact Information For more information contact:

Jennifer Otani, M.Sc.,
Pest Management Biologist/Biologist, gestion des insectes nuisibles
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada
Beaverlodge Research Farm
P.O. Box 29/C.P. 29
(Couriers use #1 Research Station Road),
Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada, T0H 0C0,
tel. 780.354.5132,
fax. 780.354.8171,
e-mail:  otanij@agr.gc.ca