By Scott Hartley, PAg, Provincial Specialist, Insect/Vertebrate Pest Management
Aphids are starting to be reported, primarily in lentil. In most cases, they have been noted as part of regular field scouting and numbers were not at economic threshold levels. However, humid conditions are good for development of aphid infestations.
The English grain aphid. Though they’re normally green, last year there was a high presence of the rare red morph.
It is often pea and lentil where aphids can be a problem. However, in canaryseed, aphids are almost an annual occurrence in July. In 2015 there were also widespread reports of the orange or red morph of the normally green English grain aphid in wheat.
Being soft-bodied, aphids are very sensitive to physical disturbance. A heavy rain or severe wind can dislodge aphids and reduce their numbers in a crop. Regular monitoring is essential in identifying changes in population densities.
Since aphids suck plant sap, the sap has to be actively flowing for the purpose of filling seeds. If seed filling is complete and the crop ceases to be lush and actively growing, the next generation of aphids may emerge in a winged form and migrate to other greener crops
Generally, plants require about a tenth as much sulphur (S) as nitrogen (N), but sulphur deficiencies restrict plant growth as surely and severely as nitrogen deficiencies. Canola and alfalfa are examples of high sulphur-using crops (see Table 1). Sulphur is not mobile in the plant, so a continuous supply of…
Humic substances have many benefits beyond just what is listed on product labels. They are an integral part of building a healthy soil system that contributes to developing more resilient and tougher plants, often reducing the pressure of many pathogens. In Richmound, SK a farmer has been using Black…
By Kim Stonehouse, PAg, Regional Crops Specialist, Tisdale May 2017 For some time now, producers have been aware of the potential for weeds to develop resistance to specific groups of herbicides. The first documented cases in Western Canada were wild oat and green foxtail that exhibited resistance to Group 1…
Plant Health Solutions 
