Flea Beetle problem in Canadian Prairie Canola as well as over here!

[Pilatus]

I have just read on www.parklandventures.com news page that they are suffering badly with Flea Beetle this spring. Always surprise me how such small insects survive Canadian Prairie winters.

 

[Fish]

I have just read on www.parklandventures.com news page that they are suffering badly with Flea Beetle this spring. Always surprise me how such small insects survive Canadian Prairie winters.

Like the Spanish slug, it's found in Norway, and is becoming a problem, apparently.

 

[Flat 10]

I have just read on www.parklandventures.com news page that they are suffering badly with Flea Beetle this spring. Always surprise me how such small insects survive Canadian Prairie winters.

Can they use neonics though?

 

[Brisel]

Can they use neonics though?

@BenB @Blaithin

 

[Pilatus]

Can they use neonics though?

Kenton Possberg who runs www.parklandventures.com will usually answer an queries I send to him via the message facility on the web site. You may perhaps wish to contact him with your query,always interesting making contact with farmers overseas.
I have visited Kenton a couple of times a great guy.

 

[BenB]

Yes, they still have Neo-Nic seed dressings available +\- Lumiposa (Lumiderm). It looks like crops are still being hammered this spring.

 

[B'o'B]

In the writing he did say they had more effective seed dressing 15 odd years ago. Would that have been chinook? Or something else?

 

[Blaithin]

Lumiderm treatment doesn’t seem to be very effective this year with the seedlings being stressed with low moisture and frost.

 

[Pilatus]

Lumiderm treatment doesn’t seem to be very effective this year with the seedlings being stressed with low moisture and frost.

Thankyou for the info, but it bears out what is on the farm website I mentioned.
It leads me on to ask ,in who's commercial interest would it be to spends thousands of dollars/pounds to ,genetically engineer plants that are resistant to pest attack,whether that be canola/osr resistant to flea beetle etc or wheat (in the uk) resistant to aphids /orange blossom midge. Know doubt nature is so strong it would eventually get around those traits that have been genetically engineered out.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Thankyou for the info, but it bears out what is on the farm website I mentioned.
It leads me on to ask ,in who's commercial interest would it be to spends thousands of dollars/pounds to ,genetically engineer plants that are resistant to pest attack,whether that be canola/osr resistant to flea beetle etc or wheat (in the uk) resistant to aphids /orange blossom midge. Know doubt nature is so strong it would eventually get around those traits that have been genetically engineered out.

Err, if you look at the cotton industry, you'll find that GM insect resistance has been around for 20 years or so.
The "Bollgard" technology is in about its third generation now
Was a real game changer in regards to massive massive reduction of insecticide use . . .
The terms of use, requirements of growers & the legislation are all very tight, in order to protect the technology & minimise the chance of insects developing resistance to the genes. It is something the cotton industry ( here, at least ) takes VERY seriously

 

[Blaithin]

There’s a variety of hard red wheat here that is resistant to orange midge and sawfly. If planted in a ratio of 1:9 with another variety it will provide protection I believe. It isn’t GMO, just good old fashioned breeding.

I believe it’s the b1 or b2 gene or whatever the heck it’s called in corn that they altered to protect it from a worm or bug of some sort (corn isn’t grown here so my corn knowledge is imprecise). If I recall the anti GMO arguments that could hold water, it’s that gene change that is shown to potentially cause issues in our own health.

I’d rather rely on plant breeding than GMO for resistance simply because GMO seeds put all the power in the seed producers hands. A good old hybrid that you can bin run for a couple of years would be far superior to forking over for GMO technology, and much less likely to cause rampant disruption to ecosystems.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Breeding Midge resistance ( non GM ) is a major focus of all grain sorghum seed companies here

Midge being a major insect pest of flowering Sorghum

Grain sorghum being the main summer grain crop here

 

[Farmer Roy]

All our seed companies focus on breeding disease & insect resistance

Isn't that normal ?

 

[Pilatus]

In the uk ,I think breeding for disease resistance has been of more importance to plant breeding companies, than breeding for insect resistance.

 

[yellow belly]

bt oilseed rape would in the uk would help more insects than it hurts

If we do not grow winter osr there is no early flowering crops for bees and pollinaters

 

[Blaithin]

bt oilseed rape would in the uk would help more insects than it hurts

If we do not grow winter osr there is no early flowering crops for bees and pollinaters

There are no bt canola strains registered for commercial use. Only trials in the southern states.

Somehow Canada has early flowering plants for pollinators in the spring, despite no winter crops. Wonder what plants they relied on before fields of OSR were planted there...

 

[Blaithin]

If you go to https://www.agriville.com/threads/38418-lets-see-your-crop-pics and check out the 4th post you can see a bit of what some of the guys are fighting here.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

If you go to https://www.agriville.com/threads/38418-lets-see-your-crop-pics and check out the 4th post you can see a bit of what some of the guys are fighting here.

Looks like Lumiposa is a waste of time and money?

 

[Blaithin]

Looks like Lumiposa is a waste of time and money?

This year it seems to be. Every year is different.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

This year it seems to be. Every year is different.

Have neonicotinoide seed dressings been any more effective this year?