THE PEST MANAGEMENT The Canola Pest Management GUIDE Guide
Introduction Canola pest control starts here In this small but mighty guide, you ll find everything you need to correctly identify, scout and manage the most economically important canola pests in Western Canada: flea beetles and cutworms. Packed with agronomic tips, images and actionable strategies you can use in the field, you ll be well equipped to make informed decisions about canola pest control now and for seasons to come.
Contents Section 01 Flea Beetles Identification 5 Life cycle 7 Outbreak factors 8 What s at stake? 10 Management practices 11 Scouting 12 Visivio seed treatment 20 Matador insecticide 21 Section 02 Cutworms Identification 24 Life cycle 26 Outbreak factors 27 What s at stake? 29 Management practices 30 Scouting 31 Fortenza seed treatment 37 Matador insecticide 38 WHAT S IN THIS GUIDE?
01 FLEA BEETLES
01 Flea Beetles 5 Identification In Western Canada, there are two primary species of flea beetles growers should be on the lookout for: 1. Crucifer flea beetle 2. Striped flea beetle Crucifer flea beetles are abundant across all canola growing regions, while their striped cousins can now be found in black and dark brown soil zones. 2007 2011 Crucifer flea beetle Striped flea beetle Other flea beetles Source: Dr. Julie Soroka from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
01 Flea Beetles 6 Identification Know your beetle! Crucifer flea beetle Crucifer flea beetles are oval shaped, less than 2.5 mm (0.1") in length, and uniformly blue-black and shiny. Striped flea beetle Striped flea beetles are oval shaped and 2 3 mm (0.075 0.12") long, with two distinct horizontal yellow stripes running the length of their otherwise black bodies.
01 Flea Beetles 7 Life Cycle Season Winter Early April Mid-June Mid-May Late July Mid-May Early August Mid-June Early August Mid-July October Life Cycle Stage Adults overwinter in leaf litter along shelterbelts or fencerows. Adults emerge and begin feeding on early-emerging weeds and volunteers, then move to emerging crops, like canola, and feed on cotyledons and first leaves. Females lay eggs at the soil surface. Larvae feed on root material of the developing plant; an earthen cell is formed for pupation. Pupal stage lasts for 7 9 days. Adults emerge from the soil and feed on leaves or pods of hosts.
01 Flea Beetles 8 Outbreak Factors Season Spring Fall Winter Outbreak Factor Under cool spring conditions, flea beetles often walk or hop to nearby plants to feed. When temperatures exceed 14 C, they are more active and can fly several miles in search of food.* A warm, open fall gives flea beetles sufficient time to feed then safely take cover for the winter. Good snow cover and milder winters protect flea beetles, reducing winterkill and ensuring healthy adult populations come spring. *Canola Council of Canada.
01 Flea Beetles 9 Outbreak Factors Agronomic risk factors Flea beetles emerge quickly in large numbers.* Striped flea beetles appear 1-4 weeks earlier than crucifer flea beetles. Sunny, warm dry weather increases feeding activity.* Most injury occurs at cotyledon and early true leaf stage.* Striped flea beetles favour stem feeding. *Canola Council of Canada.
01 Flea Beetles 10 What s at Stake? Uneven crop emergence Thin plant stands, increasing weed competition Wounds on leaves for diseases to enter Delayed crop development Uneven crop maturity Increased green seed count Stem feeding can cause loss of entire plants* *Canola Council of Canada 2015 impact of flea beetles in Canola Girouxville, Alberta. Taken June 16, 2015.
01 Flea Beetles 11 Management Practices * Monitor seeding stage; shot hole damage to cotyledons and early leaves often indicates adult flea beetle presence. Rotate your crops to promote good stand establishment. Optimize seeding depth to encourage fast emergence and growth and to compensate for feeding damage early in the spring. *Canola Council of Canada.
01 Flea Beetles 12 Scouting Scouting should be done weekly and in increasing frequency to daily when infestations approach economic threshold levels or when weather conditions favour the rapid development of specific pests.
01 Flea Beetles 13 Scouting Sample size by acreage* < 100 acres: Sample 5+ locations > 100 acres: Sample 10+ locations 1 2 3 4 10 Flea beetle scouting pattern for 100+ acre field 5 9 8 7 6 1. Collect: Walk along the field edges, fence lines or ditches; gather samples from different areas. 2. Assess: Look for feeding damage on the cotyledons and first true leaves of sampled plants. 3. Spray: Apply an insecticide if you observe an average of 25% damage in sampled plants. *Canola Council of Canada.
01 Flea Beetles 14 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0%
01 Flea Beetles 15 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 10%
01 Flea Beetles 16 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 20%
01 Flea Beetles 17 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 25% Action threshold reached TIME FOR The industry recommendation is to spray as soon as you observe 25% leaf damage during the early stages of plant growth (prior to the 4th leaf). Therefore scouting your fields for the first two to three weeks after emergence is critical. To scout, begin by sampling representative areas of your field (feeding is worse on the field edges so walk well into the field). Look for feeding damage on the cotyledons and first true leaves and only spray when you see an average of 25% leaf damage across your sampled plants. The photographs in this book will help you to accurately gauge feeding damage from zero to 100% damage.
01 Flea Beetles 18 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 50%
01 Flea Beetles 19 Scouting Flea Beetle Feeding Damage DAMAGE SCALE (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 100%
01 Flea Beetles 20 Visivio seed treatment represents the next evolution of flea beetle control. Visivio controls striped and crucifer flea beetles for up to 35 days and helps reduce the likelihood for in-season foliar insecticide. Two insecticides and four fungicides for enhanced early-season protection Proven activity on striped and crucifer flea beetles for up to 35 days Protects against Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Fusarium, seed-borne blackleg and seed-borne Alternaria Helps keep flea beetle population levels low, reducing the likelihood for a foliar insecticide control and saving time
01 Flea Beetles 21 If flea beetle damage on cotyledons and first true leaves reaches the 25% action threshold, fast-acting Matador insecticide protects your canola against reduced stand establishment and yield losses. Works on contact and through ingestion for up to seven days Active on adult flea beetles as they are actively feeding and moving into fields Registered for ground and aerial application in canola Fast-acting to stop further damage from occuring
01 Flea Beetles 22 Application timing Spray when action threshold of 25% feeding damage is reached Avoid application when heavy rain is forecasted Flea beetles: To prevent further migration of overwintering flea beetle adults throughout the field, ground spray a 15 m strip around the field as feeding approaches action threshold in the area Packaging Case: 4 x 3.78 L (Treats 440 acres at recommended rate for flea beetles) Water volume Ground: 10 gal/ac or 100 L/ha Aerial: 1 5 gal/ac or 10 50 L/ha Use water volumes at the higher end of the range to ensure good coverage for optimal insect control and minimal drift Refer to product label for a complete list of pests, application timing, rates and directions for use.
02 CUTWORMS
02 Cutworms 24 Identification There are five economically important cutworm species in Western Canada: redbacked, pale western, darksided, army and dingy. This guide focuses on two of the most relevant species: redbacked, which is dominant in the eastern Prairies, and pale western, which poses a greater threat in the West.
02 Cutworms 25 Identification Know your worm! Redbacked cutworm Source: Canola Council of Canada Source: Canola Council of Canada The larvae have two broad dull, red stripes along the length of their backs, a yellowish-brown head and measure approximately 38 mm (1.5") long. Pale western cutworm Larvae are colourless and about 3 mm (0.12") long. Fully-grown larvae have a yellow-brown head, are greyish-white to green in colour, and vary in length from 30 60 mm (1.2 1.4") long.
02 Cutworms 26 Life Cycle Season Winter Late April Early July Early July Mid-August Mid-August Early October Life Cycle Stage Adults overwinter as eggs laid in the fall. Eggs hatch and larvae begin feeding at night on nearby plants. Young larvae chew holes and notches in leaves, while older larvae eat into the stems and sever them at or just above the soil surface. Mature larvae pupate in the soil. Adult moths emerge. Females lay eggs just below the soil surface in cultivated fields.
02 Cutworms 27 Outbreak Factors Season Spring Summer Fall Outbreak Factor Warm and dry spring weather can increase the severity of damage from cutworms. Very dry soil during the larval stage increase cutworm behaviour and feeding habits. A hot, dry August also provides the best conditions for adult moth feeding. Cutworm moths lay several hundred tiny eggs on or just below the surface of loose, dry soil where they can comfortably overwinter.
02 Cutworms 28 Outbreak Factors Agronomic risk factors* Egg production and laying depend on the nutrition acquired from flowers. Late May to mid-june is the most active time for cutworms (seedling to rosette stage). Actively growing larvae (12 18 mm, 0.5 0.7") pose the greatest threat. *Canola Council of Canada.
02 Cutworms 29 What s at Stake? Uneven crop emergence Reduced plant stand Damage to flowers, young pods and stem surface tissue Uneven crop maturity
02 Cutworms 30 Management Practices * Natural biological enemies like parasitic insects, viral diseases and bacterial infections increase after year two of an infection and can reduce populations for at least two years. Minimum tillage creates a greater diversity of cutworm species, but also of the natural parasites that keep populations in check. Delaying seeding by 10 14 days may help reduce populations by starving young larvae populations. Weed control in fallow fields is critical in late summer when cutworms are laying eggs. *Canola Council of Canada.
02 Cutworms 31 Scouting Cutworms are nocturnal and hide during the day, making detection difficult. Inspect seedlings every 3 4 days during the first few weeks of crop development. Focus scouting activity on south-facing slopes and hilltops. Soils are warmer and soil texture tends to be lighter, which is conducive to cutworm feeding activity.
02 Cutworms 32 Scouting 1. Observe: Look for bare areas, holes and notches in foliage, and plants that are wilting, toppling over or completely cut off. 2. Dig: When notched, wilted, dead or cut-off plants are seen, dig around the roots (up to 4" deep) for cutworms. 3. Act: The economic threshold is 25 30% stand reduction. Patch spraying may be sufficient if concentrated to small areas.
02 Cutworms 33 Scouting What to look for Canola field with bare patches Source: Canola Watch
02 Cutworms 34 Scouting What to look for Clipped canola plants Source: Canola Watch
02 Cutworms 35 Scouting What to look for Redbacked cutworm and pupae Source: Canola Watch
02 Cutworms 36 Scouting What to look for Pale western cutworms Source: Canola Council of Canada
02 Cutworms 37 Fortenza seed treatment is a seed-applied insecticide that effectively delivers early-season cutworm control and can minimize the likelihood for an in-season foliar insecticide. Canola seed must be ordered to come pre-treated with Fortenza. Contains the active ingredient cyantraniliprole, which belongs to the bisamide chemistry group Combines with Helix Vibrance or Visivio seed treatments for broad-spectrum insect management and enhanced crop establishment
02 Cutworms 38 If damage reaches the suggested threshold of 25-30% stand reduction, fast-acting Matador insecticide protects your canola against yield losses due to stand reduction. Works on contact and through ingestion for up to seven days Active on the larval stage of all species of cutworms Registered for ground and aerial application in canola
02 Cutworms 39 Application timing Consider spraying in evening when cutworms are most active Avoid application when heavy rain is forecasted Do not apply in temperatures greater than 25C Packaging Case: 4 x 3.78 L (treats 440 acres at recommended rate for cutworms) Water volume Ground: 10 gal/ac or 100 L/ha Aerial: 1 5 gal/ac or 10 50 L/ha Use water volumes at the higher end of the range to ensure good coverage for optimal insect control and minimal drift Refer to product label for a complete list of pests, application timing, rates and directions for use.
For more information, visit Syngenta.ca, contact our Customer Interaction Centre at 1-87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-3682) or follow @SyngentaCanada on Twitter. Always read and follow label directions. Visivio is an on-seed application of Rascendo Seed Treatment insecticide and Helix Vibrance Seed Treatment insecticide/fungicide. Fortenza, Helix, Matador, Rascendo, Vibrance, Visivio, the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. 2017 Syngenta.