The 2014 Annual Peace Canola Survey was completed by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada staff based at Beaverlodge, Saskatoon, and Lethbridge.
Samples were also kindly collected by the BC Pest Monitoring Contractor, Arlan Benn, and staff from the Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA).
Since 2003, the annual survey has been performed with the main objectives of:
(i) collecting insect pest data throughout the region and
(ii) to detect introduction of the Cabbage seedpod weevil into the Peace River region.
In 2014, a total of 206 canola fields were randomly selected. Fields were approximately 10km apart and surveying was performed through the main canola producing areas of the BC and Alberta Peace during early- to mid-flower stages. In 2014, sweep-net monitoring was performed in 205 Brassica napus fields plus one B. rapa field (e.g., each field ≥80 acres in size) using 50 - 180° sweeps on the following dates in these areas:
July 3-5 near Manning, Hawk Hills, LaCrete, High Level, Fort Vermilion.
July 7 near Dunvegan, Fairview, Royce, Hines Creek, Whitelaw.
July 8 near Bezanson, Debolt, Whitemud Creek, Valleyview, Little Smoky, Hythe, Valhalla, Beaverlodge, Elmworth.
July 9 near Grimshaw, Peace River, Watino, Eaglesham, Rycroft, LaGlace, Valhalla, Spirit River, Bonanza, Silver Valley, Blueberry Mountain, Woking.
July 11 near Sexsmith, Woking, Teepee Creek, Girouxville, Valleyview, High Prairie, McLennan, Guy, Valleyview.
July 14 near Fort St. John, Rose Prairie, Prespatou, Montney, Dawson Creek, Rolla, Dow River, Clayhurst, Cecil Lake, Baldonnel.
July 16 near Farmington, Dawson Creek, Watino, Girouxville, Jean Cote, St. Isidore, Nampa, Falher.
Sweep-net samples were frozen then processed to generate data for 16 species of arthropods. Lygus specimens were identified to all five instar stages.
The 2014 summary includes seven economically important pests of canola reported from 206 surveyed canola fields:
Lygus
Root maggot
Diamondback moth
Bertha armyworm
Grasshoppers
Leafhoppers
Cabbage seedpod weevil
download the 2014 Peace River Region Canola Survey
Source: Alberta Canola Producers Commisssion