The 2015 Annual Peace Canola Survey was completed by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada staff based at Beaverlodge, and Saskatoon. Samples were also kindly collected with help from the BC Pest Monitoring Contractor, Arlan Benn, and Canola Council of Canada Student Assistant, Trina Drummond.
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 2015, a total of 162 canola fields were randomly selected. Fields were spaced approximately 10 km apart and surveying was performed through the main canola producing areas of the BC and Alberta Peace during early- to mid-flower stages. Unfortunately, fewer fields were sampled north of 57.3° in 2015 (i.e., near Manning, LaCrete, Fort Vermilion and High Level) owing to sparse and patchy canola fields that suffered from repeated frost events and severe drought. In 2015, sweep-net monitoring was performed in 162 commercial fields of Brassica napus (e.g., each field ≥80 acres in size) using 50 – 180° sweeps on the following dates in these areas:
- July 5 near Grimshaw, Manning, Hawk Hills, LaCrete.
- July 6 near Valleyview, Guy, Falher, Nampa, Peace River, Jean Cote, Girouxville.
- July 7 near DeBolt, Grande Prairie, Bezanson, Teepee Creek, Wanham, Rycroft, Sexsmith.
- July 8 near Fairview, Blue Sky, Berwyn, Tangent, Watino, Eaglesham, Ridge Valley, Kleskun Hills, Wembley, LaGlace, Dawson Creek, Rolla, Rose Prairie, Montney, Beaverlodge, Valhalla, Woking, Spirit River, Dunvegan, Hines Creek.
- July 9 near Rolla, Doe River, Clayhurst, Farmington, Taylor, Baldonnel, Fort St. John, Golata Creek.
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 2015 summary includes seven economically important pests of canola reported from 162 surveyed canola fields:
- Lygus
- Grasshoppers
- Diamondback moth
- Root maggot
- Bertha armyworm
- Leafhoppers
- Cabbage seedpod weevil
Source : AlbertaCanola