Insect Scouting Focus For Saskatchewan

Jun 30, 2020

The latest edition of the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network Newsletter is out and time to add a few more insects to your scouting list.

In Saskatchewan, diamondback moth catches seem to have slowed down in some areas with hotspots still remaining around Indian Head and Cadillac.

Bertha Armyworm model simulations indicate the first occurrence of larvae could begin later this week in the Saskatoon area.

As for grasshopper development its mainly in the first instar in the Saskatoon area, and in the second instar in the Regina and Swift Current areas.

Adult wheat midge are expected to start emerging this week in the Saskatoon area with peak numbers expected to hit in mid-July.

Producers should also be watching for wheat midge as the wheat heads start emerging in the field, and simulation models show pea leaf larval numbers continue to increase in the Swift Current area as eggs continue to hatch.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.