A8 Friday, May 25, 2018 - The Times
Manage healthy crops by looking out for cutworms Submitted by Maryna Van Staveren Summer Student, Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture As we go further into the 2018 growing season, growers and agronomists are on the lookout for pests in their crops. Cutworms have been a problem in the prairies in recent years. Good scouting and early control are key to preventing significant yield loss from these insects. Young seedlings are often the target of cutworms; however, cutworm populations are difficult to predict, and each species leave different symptoms on the plant. South facing slopes on lighter land are more popular for cutworm moths to lay eggs on. This typically occurs in late August to early September of the previous year due to the hot and dry weather. There are several species of cutworms that are of economic significance in Saskatchewan, but only four are responsible for severe damage. These four species of cutworms begin damaging seedlings in late May to late June. These species include the dingy cutworm, pale western cutworm, redbacked cutworm and army cutworm. All four are predators of major crops including oilseeds, cereals, forages and pulse crops. Dingy cutworms’ mature larvae are about 25-32 mm in length and possess a distinguishing broad grey strip on their back. The pale western cutworm mature larvae are approximately 40 mm in length and have a partly grey and green body, with a yellow-brown head while redbacked cutworms are about 38 mm in length, with broad reddish-brown stripes ranging down its back. The army cutworm is about 37-40 mm in length and its larvae has a greenishgrey body and a light brown head. All four pests tend to be hairless, long and smooth. They are most active during the night or late evening, sheltering in the soil or under debris during the day. Only the larval stage of their lifecycle causes damage to crops. The pale-western and redbacked cutworms overwinter in the top one cm of soil, hatching and beginning their larval stage from early April to late June. Due to their early activity in the spring, they pose a great risk to early seeded crops. The dingy cutworm larvae will begin to pupate by mid-June, whereas the army cutworm larvae undergo pupation by mid-May. Each species has a different feeding pattern. Redbacked cutworms and pale western cutworms are considered below-ground feeders. Young larvae of redbacked cutworms and pale western cutworms begin feeding on the crop before its emergence, damaging the plant shoots
and furled leaves. In early June, the larvae mature and begin feeding on the plants just below the soil level. Dingy and army cutworms are considered above-ground feeders as young larvae chew holes and notches in emerging leaves. As the larvae reach maturity, they tend to strip the plant stem. Damage can range from notches among leaf margins to full consumption of the leaf. The young larvae pose an increased threat over the adult since they eat large amounts of foliage when undergoing maturation. A good reference for more information on cutworms is “Cutworm Pests of Crops on the Canadian Prairies-Identification and Management Field Guide” (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). Scouting on a weekly basis throughout mid-May to mid-June is critical. It is important to keep an eye out for wilted or collapsed plants, plants that have notched leaves or bare patches which are all giveaway symptoms of cutworm activity. Growers need to determine whether the bare patches in their fields are due to poor germination, wireworms or cutworms. The top 5-7 cm (2-2.8’’) should be examined in order to determine if the damage caused by cutworms is above the economic threshold. The economic threshold for these cutworms is generally 3-5 larvae/m2, with 25-30% stand reduction in canola from dingy cutworm activity, assuming that it is not one block in the field. Spraying should be done before the damage exceeds the economic threshold. The type of cutworm species may have a small impact on spray timing decisions, but ultimately the control methods will be the same. Insecticides are available to control cutworms and should be applied in the evening when cutworms emerge to the soil surface to feed. Spraying at night also helps to lessen the damage of insecticide on beneficial insects such as bees. Only infested areas are required to be treated, as the larvae that are missed will eventually come into contact with treated residues and will be exposed to the insecticide. Other control methods for cutworms involve natural predators. Many predaceous insects, parasites and birds reduce the cutworm population during their lifecycle. These include ground beetles, parasitic wasps and tachinid flies. Keeping uncultivated fields weed-free reduces the likelihood of female moths laying eggs. Crops seeded later in the spring are less susceptible to losses from cutworm. If volunteer cereals show signs of cutworm infestation, cultivating the soils and keeping it black for 10 days prior to seeding will starve the larvae.
Assiniboia Livestock Auction and Weyburn Livestock Exchange would like to Congratulate our Team of Auctioneers on their impressive showing at the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) 21st Annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Championship held in Whitewood, SK, May 10-13, 2018.
Ken McDonald of Weyburn Livestock Exchange won the LMAC Man/Sask Auctioneer Championship and Brady Olson was named LMAC Rookie of The Year.
Congratulations!
Cooperative Scholarship
Julianne Heagy, Southland Co-op Member Relations Officer, presented to Brandon Fjeldberg this years Southland Co-operative Ltd. Scholarship to a Fourth Class Power Engineering Technician student of the Southeast Regional College Coronach program. Southeast Regional College provides over $184,000 in scholarships to their students. This year over 164 student applications were received. Congratulations to all of the 4th Class Power Engineering Technician students who have successfully completed this year’s program.
Southern Rebels review year during annual general meeting The 2017-2018 annual general meeting of the Southern Rebels was held at the Canalta Hotel in Assiniboia on May 15. The Board of Directors present at the meeting included the president of the board, Dale Berner, governor and previous president, Danny Cayer and General Manager, Brett Tiffen. Treasurer, Sharon Schauenberg, presented a concise and detailed financial report, which has not been audited as of yet. Secretary, Carol Marit, recorded the minutes. Directors Grant Marit, Kylie Volsky and Jason Berner were also present at the Junior B Rebels’s annual general meeting. Much of the evening’s discussion was based on Schauenberg’s financial report
SALE BY TENDER 1.
Under the provision of The Tax Enforcement Act the RM of Willow Bunch offers for sale the following property: Block 1 Block 13 Plan No. BY2344 Extension 21 Title # 150618843
2.
A tender must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Property Tender” addressed to the RM of Willow Bunch Address: Box 220 Willow Bunch, SK S0H 4K0
3.
Tenders must be postmarked by 4:00 PM on : Date Friday June 8, 2018
4.
A certified cheque to the municipality for 5% of the amount of the tender must accompany the tender. Tenders submitted without certified funds will not be considered.
5.
Highest, or any tender, not necessarily accepted.
6.
Minimum tender for the amount of taxes owing applies plus GST.
7.
Successful bidder will have 30 days to provide the balance of cash to complete the purchase. The deposit will be forfeited if the successful bidder does not finalize the agreement for sale within the required time.
8.
All legal costs, title transfer fees and applicable taxes are the responsibility of the purchaser and are in addition to the bid price. Dated May 25, 2018 Sharleine Eger Administrator of RM of Willow Bunch
and her presentation of the many innovative ways the club raises funds, including scratch tickets, golf tournaments and lottery sales, proving the club doesn’t rely on gate receipts to maintain stability. Schauenberg also spoke on the club’s expenses, such as new jerseys, bus transportation and ice costs. Brett Tiffen gave an announcement about the hockey camp on August 11 in Caronport, with 63 invites so far. Twentytwo kids want to sign-up for the club, with hopefuls coming as far as Ontario. Nominations: Carol Marit returns as secretary. Sharon Schauenberg remains as treasurer. Dale Berner retains his role as president and Grant Marit replaces Blair Oancia as vice president.
Please Recycle This Paper JOB POSTING The Town of Willow Bunch invite applications for a summer student. The successful applicant must be returning to school in the fall and would be directly responsible to the Foreman. The list of duties may include, but not limited to: Equipment maintenance Operating equipment Any other duties as assigned by Foreman Successful applicants must possess a valid Class 5 driver’s license. Applications for this position should forward their resume, including references to: The Town of Willow Bunch Box 189 Willow Bunch, SK S0H 4K0 Or email town.willowbunch@sasktel.net Or fax 306-473-2312 Applications close: June 1st, 2018