SARDA Ag Research - April 2022

April 2022

SARDA Ag Research News

Table of Contents Krishanthi (Kris) Vithanage, MSc. P.Ag.

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Plans for 2022

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Insect Survey Results – 2021

Page 6

BeGrainSafe

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Herbicide Resistant Wild Oat Herbicide Demo in Wheat-Donnelly 2021

Page 10

Managing Flea Beetles

Page 13

Fertilizer Effects on Soil Moisture Changes during Crop Growing Seasons of Dryland Agriculture in Northwestern Alberta, Canada

Page 15

Our newest staff member

Research and Summer Activities Provincial insect survey results and forecasts SARDA Ag Research hosted the trailer and made it availagle for training emergency first responders

Wild oat resistance to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides in Peace Region crops is a growing issue A joint project to evaluate the effectiveness of various cultural methods of control for flea beetles.

Peer reviewed paper published in 2022.

ON THE COVER Our predominant canola seedling insect pest; the striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta sp.)

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SARDA Ag Research News

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Krishanthi (Kris) Vithanage, MSc. P.Ag.

’m Krishanthi Vithanage, the Research Coordinator at SARDA AG Research. I moved to Falher in the first week of April with my husband, Sam and my three and half-year-old son Devin, from Fort Vermilion, AB. I served for Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA) in Fort Vermilion, AB, for four years as the Office Manager and Extension Coordinator before moving to SARDA Ag Research. Previously, I lived in Nova Scotia for five years and in Prince Edward Island for two years, holding positions in Agriculture Research.

I was born and raised in Sri Lanka, where I obtained my first degree, BSc in Agriculture, from the University of Peradeniya in 2004. Afterward, I served as a temporary academic staff member at the Faculty of Agriculture, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, for two yrs. In 2007, I completed my 1st Master’s degree in Crop Science/Horticulture and moved to Canada in 2011 with a scholarship to start my second Master’s degree at Dalhousie University. I graduated in 2013 with a MSc. in Plant Agriculture and was trained on the best agronomic practices to produce processing carrots. The areas I trained in include management practices, variety, seeding depth and rate evaluation, and developing models for seedling emergence at

different soil moisture and temperatures. I worked for the Nova Scotia Crop Development Institute for three seasons while gaining experience in small plot trials on cereals, legumes and oilseed crop research. From 2016 to 2018, I worked for Cavendish Farms in Prince Edward Island as a Research Associate. I conducted research trials on potato seed production, variety evaluation, and testing crop protectants and fertilizers.

I moved to Alberta in 2018 to work at MARA, leading the extension program to serve producers in Mackenzie County. I transferred knowledge and technology on crop and livestock production, provided agronomic solutions to farming questions, and assisted with soil, water, and feed testing, helping increase their farming IQ level. I enjoy doing yoga, Zumba, travelling during my leisure time, and spending time with my family.

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I am looking forward to working closely with the producers in the region to help address current issues and improve crop production within sustainable systems with the research findings from SARDA Ag Research trials and my personal experience. I’m looking forward to the 2022 field season to conduct field trials and to meet you all at our field tours. Happy farming season to everyone.

SARDA Ag Research News

Donnelly Corner, Forage Seed Variety Trials July 13, 2021

By Shelleen Gerbig, BSA, P.Ag., SARDA Ag Research

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Plans for 2022

ARDA Ag Research has a busy year planned for 2022. For example, we will continue to monitor Diamond Back Moths, Bertha Army Worms, Wheat Midge and the Pea Leaf Weevil as participants in the provincial Pest Monitoring program. Diamond Back Moth traps are placed by the end of April.

These moths do not overwinter in Alberta but arrive via wind currents from the southern United States.

During the summer, we will monitor the different pests in the South Peace Region.

score calculated to give a rating of excellent to poor.

Trials in their final year of fieldwork include Canola Seed Size and Depth, Field Scale Flea Beetle Trials, Small Plot Flea Beetle Trials, and Intercropping.

Project leads for several trials with fieldwork completed in the 2021 season are preparing final reports top be released throughout the year. Look for the Industrial Hemp Seeding Date, and Rate trial, the Industrial Hemp fertility trial, Ultra Early Wheat Trial, Novel Crop Rotation Trial and the Resistant Wild Oat Demonstration reports.

The water quality testing program, which began in 2011, will also continue. Water quality is sampled in 3 locations within the MDs of Smoky River and Greenview in the spring and fall. The laboratory analyzes the samples for nitrogen, phosphorous, coliforms, turbidity, suspended solids, E.coli, 100 different pesticides, and 34 metals and ions. The data is fed into a River Water Quality Index and an index

Continuing trials are the Cereals Regional Variety Trials of several classes of wheat (approximately 40 varieties), oats (10 varieties), barley (22 varieties) and new in 2021, malt barley (11 varieties). We also participate in the Pulse Regional Variety Trials, which include green peas ( 5 varieties), yellow peas (15 varieties) and faba beans (6 varieties). Additional trials include the β-glucan Oat Variety Trial, Maximizing

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SARDA Ag Research News Feed Barley Trial, an Industrial Hemp Herbicide Trial and several private Industrial Trials.

Oat Control Demonstration that was very popular with producers.

The Deep Banding of Immobile Nutrients from 2018 to 2020 had fascinating results. SARDA Ag Research will apply some of those results to a field-scale trial from 2022 to 2026. This field-scale trial evaluates the effects on crop production of deep banding phosphorous every four years compared to shallow placement annually. The crop rotation will follow the recommended sequences of a 4-year crop rotation.

There are trials in the works that will be announced as they are confirmed. These will be listed on our website.

Subscribe to the SARDA Ag Research information emails (www.sarda.ca) to stay informed on the activities and events we plan to have in 2022. SARDA Ag Research intends to host several field events exploring the resistant wild oat demonstration, crop staging, field school, a forage seed production tour, and a sprayer drone demonstration. Inside extension events include a Resistant Wild Oat Management Webinar (April 13 – 6:30 pm) and a Crops Diseases Session.

Calvin Yoder also has a full slate of trials planned as the Forage Seed Specialist. He will be working on managing bluegrass and foxtail barley in grass seed crops, growth regulators and fungicide on creeping red fescue, timothy, bromegrass and crested wheatgrass. His herbicide work also continues on forage grass seed crops and alsike and red clovers.

Establishing perennial ryegrass by under seeding to Invigor canola is showing promise as a new practice and will be continued in 2022 for further evaluation.

Calvin has also agreed to repeat the Resistant Wild

SARDA Ag Research supplies biocontrol at the trial sites for anyone who wishes to view the trials during the summer. The sites are open to the public and we welcome everyone to our events.

August 5, 2021

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SARDA Ag Research News

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Insect Survey Results – 2021 Big Lakes County

ARDA Ag Research participates in the provincial insect surveys each year. In 2021, our pest monitoring took us to three municipalities; Big Lakes County (BLC), Northern Sunrise County (NSC), and the MD of Smoky River (SR). Our survey efforts and traps were strategically placed to get the best coverage of the major cropping areas within each municipality.

The bertha armyworm site in Big Lakes was above the first warning level of 300 moths. Trapping will continue to be important to watch for a possible buildup in the population.

Once again we were seeing pea leaf weevil damage in the survey conducted in early June. No weevils were actually found, however, the level of notching was very low and this does not pose a risk at this time.

There were no wheat midge found in the soil samples.

Wheat midge could return in 2022 as a threat to wheat production as wet conditions and seeding delays will increase the risk of wheat midge. Overall the risk from wheat midge appears to be low for 2022.

We monitored 3 Bertha Army Worm Traps, and 3 Diamond Back Moth Traps. We surveyed 3 fields in BLC, 3 fields in NSC and 6 fields in SR for pea leaf weevil, the latest insect pest to make its way to the Peace Region.

The pea leaf weevil survey involves looking closely at 50 plants in each field, listing the nodes affected and the number of notches per node. For the wheat midge monitoring, we collected 10 shallow soil samples from 4 fields in BLC, 3 fields in NSC and 4 fields in SR. These soil samples were sent to Shelley Barkley for processing.

SARDA Ag Research would like to thank the producers who gave us access to their land to complete the surveys.

Bertha Armyworm (Baw)

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SARDA Ag Research had one trap location near High Prairie in Big Lakes County. Bertha armyworm is very cyclical. In order to catch outbreaks and help producers

SARDA Ag Research News yield loss potential. Extended cool weather delays weevil movement into the field. Yield impact is lower if the crop advances past the 6 node stage before the weevils arrive.

The numbers represented here are generated from assessing feeding damage on 10 plants in 5 locations in a field.

SARDA Ag Research surveyed 3 fields in Big Lakes County.

Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW)

minimize losses it is necessary to maintain a good monitoring system using pheromone traps. The number of moths caught in the traps informs us of the risk of damaging populations with a 3 to 5 week lead time.

Field

Average Node Stage

Total Notches

Average notches/ Plant

1

4.76

0

0

2

5.3

29

0.58

3

4.38

0

0

Wheat midge (soil) (WM)

Potential damage may be more or less severe than suggested by the moth count data depending on weather and crop conditions and localized population dynamics. Research has clearly shown that very few fields are ever affected in an area with moth catches less than 300. Even at higher moth counts field scouting is critical for pest management decisions because experience has shown that field to field and even within field variations can be very large.

Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW)

Experience has shown us that high numbers of pea leaf weevil adults in fall will likely mean significant infestation levels in the following spring. The timing and intensity of spring damage is strongly related to the onset of warm conditions (>20oC) for more than a few days in April or May. The earlier the weevils arrive in fields the higher

Wheat midge is an insect that increases in numbers in wet years. Numbers can vary drastically from field to field and we try to sample wheat adjacent to the previous years’ wheat in order to pick up populations if they are present. There is no definitive way to know exactly the risk in any given field so field scouting when the wheat comes into head is critical. The numbers shown here give a general trend of midge populations. Individual fields will have a different risk. These numbers are generated by taking soil samples from wheat fields after harvest using a standardized soil probe.

In Big Lakes County, SARDA Ag Research collected soil samples from 4 fields, representative of the different agricultural areas in the municipality. Zero midge were found.

photo by Shelley Barkley. Alberta Seed Guide 2017

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SARDA Ag Research News Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW)

Northern Sunrise County

Damage caused by pea leaf weevil was found in the survey conducted in late May – early June. It is clear that pea leaf weevil is now established in the Peace Region. The notching is very nominal and is not an issue in the Peace at this time.

Wheat midge (soil) (WM)

Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW)

photo by Sask Wheat Development Commission

We found no wheat midge in the 3 fields surveyed this year. It appears that the wheat midge risk is very low for 2022. Producers and agronomists should be aware that wheat midge does exist in your area but at this point the risk is very low, but should there be moisture in June and delayed seeding, midge could be an issue.

Field

Average Node Stage

Total Notches

Average notches/ Plant

1

4.3

0

0

2

4.52

0

0

3

5.88

0

0

4

4.68

1

0.02

5

5.2

0

0

6

4.98

2

0.04

Wheat midge (soil) (WM)

No wheat midge. In 2022, producers should be prepared to be scouting their wheat as the heads emerge, especially if wet conditions and/or late seeding occurs because pockets of damage could occur.

Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW)

The pea leaf weevil survey once again found some very limited feeding damage (1 feeding notch in 50 plants in one field) in the fields checked in Northern Sunrise. Pea leaf weevil is now established in the Peace region but to this point damage levels have been low and do not warrant any control actions. SARDA Ag Research surveyed 3 fields in Northern Sunrise County.

Diamond Back Moth (DBM)

Pea Leaf Weevil (PLW) Field

Average Node Stage

Total Notches

Average notches/ Plant

1

5.66

0

0

2

4.84

0

0

3

4.32

1

0.02

photo by Canola Council of Canada

MD of Smoky River Bertha Armyworm (Baw)

The bertha trap was well under the first warning level of 300 moths. It looks like the outbreak is over, but it will be important to keep monitoring for the insect.

This system gives us warning of what is happening in the fields during the growing season, and a potential outbreak brewing for the following growing season.

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Diamondback moth catches were zero! It is generally accepted that diamondback moth adults don’t overwinter in the prairies and that most infestations occur when adult moths arrive on wind currents in the spring from the southern or western United States or northern Mexico. In mild winters there is suspicion that diamondback moth do overwinter in Alberta. To assess the population, a network of 43 monitoring sites has been established across the province. This network is meant to act as part of an early warning system for diamondback moth and should be used in conjunction with crop scouting.

SARDA Ag Research News

BeGrainSafe

By Shelleen Gerbig, BSA, P.Ag. Extension Coordinator, SARDA Ag Research

On March 19th and 20th, SARDA Ag Research and the Smoky River Fire Department joined forces to host the BeGrainSafe trailer and Brian Kroes, one of only two trainers in Alberta. The trailer is designed to emulate grain entrapment and is used to train first responders and producers. Many grain entrapment accidents happen remotely. Producers must know how to avoid grain entrapment and, if someone is trapped in grain, provide comfort and support until equipment and trained personnel arrive. The chances of someone being able to self-rescue are minimal, and the fatality rate is high.

Over the weekend in two sessions, 34 firefighters from the Smoky River, Nampa, St. Isidore, High Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, Worsley, Hines Creek, Northern Sunrise County and County of Northern Lights Fire Departments were trained. Each person was able to experience grain entrapment, the pressure added to the body when rescuers walk in the grain and rescue. They enjoyed two additional demonstrations of dust explosions and how to properly remove grain, quickly and safely, when cutting the bin. The trailer had not been in the Peace

Region in four years, and firefighters appreciated the opportunity to have this specialized training.

SARDA Ag Research invited producers and industry representatives to view the demonstrations. A camera was mounted on top of the grain tank so that viewers could watch the rescues without being cloaked in grain dust. Trained firefighters and producers were able to have a lively discussion on safety around the farm and how to adopt procedures to prevent accidents.

SARDA Ag Research and the Smoky River Fire Department would like to say “Thank You” to all the participants and the sponsors who supported the event. The training was provided at no cost to the firefighters and $1000 was donated to the Smoky River Fire Department to purchase the specialized auger required to rescue victims safely.

The sponsors for the weekend were Cargill, Nutrien, Richardson Pioneer, Martin Deerline, Viterra, St. Isidore Co-op, Rocky Mountain Equipment, Ellsworth Digital Ltd. and CASA (Canadian Agricultural Safety Association).

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SARDA Ag Research News

Herbicide Resistant Wild Oat Herbicide Demo in Wheat-Donnelly 2021

By Calvin Yoder, Forage Seed Specialist (SARDA Ag Research/Peace Region Forage Seed Association) and Kristina Polziehn (Axiom Agronomy Ltd.)

Background

of wild oats there were resistant to group 1 herbicide, quizalofop-p-ethyl (commonly known as Assure II). Puma Advance (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) a group 1 graminicide, had been sprayed on wheat the previous year. Samples of wild oat seed were collected and sent to Ag-Quest, a lab in Manitoba that specializes in testing for herbicide resistant weeds.

The results showed: • 97% resistant to fenoxaprop-ethyl (Puma Advance) • 31 % resistant to pinoxaden (Axial) • 5% resistant to clethodim (Centurion)

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ild oat resistance to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides in Peace Region crops is not new, but it appears the issue is growing over the past few years. Continual use of herbicides with the same mode of action combined with poorly competitive crops, due to extremely wet weather in 2020 and drought conditions in 2021, has provided opportunities for wild oat resistance to develop. We are fortunate in the Peace Country that we are a little behind the rest of western Canada in terms of this problem, but that will change quickly if problem fields are not identified and management practices implemented.

In 2020, a SARDA Ag Research fababean research site contained an extremely high and uniform patch

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The area used to conduct pre-seed and in-crop wild oat herbicide trials had very uniform populations

SARDA Ag Research News of wild oats from the previous year. Soil test results taken from the trial area shows a pH of 5.1, O.M of 5.1% and soil texture a clay loam. Rates of some pre-seed herbicides may vary depending on soil characteristics. It was felt that demonstrating both pre-seed and in-crop wild oat herbicides timings on wheat would be of interest to growers.

a number of on annual crops including wheat and peas. Provides some residual broadleaved and grassy weed control including activity on wild oats and foxtail barley.

Fierce EZ (flumioxazin+pyroxasulfone): A tank mix of Group 14 and 15 herbicides registered prior to seeding a number of crops including wheat and peas.

Provides some residual broadleaved and grassy weed control including activity on wild oats and foxtail barley.

The trial area was staked out to plots 2m wide x 8 m long. Plots were replicated in a RCB design with four replications. Wheat was seeded across the trial on May 7th. Pre-seed and in-crop wild oat herbicide treatments were applied using a 2m meter handheld boom (4 nozzle TeeJet 80001) pressurized by a propane sprayer. The sprayer and walking speed is calibrated to provide 100 l/ha of water at a pressure of 270 kPa. Visual wild oat control ratings were taken several times throughout the summer. Plots were swathed in late July and material removed to reduce the spread of herbicide resistant wild oat seed.

*Consult the label for specific information on use, weeds controlled and registered crops.

Table 1. Herbicide treatments, rates, cost and visual wild oat control for PRE-SEED herbicide demonstration, Donnelly, Alberta (2021).

Pre-Seed Herbicide Treatments

Most of the pre-seed herbicides have active ingredients that would not be used for in-crop control of wild oats. Wild oat pre-seed herbicides provide some residual control or suppression of early emerging wild oats reducing competition on annual crops. In most cases an in-crop wild oat herbicide is still required.

TREATMENT*

RATE

Avadex L

1.17 l/acre

21.75

91

Olympus WG

5.8 g/acre

6.00

43

Fierce EZ

178 ml/acre

24.50

62

Focus SL

113 ml/acre

21.50

76

Check

n/a

n/a

0

*Treatments were tank mixed with 333 ml/acre of Roundup WeatherMax ** Average of 4 reps

Four pre-seed herbicide treatments tank mixed with 333 ml/acre of Roundup WeatherMax were applied on May 6th one day prior to seeding wheat. Threequarters of inch of rain was received two days. Some pre-seed wild oat herbicides require moisture to move into the ground to be effective. A brief description of each product used in the trial is provided below and in Table 1. Costs are based on SRP. Liquid Avadex (triallate): A group 15 herbicide registered prior to seeding a number of crops including wheat, barley, canola and peas. The plot area was harrowed after Liquid Avadex was applied.

Olympus (propoxycarbazone-sodium): A group 2 herbicide registered prior to seeding wheat and provides some residual suppression/control of canola, wild oats and foxtail barley.

Focus (carfentrazone+pyroxasulfone): A tank mix of Group 14 and 15 herbicides registered prior to seeding

% VISUAL WILDOAT CONTROL** May 29, 2021

COST $/ACRE

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SARDA Ag Research News In-crop Herbicide Treatments

Results and Discussion

Three in-crop herbicides were applied in part of the trial area (Table 2). The herbicides were applied on June 11th when the wheat was at the 4-5 leaf stage and wild oats ranged in size from 2 to 5 leaf stage.

All pre-seed herbicides provided some suppression/ control of wild oats. Effectiveness of products on wild oats was Avadex>Focus>Fierce>Olympus. The percent control of wild oats from the products used in the trial was in line with what would be expected with each product. The degree of wild oat control with these products will vary depending on precipitation following application, soil type, crop residue in the field, application rates and water volumes.

Puma Advance (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl): Group 1 herbicide registered on wheat and barley for wild oat control.

Sierra (flucarbazone): Group 2 herbicide registered on wheat for wild oat control.

In crop herbicide application of Everest provided good control of wild oats. Axial provided some control and Puma Advance did not provide any control. The results collected from the in-crop herbicide application were quite similar to “Herbicide Resistance Assay Results” on wild oat seed collected from the trial area in 2022.

Axial (pinoxaden): Group 1 herbicide registered on wheat and barley for wild oat control.

Table 2. Treatments, rates, cost and visual wild oat control for herbicides applied to wheat demonstration, Donnelly, Alberta (2021). % VISUAL WILDOAT CONTROL* July 19th

TREATMENT

RATE

COST $/ACRE

Everest

48 ml/acre

21.70

86

Axial

500 ml/acre

26.85

48

Puma Advance 412 ml/acre

8.24

0

n/a

0

Check

n/a

Always remember that using different groups of preseed and in-crop herbicides for managing herbicide resistant wild oats is only one tool to managing herbicide resistant wild oats in annual crops. Adapting multiple weed management strategies can be effective in reducing wild oat populations. Greater success can be achieved when our cropping systems incorporate several integrated weed management tactics such as diverse crop rotations, higher seeding rates in cereal crops, growing competitive crops, silaging annual crops and incorporating perennial forages.

* Average of 4 reps

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SARDA Ag Research News

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Managing Flea Beetles

By Shelleen Gerbig, BSA, P.Ag, SARDA Ag Research and Dr. Maria Angelica Ouellette, Ph.D., NPARA

dult Flea Beetles (Phyllotetra spp.) feed on the cotyledons of newly emerged canola seedlings and cause significant damage to the crop, sometimes requiring costly reseeding operations. Rapidly growing canola seedlings may outgrow the pests as older plants can withstand the feeding pressures. Seed-coated insecticides are the first level of control and often the best, but they require the beetle to feed on the plant to take effect. Large populations of the beetle may damage the crop even if the seed-coated insecticide is effective. If seeding occurs in cold, wet soil and germination is delayed, seedling canola plants may be adversely affected by flea beetles. Seed-applied insecticides are only effective for 2-3 weeks after seeding. Foliar applied insecticides are available, but the time to effectively spray is compressed. Foliar-applied insecticides also have a greater risk of affecting non-target native pollinators such as birds and bees. Relying only on chemical means to control flea beetles could cause problems in the future as the pests may develop resistance to the chemicals, and beneficial insects (flea beetle enemies)

are destroyed. Therefore, it is imperative to combine cultural control methods to reduce the need for chemical insecticide applications.

In 2020, SARDA Ag Research, MARA (Makenzie Applied Research Association), and NPARA (North Peace Applied Research Association) started a joint project to evaluate the effectiveness of various cultural methods of control for flea beetles. Increased seeding rate (Dosdall et al. 1999), late seeding date (mid-May to early June) (Cárcamo et al. 2008) and larger seed size (Elliot et al. 2008; Bodnaryk and Lamb 1991) have been some of the agronomic methods used to reduce flea beetle populations. Our trials will also look at the species of flea beetles that affect our crops in the Peace Region. We have three common species; one native species, the crucifer flea beetle and the striped flea beetle. The striped flea beetle is likely the most common in the Peace Region, but it holds the dubious distinction of being the most difficult to control.

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SARDA Ag Research News

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To evaluate flea beetle pressures, we designed an experimental trial. The treatment parameter was early and late seeding dates, and split-plot parameters were seed size (< 2.2mm, >2.2.mm and mixed) and seeding rates (3.7, 7.4 and 11.1 lb ac-1). The canola seed used for the trials was not treated with insecticides but with fungicides. We assessed the following parameters during this experiment: a) Fleabeetle individuals were counted from sticky traps every three days from canola emergence up to the second cotyledon leaf.

Sticky traps were swapped at the third counting and taken back to the shop to identify flea beetle by species (native, crucifer and striped). b) Visual assessment of the leaf damage percentage and c) canola stand counts at emergence, fluorescence and maturity.

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•

•

•

2021 was the second year of the trial, and 2022 will be the final year. The total fleabeetle population tended to increase until the two-leaf cotyledon stage, while leaf damage percentage showed a maximum point followed by a decline. Canola leaves quickly grow, providing an abundance of food for the fleabeetles.

Ample food signals flea beetles to reproduce, so populations increase. The percentage of leaf damage declines because the leaves and plants are actively growing, and the surface area expands faster than the flea beetles can feed on the leaves.

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•

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We found the seeding date impacted the number of striped and native fleabeetle species. More striped and native flea beetles were in the later seeded canola than earlier. The native flea beetle has increased in numbers compared to the other two species, which disagrees with previous literature arguing that striped and crucifer fleabeetles are more common. There were differences in yield between the early and late seeded crops. Canola sown at the lowest rate (3.7 lb ac-1) yielded more if sown later in the season than earlier.

In addition, canola stands emerging from large and mixed-size seeds produced more than those from small seed sizes. The number of plants at emergence, fluorescence and maturity was greater in the late seeded than in the early seeded.

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Bodnaryk, R. P., and Lamb, R. J. 1991. Influence of seed size in canola, Brassica napus L. and mustard, Sinapis alba L., on seedling resistance against flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze). Can J Plant Sci. 71, 397–404.

Cárcamo, H. A., Otani, J. K., Dosdall, L. M., Blackshaw, R. E., Clayton, G. W., Harker, K. N., O’Donovan, J.T., and Entz, M.T. 2008. Effects of seeding date and canola species on seedling damage by flea beetles in three ecoregions. J App Entomol. 132, 623–631.

Dosdall, L. M., and Stevenson, F. C. 2005. Managing flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in canola with seeding date, plant density, and seed treatment.

Agron J. 97, 1570–1578.

Dosdall, L. M., Dolinski, M. G., Cowle, N. T., and Conway, P. M. 1999. The effect of tillage regime, row spacing, and seeding rate on feeding damage by flea beetles, Phyllotreta spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in canola in central Alberta, Canada. Crop Prot. 18, 217–224.

Elliott, R. H., Franke, C., and Rakow, G. F. W. 2008. Effect of seed size and seed weight on seedling establishment, vigour and tolerance of Argentine canola (Brassica napus) to flea beetles, Phyllotetra spp. Can J Plant Sci. 88, 207–217.

Harker, K. N., O’Donovan, J. T., Smith, E. G., Johnson, E. N., Peng, G., Willenborg, C. J., Gulden, R.H., Mohr R., Gill, K.S., and Grenkow, L. A. 2015. Seed size and seeding rate effects on canola emergence, development, yield and seed weight. Can J Plant Sci. 95, 1–8 Gavloski, J. E., Ekuere, U., Keddie, A., Dosdall, L., Kott, L., and Good, A. G. 2000. Identification and evaluation of flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae) resistance within Brassicaceae.

Can J Plant Sci. 80, 881–887.

Knodel, J. J., Olson, D. L., Hanson, B. K., and Henson, R. A. 2008. Impact of Planting Dates and Insecticide Strategies for Managing Crucifer Flea Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Spring-Planted Canola. J Econ Entomol. 101, 810–821.

Thompson, H. M. 2003. Behavioural effects of pesticides in bees: their potential for use in risk assessment. Ecotoxicology.

12, 317–330.

The data from the 2022 season will align our data and provide guidelines for Integrated Pest Management of Flea Beetles in Canola in the Peace Region.

We want to thank our partners and funders of this project; NPARA, MARA, SARDA Ag Research and Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP).

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Stcky card traps for flea beetle

SARDA Ag Research News

Fertilizer Effects on Soil Moisture Changes during Crop Growing Seasons of Dryland Agriculture in Northwestern Alberta, Canada

By Kabal Singh Gill, Published in the Journal of Agricultural Science; Vol. 14, No. 3; 2022

Soil moisture in Northwestern Alberta is accumulated through snowmelt in the spring and rainfall during the growing season. Crops are generally seeded in the spring, harvested in the fall, and the land remains dormant throughout the long cold winter. Most soil moisture accumulation occurs in the spring, while many plants are inactive. It depletes during the growing season as crops and plants are actively growing and using the moisture for production. Crop production in dryland agriculture is often limited by soil moisture. Understanding the changes in soil moisture during the growing seasons can be used to improve crop production. The objectives of the current study were to assess the effects of fertilizer applications on soil moisture content (SMC) and its depletion patterns.

crops were grown using direct seeding methods on clay loam soil near Donnelly, Alberta.

Applying fertilizer to both barley and canola reduced the soil moisture content at all soil depths measured.

The depletion of soil moisture started earlier in fertilized plots in 2013 and 2014 but not in the drier season of 2015. SMC depleted rapidly during the early and middle of the growing seasons, followed by slower or no moisture depletion once crops approached maturity. Also, SMC tended to be lower under the higher fertilized plots by the end of the growing season. The amount of SMC at the beginning of the season affected the depletion rate and fertility effects.

The results also indicated that applying fertilizer increased soil water use by plants regardless of the crop type or growing season conditions.

Changes in SMC in the 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40 cm soil depths were monitored during the 2013-2015 growing seasons under canola and barley that were each fertilized at 0 and 100% recommended rates. The

To review the complete document please visit www.sarda.ca/peer-reviewed-articles/.. www.sarda.ca/peer-reviewed-articles/

Thank you to our program sponsors

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2022 Board of Directors

Simon Lavoie -Chair

St. Isidore

Leonard Desharnais - Vice Chair

Falher

Whitney Boisvert - Secretary

Girouxville

Mathieu Bergeron

St. Isidore

Kenny Stewart

High Prairie

Lionel Gauthier

McLennan

Alain Anctil

Girouxville

Audrey Gall

Nampa

Neil Maisonneuve

Valleyview

Luc Levesque

Falher

Dale Smith

MD of Greenview

Garret Zahacy

Big Lakes County

Peter Harris

County of Grande Prairie

Paula Guindoin

MD of Smoky River

Jason Javos

Northern Sunrise County

Vance Yaremko

Staff

Executive Director

manager@sarda.ca

Shelleen Gerbig, P.Ag.

Extension Coordinator

extension@sarda.ca

Calvin Yoder, P.Ag.

Forage Seed Specialist

calvinyoder123@gmail.com 780-864-7663

Krishanthi Vithanage, Msc. P.Ag.

Research Coordinator

research@sarda.ca

Victor Gauthier

Field Technician

field@sarda.ca

Amber Fennell-Drouin

Administrative Assistant

admin@sarda.ca

Contact Us

780-837-2900 or www.sarda.ca

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