Page 3 June, 2019 SARDA News
Pest monitoring in the Peace Region, 2019 Prepared by Joe Sylvain, Summer Crop Technition Information taken from https://www.alberta.ca/agriculture-andforestry and provided by Jennifer Otani, AAFC in Beaverlodge
SARDA Ag Research will closely monitor 3 insect pests; Bertha Armyworms (Berthas), wheat midge, and diamondback moths (diamondbacks). Diamondbacks, Berthas and Wheat midge have been monitored closely for the past three years according to the protocols provided to us by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Bertha Armyworms, are important pests of canola in the Prairie Provinces. They belong to a group of insects known as the climbing cutworm and are native to the peace region. SARDA will again set up traps in the municipalities of Big Lakes, Greenview, Northern Sunrise and Smoky
River to monitor the likelihood of infestations. These traps will be checked weekly; moths counted and tallies entered into the provincial live maps. High counts will be flagged red Bertha Armyworm Trap indicating that people should diligently scout for Berthas as the risk of infestations is high. Although it takes a count of about 900 – 1200 for a moderate risk level, and 1200 – 1500 for a high risk level, traps recording anywhere from 0-300 have been reported to have damage if the larvae tend to cluster in one field. Berthas begin as small green worms but darken as they grow until they become velvety black. They only cause damage to crops when in the larval stage and they feed on canola plants. Despite only causing damage during the larval stage, we monitor berthas at the moth stage which allows us to predict the risk of infestation. Bertha traps are green barrel shaped traps with pheromones which lure the moths in. A pesticide strip inside the trap kills the moths once they enter the trap allowing them to easily be counted. Overall, the degree of damage that can occur from Bertha Armyworms varies substantially between years, as cold weather conditions as well as the levels of parasites and diseases can drastically impact their numbers, making it essential to monitor the moths each year. Last year many farmers had to spray in order to keep these pests under control.
