10 The Northern Horizon, May 13, 2022
Fleabeetle herbivory in canola im date and seeding rateRate part o Author: Dr. María Angélica Ouellette, Research Coordinator at the North Peace Applied Research Association (Manning, AB). Introduction: Adult Flea beetles (Phyllotetra spp.) feed on the cotyledons of canola seedlings and carry on feeding throughout the developmental stages of the plant (Gavloski et al. 2000). Seed-coated insecticides and subsequent applications of foliar sprays are used to reduce flea beetle populations. However, the time frame at which the insecticide is effective is narrow, meaning that the insecticide is unable to protect canola stands throughout all its developmental stages (Dosdall and Stevenson 2005; Lamb 1984). In addition, application of insecticides such as neonicotinoid are systemic in the plant. They can translocate to the plant pollen and potentially cause toxicity to pollinators such as honeybees and birds (Thompson 2003). Chemical applications therefore need to be accompanied by cultural methods to reduce flea beetle populations and hence reduce the extent of damage. 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. Dosdall et al. (1999) showed that increased seeding rates significantly reduced leaf damage in canola stands owing to greater foliar density. Moreover, seeding dates have shown to influence presence of flea beetles in their first stages. Carcamo et al. (2008) observed opposite results in northern and southern regions in Alberta. In northern regions flea beetle incidence tended to be greater if planting date was in mid to late May compared to late April, early May. A shift has occurred since where southern regions show the same trend as that found in Northern regions (Knodel et al. 2008). Overall, the interaction between higher seeding rates along with later seeding dates may help to reduce population and damage of flea beetles. Bodnaryk and Lamb (1991) noticed that seed sizes can influence flea beetle damage in canola stands. Basically, seedlings from larger seed sizes may be more tolerant to flea beetle damage than those coming from small seeds. Similarly, Elliot et al (2008), showed that canola stands from larger seed sizes provided better establishments and had heavier shoots. However, larger seeds are more costly than smaller, causing growers to reduce seeding rates and hence lower yields (Harker et al. 2015) Indeed, seed size should be considered for canola establishment against flea beetle control. Managing flea beetles by increasing seeding rates may ameliorate leaf damage, however, there is no evidence that flea beetle populations per se were affected (Dosdall et al. 1999).
Thus, seeding date may impact these populations if seeded late rather than early in the season in this region (Carcamo et al. 2008; Knodel et al. 2008), Bigger seeds may promote healthier stands, but there is no research showing how these stands are impacted with seeding rates, and seeding dates. Thus, this study aims to investigate the simultaneous effects of seeding rate, seed size and seeding date, from undisturbed soil on flea beetle management. Potential interactions among these effects may uncover further answers and even help to reduce the applications of insecticides in fields. The objective is to evaluate the impact on flea beetle leaf damage and flea beetle population on seeding date (late-April to early-May and second to third week of May), seed size (small, large and unsorted), and seeding rate (3.7, 7.4 and 11.1 lb ac-1). In the growing season of 2021, we were able to obtain number of fleabeetles, number of fleabeetles per species, percentage of fleabeetle herbivory damage in canola leaves, emergence, florescence, and maturity as well as yield. Compared to 2020, emergence and florescence number was greater as well as yield. The following are results from the North Peace Applied Research Association in North Star, Alberta. The data from North Star was also combined with those obtained from Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association in Falher and Mackenzie Applied Research Association in Fort Vermillion in both 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. Materials and methods: All sites were located in Alberta in 2020 and 2021 at the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) Facility in North Star (56°51’17.9”N 117°38’11.9”W), the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA) in Fort Vermillion (58°23’5.53”N, 116°2’35.09”W) and the Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA) in Fahler (55°43’28.8”N, 117°12’6.822”W). The experiment was set up as a four replicate, split plot analysis with four treatments. Plots were set at 1.6 m x 8 m. Treatments consisted of canola seed size and seeding rate. Canola seed size was classified as small (<2.2mm), large (>2.2mm) as well as a mixed control of both sizes. Canola was sown at recommended (control at 112 plant m-2, 7.4 lb ac-1), half (56 plant m-2, 3.7 lb ac-1) and one and a half (168 plant m-2, 11.1 lb ac-1) of the recommended seeding rate, since planting at greater seeding rates can be cost prohibitive for growers. Seeding date, was divided into early, which consisted of a period between late April and early May, and normal which was considered to be between the second to third week of May. Seeding dates can be seen in Table 1. Seeding dates in NPARA and SARDA in 2020 are shifted later in the season due to frequent precipitation events.
Table 1 Research locations and seeding dates in 2020 and 2021 of canola sown at 56, 112 and 168 plants m-2 Early Location
Normal
Coordinates
2020
2021
2020
2021
Mackenzie Applied Research Association
Fort Vermillion
56°51’17.9” N 117°38’11.9” W
May 12
May 21
May 18
June 2
North Peace Applied Research Association
North Star
56°51’17.9” N 117°38’11.9” W
May 21
May 18
May 28
June 3
Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association
Fahler
55°43’28.8” N, 117°12’6.822” W
May 28
May 15
June 3
May 26
Emergence, insect traps, and leaf damage Emerged plants at each plot were counted from the two middle sown rows and averaged. After canola individuals emerged, three quadrats of 25 cm x 25 cm were set at each plot. Quadrats were marked using flags. At each quadrat, an insect sticky trap was placed in the center to count numbers of flea beetles. Every three days fleabeetle counts and leaf damage percentage were conducted until canola stands reached the four-leaf cotyledon stage. Flea beetles were counted from each sticky trap and then placed under a dissecting microscope to count fleabeetles populations per species. Visual estimates of leaf damage were performed from ten plants randomly selected from each quadrat. Stand counts were performed at florescence and at maturity. Harvest was combined at each plot. Statistics The experiments were treated as a split plot analysis with repeated measures for leaf damage, total fleabeetle populations and fleabeetle populations per species. Other observations used for statistical analysis were plant stand counts at emergence, florescence, and maturity as well as yield. Fixed factors consisted of seeding rate, seed size and seeding date. Random effects considered are year, replicate, and the repeated measures conducted at each plot. Interactions between fixed effects included seeding
date*seeding rate, seeding date*seed size, seeding date*seeding rate*seed size, and seeding rate*seed size. Interactions between fixed effects and random effects will be considered random. Response variables were fleabeetle populations (total and per species), leaf percent damage, emergence, florescence and maturity counts, and canola yield. All analyses were performed in SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, 2008) using PROC MIXED. If the interactions between site-year and treatment were not significant (i.e., Z-test > 0.05), data for all years was combined. Significance was tested at a confidence level of 0.05. Tukey’s HSD test was used to compare means for each parameter among the different seeding rates and seed sizes to observe differences between leaf damage, flea beetle populations, stands counts at each developmental stage and yield. Results and Discussion: Environmental conditions The North Peace region has a short growing season with an average frost-free period of a hundred and five days (90 – 120 days). In 2020, the rainfall distribution was predominantly from early spring to mid-August. The County of Northern Lights was declared an agricultural disaster in July of 2020. The most affected sites were the North
The Northern Horizon, May 13, 2022
mpacted by seed size, seeding one of two Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) and the Smoky River Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA) sites, where mean canola yields were 1.4 bu ac-1 and 16.3 bu ac-1, respectively. The third site, Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA), displayed considerably higher yields compared to sites at NPARA and SARDA. The very hot and dry conditions for the Peace region in 2021, the middle and southern Peace were particularly hit the most by the heat dome occurring and the drought conditions in late June, and that was reflected in yield and quality for both the NPARA and SARDA sites, compared to yield obtained in 2020. Total number of fleabeetles At the North Peace Applied Research Association, total number of fleabeetles were different at every single count (P≤0.0001). Highest numbers of fleabeetles were found at the first and second counting events and decreased to the last counting event (Figure 1a). This agrees with most of the research reported data, where fleabeetles peak shortly after cotyledon stage and tend to decrease past the four-leaf stage. There were three fleabeetle species counted as they are the most common in agricultural fields: Phyllotetra striolata Fabricius, P. cruciferae Goeze and Psylliodes punctulata Mescheimer. In general, P. striolata Fabricius. and P. punctulata Mescheimer numbers were lower than P. cruciferae Goeze. Moreover, P. striolata Fabricius (P≤0.0001), P. cruciferae Goeze (P≤0.0001) and P. punctulata Melscheimer (P≤0.0001) individuals varied according to counting events. From a total of five events, P. striolata Fabricius numbers were higher in the first two events whereas P. cruciferae Goeze numbers were higher in the first and third. P. punctulata Melscheimer individual numbers slowly decreased over counting events. Combined data from all research stations showed that number of fleabeetles in canola stands were affected by interaction between day and seeding date effects (P<0.0001). Greater number of fleabeetle individuals were found at the final repeated event and lowest fleabeetle number in the first, second and third repeated event (Figure 1b). There were more fleabeetles in the first repeated event compared to the third. Fleabeetle numbers in the rest of the repeated events were the same. Late seeding canola stands had more fleabeetles in the last event and less in the first repeated event. Number of fleabeetles per species was very low which made it difficult to assess as per repeated events. This is hoped to be corrected with the new and final dataset for 2022. However, fleabeetle number per species was impacted by seeding date (Figure 1c). In this way, there were greater number of Phyllotetra striolata Fabricius (P=0.0252) and Psylliodes punctulata Melsheimer (P=0.0004) on later sowing dates in all research stations on both growing seasons (May 18, 28 and June 3, 2020 and May 26, June 2 and 3, 2021) compared to those canola stands sown earlier in the season (May 12, 21 and 28, 2020 and May 15, 18 and 21, 2021). Values disagree with what has been found in current literature where P. striolata and P. cruciferae Goeze are invasive species commonly found in greater numbers than the native to North America P. punctulata Melsheimer. It is expected that data obtained in 2022 will help to align our numbers to general guidelines in the North Peace region, otherwise our results may show that P. punctulata may have increased in numbers in relation to the other two species and that the Albertan region where these research stations are located favour populations of P. punctulata Melsheimer compared to the other fleabeetle species.
Figure 1a. Phyllotreta cruciferae, P. striolata and Psylliodes punctulata flea beetle species counts over five counting events from seeding to four-leaf stage in canola stands exposed to flea beetle herbivory sown on May 12, 2020, and May 17, 2021 and May 18, 2020 and June 3, 2021
Figure 1b. Total number of fleabeetle (Phyllotetra striolata Fabricius, Phyllotetra cruciferae Goeze and Psylliodes punctulata Melsheimer) rated at five repeated measures of canola (Brassica napus L.) stands sown on two different dates in 2020 (May 28, 12, 21 and June 3, May 18 and 28) and in 2021 (May 15, 21, 18 and May 26, June 2, and 3) in Falher, Fort Vermillion and North Star, Alberta
Figure 1c. Total number of fleabeetle by species rated at five repeated measures of canola (Brassica napus L.) leaves sown on two different dates in 2020 (May 28, 12, 21 and June 3, May 18 and 28) and 2021 (May 15, 21, 18 and May 26, June 2, and 3) in Falher, Fort Vermillion and North Star, Alberta
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36 The Northern Horizon, May 13, 2022
Electoral Boundaries commission hears from Peace Region
Peace River North MLA assistant Tamara Wilkinson spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. “To reach every place in the riding, our MLA has to travel 12 hours,”she said. “You can’t just walk the riding.”
Wilkinson noted it was quite clear where the “rumours” concerning losing ridings was prevalent.
“The south doesn’t understand us up here. Hunting fills freezers, not because we want an animal head on the wall,” she said.
“Where did this come from? Decisions based on the population – that’s not fear mongering or politicking rather access to provincial representation,” she said.
“(A riding from) Mackenzie to the Yukon border? What we really need is to look at appropriate access, we don’t need to look at population, but access.
She noted a third MLA could be added to represent the area from Buckinghorse north to even out provincial representation.
“Peace River North and South are not similar. I could not imagine trying to cover both ridings. It would not be feasible to give people fair representation.”
Kiskatinaw
Moonshine Lake
Discover The Peace Country
Discover The Peace Country
Provincial Park, BC
Provincial Park, AB
Photos and information by Ken Connors (Chernuka) ©2022
“Cutbank River” on early maps. Kiskatinaw Provincial Park normally has 28 campsites with picnic tables and firepits. Unfortunately, the campground was closed July 12, 2021 due to landslide risk. According to the park operator, the opening of the park for 2022 is questionable. “At this point in time there are no plans to open Kiskatinaw this season and a opening date can not be determined until further data has been collected from the landslides this year.” More information on 85 areas of the Peace Country including cities, towns, villages, parks and lakes can be found on DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com.
DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com
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Kiskatinaw River Bridge is the main attraction at Kiskatinaw Provincial Park located at Mile 20 of the Alaska Highway, north of Dawson Creek, British Columbia. This one-of-a-kind 190 foot wooden bridge was built during the 2nd World War and is most unusual as it is sloped and has a 9 degree curve to conform with the bend in the highway. Construction of the bridge took 9 months to complete. The Canadian Corp who were contracted to build the bridge camped in the area which later became the Kiskatinaw Provincial Park. Kiskatinaw in Cree means “cutbank” and had actually appeared as
Photos and information by Ken Connors (Chernuka) ©2022
First impressions are everything, especially when you drive on the paved roads that wind throughout Moonshine Lake Provincial Park. Absent is the noise of gravel pinched by tires and you can breath the fresh air as there is no dust. Moonshine Lake Provincial Park is located 27 km west and 7 km north of Spirit River. The park was established in 1979 and now has 110 campsites that have electrical hookups. The lake is shallow with the maximum depth of 4.3 metres. The park has a swimming area, picnic areas, concession booth, and a shower building. A boat launch gets you on the lake to fish for rainbow trout. No gas-powered motors are allowed. Canoes, rowboats, kayaks, and sailboats are the usual. There are over 20 km of hiking trails in the park with the most popular, being the one that circles the lake. Jack Bird Pond is located a few km to the east of Moonshine Lake and has two bird-viewing platforms connected by an interpretative trail. While you are here there is a
chance for you to get a glimpse of the Trumpeter Swan. In the winter, there are over 20 km of groomed trails for cross-country skiing at Moonshine Lake. As early as 1910, this lake was called Mirage Lake and was located on the Moonshine Trail. Local folklore tells of two men, who while climbing the steep bank on the north shore of the lake, spilled their home-brewed moonshine. It was known as Moonshine Lake ever since. More information on 85 areas of the Peace Country including cities, towns, villages, parks and lakes can be found on DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com.
DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com
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More representation – and not less was what the Electoral Boundaries Commission heard from people in a pair of sessions in Dawson Creek.