Click here for articles on insect identification and other insect information.
Reduced tillage practices conserve soil moisture and protect the soil from erosion. However, in some situations, crop residue also provides habitats for certain insects. Insect problems in reduced tillage can be managed by practicing integrated pest management. In order to manage insect problems in reduced tillage it is essential that producers have:
Awareness of the insect problems which infests crops in their area
Accurate identification of the pests--The common pests of field crops in Alberta are listed below. Insect Pests of the Prairies, University of Alberta Press and Factsheets by Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Click to detailed articles) are a useful publication for identifying insects.
Common Insects of Field Crops
|
Field Crops
|
Important Insects of Field Crops
|
|
Cereals including corn
|
· Aphids (bird-cherry oat, corn leaf, English grain, Greenbug
Russian wheat)
· Armyworm
· Barley thrips
|
· Cutworm (pale western, red back)
· European corn borer
· Grain stink bug
· Grasshoppers (clear wing, migratory, two-striped)
|
· Hessian fly
· Orange wheat blossom midget
· Wheat stem Sawfly
|
|
Oilseed crops
|
· Aphids
· Army cutworm
· Bertha armyworm
|
· Diamondback moth
· Flea beetle
· Lygus bug
|
· Sunflower beetle
· Sunflower maggots
· Sunflower midget
· Sunflower seed weevils
|
|
Forages and Special Crops
|
· Alfalfa weevils
· Aphids
· Beet leaf miner
|
· Grasshoppers
· Pea aphids
· Plant bugs
|
· Red clover thrips
· Sweet clover weevils
|
Have a knowledge of pertinent pest biology; focus on:
- where does it live
- what are the effects of environmental conditions on pest growth and development
- what is the mode of reproduction
- what are the damage symptoms on the crop
- what are the pest’s natural enemies
- how does it damage the crop
- does it have a host crop
- Insect Control Strategies in Reduced Tillage Systems
- Regardless of the tillage system used, insect pest control strategies require that you check your fields regularly and record the insects present along with their growth stages. Pest control measures should combine cultural control practices, biological control, and chemical control.
Cultural Control Practices such as crop rotations, variety selection, planting date, thorough weed control, and an adequate fertility status lead to a healthy crop which is able to withstand insect damage.
Chemical Control Strategy – before deciding to use insecticide, determine whether there is economic justification for the use of an expensive insecticide. This can be determined by knowing the economic threshold level of pest control in a given crop.
|
Crops
|
|
|
Cereals/corn
|
|
|
Oilseed
|
|
|
Forages
|
|
|
Special Crops
|
|
If there is a justification for the use of insecticide ensure that you use the most effective, economical and environmentally friendly insecticides.
If used improperly, some of the insecticides have a potential to cause mortality in honeybees.
Click here for information about honeybee poisoning from insecticides.
