Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.meridianbooster.com/News/393742.html
Experts warn producers to be wary of wheat
Agriculture
Christopher Heffernan
Friday April 18, 2008
Farmers might want to think twice before seeding wheat this year.
Both the Saskatchewan and Alberta ministries of agriculture are urging caution among wheat growers in light of an outbreak of wheat midge, an insect that feeds on developing kernels and can severely reduce crop yields.
Based on soil samples collected last fall, the governments estimate midge populations will reach 1,800 per square meter covering huge swaths of land from Yorkton to Edmonton.
Scott Hartley, insect specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture says he?s never seen an outbreak of wheat midge with quite the intensity and extensive coverage area he is seeing now. The economic consequences of the outbreak could be dire for farmers who decide to grow wheat this year, said Hartley.
?If you?ve got a high enough infestation, you can have a very severe crop loss,? he said. ?We?ve heard of ones that were estimated at 40 bushels an acre being reduced to five, for a worst case example.?
Farmers lucky not to lose that much of their crop could still suffer financially. The Canadian Grain Commission watches closely for wheat midge damage and its presence could lead to a grain downgrade of several levels.
The Saskatchewan government has stopped short of telling farmers not to grow wheat, but say farmers should consider other options.
?If it fits into your rotation, consider not growing wheat at all,? said Hartley.
If not growing wheat isn?t an option, then there are several things farmers can do to protect their crop, including to seed early.
?There?s kind of a narrow window where the midge show up and the crop is susceptible,? said Scott Meers with Alberta Agriculture. ?You can actually get ahead of the midge by seeding early.?
Unfortunately, the extended cold weather and slow melting until recently make it difficult for farmers in the Lloydminster area to get the seed in early.
The last and most costly resort for farmers is a combination of extensive monitoring with intense application of insecticide.
?In the Lloydminster area, people are going to have to be checking, is what it boils down to,? said Meers.
Monitoring and spraying are best done in the evening, when the midge is most active. Normally this means about 8 p.m., but during hot summer days this could mean farmers have to be out as late as 11 p.m., said Hartley.
The evening is also good because the midge?s natural predator, the small black wasp, is less active then. Spraying during the day, however, could significantly hurt the wasp population.
Experts warn producers to be wary of wheat
Agriculture
Christopher Heffernan
Friday April 18, 2008
Farmers might want to think twice before seeding wheat this year.
Both the Saskatchewan and Alberta ministries of agriculture are urging caution among wheat growers in light of an outbreak of wheat midge, an insect that feeds on developing kernels and can severely reduce crop yields.
Based on soil samples collected last fall, the governments estimate midge populations will reach 1,800 per square meter covering huge swaths of land from Yorkton to Edmonton.
Scott Hartley, insect specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture says he?s never seen an outbreak of wheat midge with quite the intensity and extensive coverage area he is seeing now. The economic consequences of the outbreak could be dire for farmers who decide to grow wheat this year, said Hartley.
?If you?ve got a high enough infestation, you can have a very severe crop loss,? he said. ?We?ve heard of ones that were estimated at 40 bushels an acre being reduced to five, for a worst case example.?
Farmers lucky not to lose that much of their crop could still suffer financially. The Canadian Grain Commission watches closely for wheat midge damage and its presence could lead to a grain downgrade of several levels.
The Saskatchewan government has stopped short of telling farmers not to grow wheat, but say farmers should consider other options.
?If it fits into your rotation, consider not growing wheat at all,? said Hartley.
If not growing wheat isn?t an option, then there are several things farmers can do to protect their crop, including to seed early.
?There?s kind of a narrow window where the midge show up and the crop is susceptible,? said Scott Meers with Alberta Agriculture. ?You can actually get ahead of the midge by seeding early.?
Unfortunately, the extended cold weather and slow melting until recently make it difficult for farmers in the Lloydminster area to get the seed in early.
The last and most costly resort for farmers is a combination of extensive monitoring with intense application of insecticide.
?In the Lloydminster area, people are going to have to be checking, is what it boils down to,? said Meers.
Monitoring and spraying are best done in the evening, when the midge is most active. Normally this means about 8 p.m., but during hot summer days this could mean farmers have to be out as late as 11 p.m., said Hartley.
The evening is also good because the midge?s natural predator, the small black wasp, is less active then. Spraying during the day, however, could significantly hurt the wasp population.