Wheat Midge Maps - FARMERS’ WORST PEST TARGETED BY UNIQUE CWB ONLINE TOOL
CWB News Release.
Winnipeg – Maps estimating the emergence of midge populations are being posted daily on the CWB Web site as a service to western Canadian grain farmers.
Midge damage is the top pest threat to wheat growers in Canada this year and the number one downgrading factor indicated in last year’s harvest survey. The insect was responsible for millions of dollars in damage to crops last year from yield loss and lower end-use quality.
“Monitoring the emergence of wheat midge and developing populations will be key to success in managing this pest,” CWB agronomist Mike Grenier said, adding that last year’s midge outbreak was one of the worst ever. “Farmers need this information to scout their own fields and assess the potential economic value of pesticide control, which is most critical between heading and flowering at the beginning of July.”
Using data from Prairie weather stations – including the CWB’s on-farm WeatherBug® network – and pest modelling information available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the CWB has devised this tool to predict midge emergence thresholds. The daily maps created by the CWB are colour-coded with growing degree days that indicate midge development stages.
The maps are the only daily information source on wheat midge available online. Going forward, the tool will be refined and extended to other pests of concern to wheat and barley farmers.
<a href="http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/weather/midge/"target="blank">
It can be viewed at http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/weather/midge/ CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SITE.
</a>
Grenier said large areas of the dark brown and black soil zones are at risk, based on fall soil samplying for cocoons. Areas at highest risk include north-central and eastern Saskatchewan, north-central Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary and western Manitoba.
“Farmers just need to bookmark the map page in their home computer or hand-held device and get a quick snap shot each day of how the midge is progressing in their area,” he said. “This is a useful tool that will only get better as our CWB-WeatherBug network expands to provide localized and up-to-the-minute weather reports from more and more stations.”
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada’s biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based company sells grain to over 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to Prairie farmers.
CWB News Release.
Winnipeg – Maps estimating the emergence of midge populations are being posted daily on the CWB Web site as a service to western Canadian grain farmers.
Midge damage is the top pest threat to wheat growers in Canada this year and the number one downgrading factor indicated in last year’s harvest survey. The insect was responsible for millions of dollars in damage to crops last year from yield loss and lower end-use quality.
“Monitoring the emergence of wheat midge and developing populations will be key to success in managing this pest,” CWB agronomist Mike Grenier said, adding that last year’s midge outbreak was one of the worst ever. “Farmers need this information to scout their own fields and assess the potential economic value of pesticide control, which is most critical between heading and flowering at the beginning of July.”
Using data from Prairie weather stations – including the CWB’s on-farm WeatherBug® network – and pest modelling information available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the CWB has devised this tool to predict midge emergence thresholds. The daily maps created by the CWB are colour-coded with growing degree days that indicate midge development stages.
The maps are the only daily information source on wheat midge available online. Going forward, the tool will be refined and extended to other pests of concern to wheat and barley farmers.
<a href="http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/weather/midge/"target="blank">
It can be viewed at http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/weather/midge/ CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SITE.
</a>
Grenier said large areas of the dark brown and black soil zones are at risk, based on fall soil samplying for cocoons. Areas at highest risk include north-central and eastern Saskatchewan, north-central Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary and western Manitoba.
“Farmers just need to bookmark the map page in their home computer or hand-held device and get a quick snap shot each day of how the midge is progressing in their area,” he said. “This is a useful tool that will only get better as our CWB-WeatherBug network expands to provide localized and up-to-the-minute weather reports from more and more stations.”
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada’s biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based company sells grain to over 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to Prairie farmers.