News Insect Pests
OMAFRA: Determining if (and when) to spray dry beans for WBC

Western bean cutworm (WBC) can significantly reduce the quality and yield of your dry bean crop. To assist in determining whether or not to spray dry bean crops for WBC (and when), Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Meghan Moran, OMAFRA canola and edible bean specialist, outline some best management practices to minimize this insect pest’s impact, as well as the short, mid-length and long answer to that question. |READ MORE

The short answer? Spraying insecticide for WBC control in Ontario dry bean fields is warranted only if ALL of the following criteria are met:

• At least 150 moths have been captured in a trap at the field;
• Peak moth flight has passed, and the number of moths caught in traps is starting to decline;
• There are pods on the plants; and
• You can find pod damage.