News Insect Pests
Sharing pest lessons from Ontario’s challenging season

Parts of Ontario experienced one of their most challenging cropping seasons this year when a wet spring derailed season plans. However, with challenge comes opportunity. The field crop team from Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) compiled a list of pest lessons learned from this past year.

Highlights from the latest crop report include:

• In general, when planting is very delayed, insecticide seed treatments may be less important than mid to later season scouting and crop protection against the later season pests.
• Corn rootworm adults were very high this year, so corn after corn in 2020 will need rootworm protection.
• It is always best to plan scouting when the crop is nearing the stages the pest is most attracted to rather than what the calendar says.
• Most above ground Bt traits are only effective against one or two of our ear pests (not all of them) or are no longer effective because of resistance.
• Traps don’t replace scouting. Western bean cutworm (WBC) traps appeared to be less effective than usual, making in-field scouting more important.

Read more in the latest crop report from OMAFRA’s field crop team.