Flea beetle. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Best to be scouting for insect pests

'Definitely' watch canola for flea beetles

MarketsFarm — Although it is still relatively early in the crop year, Manitoba entomologist John Gavloski strongly advises farmers to carefully watch their fields for any signs of insect pests. Gavloski couldn’t say for sure if insect damage was going to be bad this year but based on what’s transpired over the last three years, […] Read more

An adult lygus bug. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Matador, Voliam insecticides back in ‘limited’ release

Revised labels prohibit feeding, foraging of treated crops

Syngenta Canada no longer plans to keep its lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide products off the market in Western Canada this year — but it’s planning to have a smaller supply. The crop chem and seed company announced Friday it will have a “limited amount” of its lambda-cy-based products Matador 120EC and Voliam Xpress available in the West […] Read more

File photo of grain silos and other buildings at harbourside at Saint Nazaire on France’s west coast. (Sissoupitch/iStock/Getty Images)

French agency drops fumigant ban on non-EU grain exports

Limit on phosphine won't apply if use required for export

Paris | Reuters — French health safety agency ANSES on Thursday cleared the use of phosphine pesticide in contact with grains exported outside the European Union when importing countries require the process, averting a halt to shipments from the EU’s top grain exporter. In late October ANSES cleared the use of phosphine tablets used for […] Read more

File photo of grain silos and other buildings at harbourside at Saint Nazaire on France’s west coast. (Sissoupitch/iStock/Getty Images)

France says pesticide ban will not hit grain exports

Fumigant can't be in 'direct contact' with grains

Paris | Reuters — France will ensure that a decision by health and safety agency ANSES to ban the use of a pesticide in direct contact with grains does not hamper its exports outside the European Union, its trade and agriculture ministers told Parliament on Tuesday. In late October ANSES cleared the use of phosphine […] Read more

A winged green peach aphid (Myzus persicae).

Controlling insect pests without harming beneficial insect species

Science Notes: Horizontally transferred genes in insect genomes can selectively kill green peach aphids

Killing crop-damaging insects by targeting genes essential to their survival is a promising approach to pest control. Because essential genes are often conserved across multiple insect species, the challenge is finding targets whose silencing kills the pests but not beneficial insects. Led by Georg Jander, a professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), a team of […] Read more


Older products could pose problems for pollinators on crops such as canola and alfalfa.

Insecticide restriction pushes growers to older chemistries

PMRA limits use of lambda-cyhalothrin

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has applied restrictions to insecticides containing the active ingredient lambda-cyhalothrin. Among other changes, it can no longer be applied on crops destined for use as animal feed. The restriction means growers who previously used products such as Matador, Warrior, Silencer, Labamba, Voliam Xpress and Endigo will have to find other […] Read more

The pollen beetle and Canola Flower midge are two new pests that Ontario canola growers may face during the next growing season.

Canola growers face potential new pests and insecticide loss

Scouting and biosecurity diligence could provide some protection

Swede midge pressure may have decreased during the 2022 canola season, but new pest threats are on the horizon. The pollen beetle, a European pest established in the Maritimes and Quebec, is creating concerns as researchers watch the Northern Ontario-Quebec border.   “It does cause significant damages to canola when the beetle larva feed inside the […] Read more

The difference in damage to flower galls by the Canola Flower Midge and Swede Midge.

Ontario confirms canola flower midge populations

New midge species could be native to North America

The emergence of a new canola gall midge in Ontario in 2021 has prompted researchers to re-assess swede midge data. The canola flower midge (CFM) was first noted in Western Canada in 2016. Researchers saw a significant number of midges bypass pheromone lures but also saw distinct canola gall injury. It was not the damage […] Read more


Edible mealworms in a wooden spoon

French insect-based ingredients maker Ynsect to expand in North America

U.S. plant would use Ardent Mills' flour milling byproducts

Paris | Reuters — French company Ynsect said on Tuesday it had signed deals to build insect ingredient production sites in the United States and in Mexico as the firm kicks off what it says will be the world’s largest insect farm. Ynsect breeds mealworms that produce proteins for aquaculture, livestock, pet food, fertilizers and […] Read more

The western bean cutworm (WBC) research plot in Exeter. M.Sc. student Josee Kelly is currently completing her second year of field trials, where she has been infesting plots with WBC larvae at different stages and applying insecticides at different times to determine the most effective time for application.

Pest management research in dry beans largely grower-led

White mould and western bean cutworm control among top priorities

Research results from the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus are equipping bean growers with new knowledge to make informed pest management decisions.  Chris Gillard, associate professor in the department of plant agriculture, leads an agronomy and pest management program and is focused on collaborating with growers to ensure the research is in line with their […] Read more