b'Flea beetle populations are exacerbated by low plant populations, but theres a lot of pressure on growers to seed more lightly because seed is so expensive. You can do that, but as I have been In-House saying to growers all this year, Optical Sorting you are risking higher beetle Demonstrationsnumbers and youll have to do things to control them. Scott Meersdue to a larger root structure, she adds. They are resistant to Aphanomyces and seed treatments work very well to control the other root rot fungal threats. Insect ThreatsThe No. 1 threat for canola producers in 2020 is likely flea beetle, says Scott Meers, insect specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. These will be striped flea beetles, except in Providing Processing & Handling the extreme south of the province where its the non-striped variety. If the canola crop is able to grow fast in the spring, they Solutions for YOUR Business for wont be as bad, explains Meers. There are no new control over 35 Yearsproducts available, so Ive been stressing good plant stand establishment. Flea beetle populations are exacerbated by low plant populations, but theres a lot of pressure on growers to WWW.CANSEEDEQUIP.COMseed more lightly because seed is so expensive. You can do that, but as I have been saying to growers all this year, you are 1-800-644-8397risking higher beetle numbers and youll have to do things to control them.Canola growers may also face bertha army worm, where there was an outbreak in the Peace region, and some cases in central and southern Alberta in 2019. Cabbage seed pod weevil is a steady threat in all growing regions, but a little more in the east. In wheat, Meers reports wheat midge is on the increase in On-Site Setup central Alberta due to the wetter weather in the past year, with pockets in various areas. The drier weather in southern Alberta & Traininghas allowed the wheat stem sawfly to build into a serious problem. Growers in central and southern parts of the province also face serious grasshopper potential. In barley, there are no real concerns, he adds. In peas and fava beans, theres pea leaf weevil, and every year there is some pea aphid, especially in lentils in southern Alberta depending on the year. Treena Hein For more information visit the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network Blog athttp://prairiepestmonitoring.blogspot.com/?m=0and the Fusarium Head Blight Infection Risk Report atAlberta|Saskatchewan|Manitobahttps://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/fusarium-risk-tool.jsp.16seed.ab.ca'