To pulse producers, grasshoppers represent both a significant challenge and a potential threat. With last year being hot and dry across the Prairies, growers are wondering what the current growing season will hold for these resilient crop consumers.
Farmers and agronomists alike hope that the cool, wet spring might keep pulse crops safe from the risks of grasshopper damage for this season, but not so fast says Dr. James Tansey of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, in this Pulse School. While weather has delayed hatching this year, there has also been emergence of damaging populations of nymphs due to a lot of eggs having gone into the soil last year.
With only four primary pest species of grasshoppers out of 85 in the province of Saskatchewan, it's important to know their habits and preferences, in order to be more aware of what to look for in crops, as certain species can be seen in large numbers in non-host crops without risk of heavy damage.
Because seedlings and plants that are in the early pod stage can be particularly sensitive to grasshopper feeding, Tansey recommends scouting earlier and continually monitoring populations. If growers start to see damage accumulating - and it can accumulate quickly - it's time to act.
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