Strategies for Managing Flea Beetle Populations in Canola

Researcher:

Dr. Juliana Soroka, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Saskatoon, SK., Dr. Byron Irvine, AAFC Brandon, MB, and Dr. Hector Carcamo, AAFC, Lethbridge, AB.

Project Code:

CARP 2002-11

Final Report:

May 2005

Summary:

A three-year project conducted at Brandon and Saskatoon from 2002 to 2004 examined the effects of decreased proportions of seed treated with insecticide on control of flea beetle damage to canola seedlings. The results demonstrated that treating two of every three seeds with insecticides kept feeding by flea beetles at levels equivalent to that of all seeds treated. However, on an economic basis, there is currently no advantage to decreasing the level of insecticide treated canola seed, but other considerations may affect this assessment in the future.