LeafHope: A Comprehensive Toolkit to Reduce Insecticide Use and Greenhouse Gases in Canada
Term: 4 years
Status: Ongoing
Researcher(s): Edel Perez-Lopez, University Laval; Tyler Wist, AAFC; Sean Prager, USask, numerous other out of province collaborators
SaskOilseeds Investment: $120,000 in kind
Total Project Cost: $7,952,390
Funding Partners: NSERC, ACPC, Anatis Bioprotection, BASF, BCBC, Berry Growers of Ontario, Bleuets Corymbe Quebec, CCC, Ferme Ethier, Ferme Francois Gosselin, Ferme Onesime Pouliot, Ferme Van Tassel Grandes Cultrues, Fraisiere Busson, Le Jardiner de la Presque'Ile, Les Productions Horticoles Demers, MCGA, Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia
Objective:
Our team has identified 3 areas to reduce the use of insecticides and GHG emissions from Canadian strawberry, blueberry, and canola agriculture: (1) By monitoring the ecology of pests (their habitats, range limits, behaviour), we can better predict outbreaks; (2) By identifying new biocontrol agents, we can deploy nature-based solutions to fight pests; and (3) By better understanding growers’ needs, we can implement effective strategies for adopting greener options in industry settings.
Our goal is to fully implement our findings, fostering an agroecological transition in Canada. We will deliver an insecticide reduction toolkit comprising:
● Tool 1: LeafHope Predict is a prediction tool for leafhopper abundance. Using data from activity 1, we will create an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that predicts the arrival dates/abundance of leafhoppers and insect pests by correlating climate conditions, dates, leafhopper chronobiology, and
their previous arrival dates. Pest prediction will enhance the effectiveness of insecticide application.
● Tool 2: LeafHope Biocontrol are biological control agents and microorganism-derived insecticides. Using the insects captured during activity 1, and with industry partners in biological control, we will formulate and determine effective dosages of the newly-discovered natural insecticide alternatives.
● Tool 3: LeafHope Transfer is a framework designed for technology implementation. With canola, blueberry, and strawberry growers across Canada, we will identify practices and beliefs related to insecticide use and the introduction of biological control methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first trans-disciplinary, Canada-wide project aiming to reduce the use of insecticide for a more sustainable agriculture in a changing climate.
Project Description:
LeafHope will enhance our understanding of climate change’s effects on insect migratory patterns, population dynamics, biological invasions, disease dispersion, pathogen evolution, and insecticide resistance. This knowledge will enable us to tailor effective intervention strategies, mitigating economic losses caused by insect pests and their associated diseases while reducing GHG emissions linked to their management.
There is a lack of viable alternatives to synthetic insecticides in response to 2021 legislation restricting their use. Our tools will help optimize and reduce insecticide use, align with federal GHG emissions targets, and ensure yields are not compromised. This predictive tool could be implemented for other invasive pests like flea beetles currently putting at risk the canola industry and the potato beetle, a threat to the Atlantic provinces.
Insect-transmitted diseases and insect herbivory are a threat to Canadian agriculture. This will increase given the impact of climate change driving insect vectors further north. In 2007, phytoplasma-related losses were ~$300 million for canola growers in Saskatchewan, and 2023 has been called a ‘phytoplasma year’, with high disease incidence in canola and berries throughout Canada. Similarly, in 2023, the damages caused by flea beetles in canola or leafhoppers in strawberries have been also valued in hundreds of millions, forcing the overuse of synthetic insecticides. However, leveraging our team's pioneering research and Canada's favourable view of gene editing in agriculture, we will develop more efficient biocontrol agents through gene editing, which will contribute to reducing insecticide use and disease incidence. These edited strains will strengthen the value of the biotechnological production of bioinsecticides in Canada developed through industry and/or academic institutions.
Canadian growers are eager to use eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic insecticides. However, under high pest pressure, biological control alternatives have not succeeded. Using a pan-Canadian perspective, LeafHope will pinpoint local challenges and discover entomopathogenic agents as alternatives to synthetic insecticides for each crop and region. As well, we will accelerate the exploration of microbial-derived insecticides, a rapidly-growing field in health sciences but still nascent in agriculture.
The LeafHope project addresses the environmental and economic challenges faced by Canadian agriculture, particularly in the cultivation of strawberries, blueberries, and canola, which collectively represent a yearly economic value of $31B. The cultivation of these crops often relies heavily on fertilizers and insecticides, contributing to GHG emissions and groundwater contamination. A primary concern is the impact of leafhopper pests that transmit diseases to these crops. In response, a multidisciplinary team of 18 academics has proposed the LeafHope project, aiming to devise sustainable agricultural methods to significantly reduce synthetic insecticide use while ensuring high yields. The project has garnered the support of over 140 growers, 8 grower associations, and industry leaders, with a combined in-kind contribution of $1M. The LeafHope insecticide reduction toolkit is expected to revolutionize Canadian agriculture by reducing pesticide use and GHG emissions, placing Canada at the vanguard of global sustainable agriculture. Moreover, the initiative plans to fill existing knowledge gaps concerning the effects of climate change on insect migratory patterns, population dynamics, and insecticide resistance. The project's novel and comprehensive approach leverages cutting-edge technologies for pest management, making it distinct from previous endeavors. Furthermore, the project builds upon and expands existing research partnerships, ensuring continued efforts even beyond the scope of LeafHope. Overall, this initiative represents a holistic and forward-thinking response to the multifaceted challenges faced by Canadian agriculture in a rapidly changing climate.