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The cold and wet weather we experience in late spring and early summer has kept the population of grasshoppers at bay, according to Ministry of Agriculture entomologist Dr. James Tansey.
While grasshopper damage among crops was widespread last year, producers are mainly seeing “hotspots” throughout the province this year.
Tansey said the cool and wet conditions saw a delayed emergence of the hatching of nymphs and the delayed development of the insect.
“It’s looking very much like the populations were held in check in large part by those conditions and very likely through fungal infection that resulted from it,” Tansey explained.
He added that the longer a grasshopper stays in the developmental stage, the more susceptible they become to natural predators or fungal pathogens.
There were concerns among producers during the winter when Environment and Climate Change Canada released their seasonal forecast for the upcoming spring as the situation looked pretty dire after a monstrous year in 2023.
“It was not nearly as widespread as we feared initially. When we were looking at the Environment Canada seasonal forecast for the upcoming spring, but in the winter, things were looking relatively dire as far as increased temperatures,” Tansey said.
“They didn’t really have any conclusive statements about the probability of precipitation, but of course we saw increased precipitation this spring.”
What happened last year was that the hot and dry conditions had a limited effect on some of the fungal pathogens which led to increased grasshopper pressures on producers in the southern and central regions.
"I think we've seen a pretty dramatic reduction in grasshopper populations relative to what we saw last year. It's looking like conditions are going to be pretty warm and pretty dry so those that are in good health will contribute to the next generation but it's not looking like it’s going to be anywhere near like it was last year,” said Tansey.
Crops that are affected by grasshoppers can vary depending on the species, according to Tansey. The most common pest last year was the two-striped grasshopper that will feed on a variety of plants but prefers broad-leaf plants.
Tansey said lentils and flax can suffer a lot of damage from a relatively small number of grasshoppers. The threshold for lentils and flax is two per square metre, compared to 10 to 12 per square metre for most other crops.
Migratory and Packards grasshoppers are ambivalent when it comes to what they like to eat. Clear Winged Grasshoppers are considered grass specialists and can be a problem in cereal crops.
Tansey said it's important for producers to monitor and determine species as estimates can be based on that. Guide documents are available through the Ministry of Agriculture as well as a webinar is available to view on the Ministry’s website.
Other insects having an effect on crops include the cabbage seedpod weevil, which Tansey said they’ve seen a significant population in the Swift Current area. There have been reports of Lygus and localized populations of diamondback moths in canola. Barley thrips have been reported in cereal crops such as wheat and durum.
Pea aphids have been found in alfalfa crops and are moving to pulse crops. These are migratory insects that fly in from the midwestern United States. Tansey said entomologists in the midwest reported problems with pea aphids over six weeks ago and are now showing up in southern Saskatchewan crops.