Lead Researcher (PI): Meghan Vankosky

Institution: Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

Total WGRF Funding: $15,941

Co-Funders: Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Wheat Commission, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Prairie Oat Growers Association, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

Start Date: 2018

Project Length: 5 Years

Objectives:

1. Implement a coordinated insect monitoring program, fostering existing interprovincial partnerships, for the Prairie Ecozone (including the BC Peace region), designed to keep the Canadian agriculture industry informed of the risks posed by insect pests. 2. Ensure timely response to new invasive pests with regulatory implications by immediately reporting finds to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as per the guidelines being established by the CFIA national strategy for plant and animal health. 3. Develop (or refine) and assess technologies and tools for identification, monitoring, tracking, and forecasting populations of insect pests of field crops using field surveillance and laboratory assays to record insect pest (and natural enemy) phenology, impact, and distribution to validate models used to predict threats, estimate insect impacts, and develop predictions to understand the impact of a changing climate on pest status. 4. Highlight the role of natural enemies and make recommendations to conserve natural enemies of field crop pests. 5. Develop technology transfer and communication tools to support the timely distribution of data collected by this project (i.e. weekly updates, annual risk and forecast maps with interpretive text, annual reports) to end-users, including agronomists and farmers.