Project Code: APMS/PRR22-020
Project Leads
Ian Scott, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Meghan Vankosky, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Objective
To evaluate various combinations of pest control tactics and develop feasible and economically viable integrated pest management (IPM) systems for root maggots, and facilitate grower adoption of proposed approaches
Brassica vegetables, including leafy green (cabbage, broccoli) and root (rutabaga, turnip) varieties are important and economically profitable crops in Canada. Damage to these crops from insects impacts their marketability and yield, with root maggots (Delia radicum, D. floralis, D. planipalpis, D. platura, and D. florilega) being the most concerning pests across Canada. In spring 2021, stakeholders in Ontario and Saskatchewan jointly submitted a proposal through the Canadian Pest Management Priority Setting Workshop for IPM solutions needed to address management of root maggots in brassica vegetables in light of the loss of chlorpyrifos.
In the first 2 years of the project (2022 and 2023) field trials were conducted in Ontario (cabbage and rutabaga) and Saskatchewan (broccoli and rutabaga) to evaluate various IPM tactics to manage root maggots. Tactics investigated included physical barriers (insect netting), sterile insect technique, intercropping, a tolerant rutabaga cultivar, pesticides, and entomopathogenic nematodes.
In the following 2 years (2024 and 2025), the project will continue to scale up and further assess the sterile insect release approach in Ontario and evaluate the performance of tolerant rutabaga cultivar in Saskatchewan. Combining sterile insect release data from 2023, 2024, and 2025 will allow for an economic assessment of this approach. The project team will also develop information resources and organise outreach events to communicate and demonstrate the project results. The project is expected to develop and facilitate adoption of IPM systems that combine practical and effective alternative tactics that are easy and cost effective to implement and provide multiple mechanisms for reducing Delia spp. populations with reduced reliance on insecticides. Project results will be shared with growers and industry stakeholders through field demonstrations, factsheets, media articles, grower meetings and scientific publications.