Issues of the week

2012 is a bad year for flea beetles. The flea beetle threat continues all across the Prairies. Seed treatments for canola seeded in late April or early May will be losing effectiveness by now, and foliar applications will be necessary in those fields where feeding has reached an average of 25% defoliation and flea beetles are still actively eating.

Since this is also a big week for weed control, there may be occasions where tank mixing herbicide and insecticide make sense. Read the article below for tips in making this decision.

A quick note about clubroot: With good moisture, generally a decent stand established, and lots of canola, growers in Alberta in particular can expect another banner year for clubroot spread. Trace introductions will have a good chance to build up this year. Obvious galls can start to appear around bolting.