Despite having lower numbers of grasshoppers last fall, they're certainly one of the three more notorius bugs to be watching for this summer.

Applied Research Crop Specialist, Scott Chalmers, says he had recently been watching a presentation by Manitoba Ag Entomologist, Dr. John Gavloski on what bugs to watch for.  

"The conditions were very good for them to lay eggs, so it was dry and very warm in September all the way up to I think the 3rd of October when we had a really solid frost to kind of shut things down," explains Chalmers. "And so, moving into this year, you know, with our dry season that we seem to be getting into here it's something to watch for, the little grasshoppers.  Keep an eye on them."

Chalmers encourages farmers to keep a keen eye on grasshoppers, " and in June when they start swarming and getting a little bigger and hungrier, that's when we should be kind of watching for those."

In addition to that, flea beetles are also one to keep your eye on. " Because if they get an early start, they'll be kind of waiting for canola, for example, if it's warm."

Chalmer adds cutworm are the third notorious crop destroyers to be on the watch for this summer.

(photo credit Manitoba Agriculture)

It's been a slow start to spring, and where there has been snow it has been a nice slow melt.  However, one of the challenges facing farmers in the southwest is the lack of moisture going into seeding. 

I think we're way behind on our normal precipitation over the winter," says Manitoba Agriculture Crop Specialist, Scott Chalmers. "I was just looking at the numbers here and in the Southwest area here we were anywhere from 28% to 53% of normal. So, we're way down. And one of our worst months was January, where we only had 1.5 mm of precipitation followed by February at 2.0 mm and then March 5.0 mm."

"So, it's been a winter drought here and I think our creeks and dugouts can tell us that there's not much water laying around," he adds.  "Some of the producers are concerned about the dugouts. It's something to keep an eye on.  We just didn't see the runoff that we were hoping for."

Last fall's temperatures were above normal; however rainfall was below normal as we headed into winter.  With nothing much to speak of for winter snow coverage and moisture it could be a tricky grow season if the rains aren't timely.

Chalmers says winter survivability on winter cereals is a concern going into spring.

"I noticed one field which kind of showed the snow layers quite well on a slope. And there were green patches and then there were dead patches, maybe where the snow didn't cover," says Chalmers.

"So, you know if you're concerned as a producer now is a good time to go out and dig up some of those dead-ish patches and bring them into the house, like a house plant," he continues, "and warm them up to see over some time, maybe here in a week or two that if there's any growth that maybe you can breathe a sigh of relief. But if there's not, start making plans on how to maybe reseed that piece if you expect there might be some death. So just something to keep an eye on out there."

Chalmers says they logged 16 winter-kill days this past winter, where the temperature of the soil dips below the -20C point and the plants struggle to cope with the cold.  He adds they're allowed about 33 days like that until the plant sees complete death.  Thirteen winter kills days is the threshold where the plants in the ground start to break down.

"You know, dependent on your snow cover and where our plots were here in the Melita area, we thought we had some decent stubble with the canola. But some of those really windy days in January where the wind blew the snow away, and then we only had two or three inches of snow on the field. That's where you're at risk and you don't have that insulation power with the snow."

Please listen to more with Scott Chalmers below as he shares more on the spring outlook. 

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