By Nigel Maxwell

Grasshoppers thriving during dry Saskatchewan summer

Jul 26, 2021 | 2:53 PM

As if Saskatchewan farmers didn’t have enough to worry about this summer, what is being grown despite the heat is being eaten by grasshoppers.

Dr. James Tansey, insect/ pest management specialist with the province’s Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed the southwest and central regions of the province are the hardest hit.

“An important consideration is that it isn’t blanketing the province. It is localized hot spots,” he said.

According to last week’s crop report from the Ministry of Agriculture, grasshoppers are a concern as well in both the northeast and northwest regions, and while specific numbers cannot be provided at this time, Tansey indicated a thorough population study will be conducted in August, which will look at 1,200 sites across the province.

In the meantime, another issue is presenting itself to farmers—a shortage of control products. One of the more popular choices, chlorpyrifos, has been de-registered.

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“Manufacturers will be permitted for the upcoming year, followed by a year of sales, followed by a year or use, but the supplies are in very short supply,” Tansey explained.

While Tansey acknowledged overall hopper numbers are up from last year, he also explained Saskatchewan is home to 85 species and only four are considered pests.

“What I’m getting at is if you have clear wing grasshopper, it’s probably not gonna be a problem in your canola or your lentils or anything but a cereal crop. I have seen them resting in large numbers on a chick pea crop, inflicting no damage,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell