U-of-L Professor finds Less Can be More When Dealing with Some Crop Pests
LETHBRIDGE: It might be expected that heavy insecticide use is the best way to keep insects at bay in agricultural crops.
However, a U-of-L professor has found low levels of insecticide may be all that’s needed.
An insect that can spread the zebra chip pathogen in potatoes has been found in Alberta, but, Professor Dan Johnson recommends potato growers take no action other than field sampling.
Johnson co-ordinates the Canadian Potato Psyllid and Zebra Chip Monitoring Network and leads the Alberta research, because Zebra chip caused millions of dollars in losses for potato farmers in New Zealand and the U-S. He speculates that warmer conditions and insect movements in air and on transported plants may be responsible for an expanded range for the insects.