T. Haye
Swede midge – new canola scourge
or flash in the pan?
Julie Soroka, Lars Andreassen,
and Owen Olfert
AAFC Saskatoon Research Centre
Saskatoon, SK
Outline
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swede midge history
distribution
biology
life cycle
damage symptoms
update of current research projects
Swede Midge Appearance
Adult - tiny delicate fly similar in colour to a small
mosquito
T. Haye
NYIS IPM program
S. Ellis
Swede midge seen with a 10X hand lens
3mm
Samietz and Hopli
Swede midge Contarinia nasturtii Schulz
• tiny delicate cecidomyiid fly
– same family as wheat midge, sunflower midge,
brome grass seed midge
NYIS IPM program
• serious pest of cruciferous vegetables and field
crops in temperate world
• first N. Am. identification in 2000 in ON cole crops
• CFIA - Quarantine pest in Canada 2002-2008
• first found on traps in SK and NS 2007, MB 2008
• first reported on canola in ON in 2005
L. Andreassen
Swede Midge Origin
• Native to Eurasia
- widespread minor pest of crucifer crops in
Europe
S. Ellis USDA
Swede Midge Origin
• Native to Eurasia
- widespread minor pest of crucifer crops in
Europe
- preferential temperatures 20-25 deg C,
adequate rainfall
S. Ellis USDA
Swede Midge Origin
• Native to Eurasia
- widespread minor pest of crucifer crops in
Europe
- preferential temperatures 20-25 deg C,
adequate rainfall
- Olfert et al. mapped potential distribution in
Canada
S. Ellis USDA
Swede midge eco‐
climate suitability
Olfert and Weiss 2015
Unfavourable
Suitable
Favourable
Very Favourable
First reported on canola in ON in 2005
L. Grenkow
First reported on canola in ON in 2005
10 years later:
“On the advice of our swede midge
research team, OCGA supports a
temporary three year canola moratorium*
alongside increased efforts to introduce
additional rotation options.”
Ontario Canola Growers Association
January 2015 Newsletter
* for production in northern Ontario
L. Grenkow
Swede midge distribution on Prairies
- first detected on CFIA pheromone traps in SK/MB in 2007/08
M. Weis
canola growing regions
Saskatoon Research Centre
Swede midge distribution on Prairies
- first swede midge injury detected in canola in SK in 2012
M. Weis
Saskatoon Research Centre
Swede midge adults 2013
Swede midge adults 2014
Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture et
Agroalimentaire Canada
Swede midge adults 2015
Agriculture and
Agriculture etAgriculture et
Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada
Agroalimentaire
Canada
Agri-Food Canada
Agroalimentaire
Canada
Swede Midge Biology
S. Ellis USDA
Swede Midge Origin
Hallett group
Native to Eurasia
- widespread minor pest of crucifer crops in
Europe
- preferential temperatures 20-25 deg C,
adequate rainfall
- Olfert et al. mapped European distribution
and potential distribution in Canada
Cornell EDU
Pupae 10-48
Larvae days; overwinter
as prepupae in soil
feed 7‐21 d
M. Chen
ON-QU
3-5 generations
Adults
live 1-3 d
Eggs
K. Schrameyer
1-10 d
L. Andreassen
Swede Midge Life History
WINTER SPRING
SUMMER
FALL
Flight
20 ºC,
moisture
Prepupae Adults
overwinter emerge,
in soil
mate, lay
eggs, live
1-3 days
Larvae feed
on plant
terminals,
buds,
flowers.
Repeat
Pupate in
the soil.
Last generation
in Sept –Oct,
overwinter in
soil as prepupae
SM Adult Activity and Canola Growth Stages
Shelburne, Northern Ontario
Vwgw
vegetative
flowering
maturing
Source: ON Canola Growers Newsletter Jan. 2015
Swede midge in Ontario, 2014
One trap captured 4163 males in 4 days
Hallett group
SM adult emergence Melfort,SK, 2014
First flowers
SM adult emergence Melfort,SK, 2014
First flowers
2 generations,
1 in the crop
Swede Midge Pop’n Development
MidgEmerge, a new predictive model for
determining emergence of the swede midge,
Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer) (Diptera:
Cecidomyiidae)
Sheila A. Goodfellow, Rebecca H. Hallett,
Ross M. Weiss and Owen Olfert
SM Adult Pop’n Development Model, Melfort, SK
Long term normal
2011
2012
2013
SM Adult Emergence from overwintering cocoons
PPMN weekly update 4 June
2015:
Model output predicted oviposition
is underway and larvae should
occur in northeastern
Saskatchewan and northwestern
Manitoba
SM Adult Emergence from overwintering cocoons
Codette, SK 2015
First flowers
PPMN weekly update 4 June
2015:
Model output predicted oviposition
is underway and larvae should
occur in northeastern
Saskatchewan and northwestern
Manitoba
SM Adult Emergence from overwintering cocoons
Codette, SK 2015
First flowers
PPMN weekly update 4 June
2015:
Model output predicted oviposition
is underway and larvae should
occur in northeastern
Saskatchewan and northwestern
Manitoba
Swede Midge Damage
• swede midge is most attracted to young,
rapidly growing tissue
• canola is most vulnerable at pre-bolting, early
bud, and secondary bud stages
• damage depends on time of infestation
- earlier the infestation, worse the damage
Lars Andreassen
Lars Andreassen
Lars Andreassen
Swede Midge Damage Symptoms
• swollen, distorted or twisted young shoots
• premature bolting
• swollen and closed buds; bottle-shaped
flowers
• multiple branching
• blind head, witches’ broom (death of
apical meristem)
Lars Andreassen
New Lisgeard, ON July 25, 2013
Attacked primary buds
Hallett group
Hallett group
L. Grenkow
Attacked flowers
T. Wist
Attacked flowers
L. Grenkow
Lyle Cowell
O. Olfert
Lars Andreassen
Teresa Bowie
LarsBayer
Andreassen
Canada
Attacked secondary buds
Lars Andreassen
L. Grenkow
Terminal damage - Witches’ broom
Owen Olfert
Terminal damage - Witches’ broom
BUT – other factors can cause similar damage
Owen Olfert
Swede midge research at SRC
Research at SRC
Distribution of swede midge
Farmers’ fields
• early/late planting
• seed treatments Lumiderm & Helix
Host plant resistance
• glyphosate-tolerant varieties
• 6 species trial
Biological Control
Farmers’ fields - four locations - farmer agronomy
- Two seeding dates (early, late)
- Four seed treatments
1. Fungicide alone
2. Helix/Vibrance: thiamethoxam
3. Lumiderm: cyantraniliprole
4. Helix/Vibrance+Lumiderm
Swede midge damage rating scale:
0 - no damage
1 - slight damage
2 - moderate
3 - severe
Mean predicted probability of Damage Rating 1,
all sites 2015
Location, seeding date, rating date are significant
Mean predicted probability of Damage Rating 1,
Carrot River 2015
Seed yields
Seed yields 2015
Statistics
Location
Kg/ha (bu/acre)
Codette
2574 (38)
Carrot River
2274 (34)
Variable
P<
Location
0.09
Ridgedale
2251 (33)
Seeding date
0.78
Codette2
2105 (31)
Seed treatment
0.18
Seeding date
Date*trt
0.14
Early
2303 (34)
Date*location
0.14
Late
2319 (34)
Location *trt
0.45
Date*loc*trt
0.85
Seed treatment
Kg/ha (bu/acre)
Kg/ha (bu/acre)
Fungicide
2268 (34)
Fung + Lumiderm
2242 (33)
Vibrance
2344 (35)
Vibrance + Lumiderm
2388 (35)
Roundup Ready trial:
• 13 entries
• rated swede midge damage, seed yields
Predicted Mean Probability Damage
Rating 1, Melfort B. napus Trial, 2015
cultivars not significantly different
Swede midge experiments:
Melfort crucifer species trial
19 entries
6 crucifer species
Brassica rapa
Brassica napus
Brassica juncea
Brassica carinata
Sinapis alba
Camelina sativa
Predicted Mean Prob Damage
Rating 1, Melfort Variety Trial, 2015
species are significantly different
Swede midge biological control
• No suitable agents found in Europe for
classical biological control
• Biocontrol of exotic pest with native
parasitoids ?
Lars Andreassen
B. Sampson
Swede midge biological control
Andreassen saw
nine parasitoids
antennating
infested canola
flowers near Carrot
River, SK, in July
2014
Lars Andreassen
Swede midge biological control
Gastrancistrus sp.
30 symptomatic flowers collected from
each of five sites July 2014:
No. swede midges
No. parasitoid wasps*
% Parasitism
Carrot River
130
14
10
Melfort
63
4
6
Gronlid
103
3
3
Fairy Glen 43
1
3
Prince Albert
47
0
0
* two species found - 80% Gastrancistrus,
20% Inostemma
Lars Andreassen
Swede midge biological control
symptomatic flowers collected from
eight sites July 2015:
No. galls
No. SM
No. parasitoids*
Ridgedale
32
19
1
Choiceland
43
20
1
Gronlid
36
36
1
Meadow
Lake
60
203
1
Four
others
207
104
0
* only Gastranscistrus emerged
Lars Andreassen
Swede midge biological control
symptomatic flowers collected from
nine sites August 2015:
No. galls
No. SM
No. parasitoids*
Melfort
83
9
8
Ridgedale
52
3
1
Gronlid
54
1
1
Five others
220
15
0
* only Inostemma sp. emerged
Lars Andreassen
Swede midge biological control
Questions
• Species identities, biologies
• Species specificity
• Species effectiveness
Tyler Wist
Tyler Wist
Inostemma sp.
Lars Andreassen
Gastrancistrus sp.
Swede Midge Control Challenges
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adults short-lived
larvae are concealed
economic thresholds are unknown
multiple generations over entire season
host plants susceptible in most growth stages
a proportion have multiple year overwintering
crop rotation works, but is limited in extent
chemical control not consistent
Swede Midge Impact on Prairies
Nemesis:
Flash in pan:
• spreading rapidly
• all prairie regions
suitable or favourable
• adults hard to identify
• most canola growth
stages susceptible
• prairie populations
emerge late
• susceptible to low
humidity
• colder prairie springs?
• parasitoids present
Swede Midge Research Acknowledgments
Funding
Funding
Producers
Agriculture
and
Agri-Food
Canada
Agriculture
and
Agri-Food
Canada
ACIDF
Canola
Council of Canada, ACIDF
Canola Council of Canada
SaskCanola
SaskCanola
Sask
Min of Ag ADF, Western Grains RF
ADF, WGRF
Kent Baxter
Norman Enns
Jamie Friedman
Ian Rushmer
AAFC Personnel Hallett Photos
AAFC
Personnel D. Chueng
David
Giffen
Seeds & Pesticides
Gary
Gibson
Larry
Grenkow
Larry
Grenkow
Ross
Weiss
Lubomir
Tyler
Wist Masner
Tyler Wist
T. Baute
S. Marshall
L. Des Marteaux
Consultants
Consultants
Mark
Gordon (Agri-Trend)
Bayer
Canterra
Crop Production Services
DuPont – plus treatment of seed
Monsanto
Pioneer
Tim
Perkins
(Crop
Production Services) Taxonomists AAFC
Mark
Gordon
(Agri-Trend)
Wade
and Tara
Annand (AgGrow)
Mackenzie
Wilson-Anderson
(AgGrow) Gary Gibson
Tim Perkins (Crop Production Services) Lubomir Masner
Agriculture and
Agriculture et
Agri-Food Canada Agroalimentaire Canada
Ottawa