Diamondback Moths A Concern For Oilseed Producers

It looks like Diamondback Moths could pose a real problem for producers this year. 

 

Crops Extension Specialist John Ippolito says there's potential for probably two, maybe even three generations of the insect impacting canola and mustard crops in Saskatchewan this year.

 

"So potential for, you know, canola and mustard damage as we get later into the growing season I think is our concern right now based on the number of moths we're catching in the traps and the fact that they've arrived quite early. Moth counts to date, I would say the last four weeks or so, have been higher than what we've seen for a few years, and I guess early.  So the combination of the two is I guess why we're maybe concerned about the potential for challenges down the road."

 

The adults lay eggs but it's the larvae that does the real damage feeding on the leaves and pods of the crops reducing the yield potential.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.