#Midge Busters - wheat midge phermone trap monitoring program shows benefits

Jan 31, 2023

Wheat midge is one of the top three most damaging insect pests for wheat crops in the prairies.

Dr.Tyler Wist is a field crop entamologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon.

During this week's "Think Wheat" meetings he talked about the Midge Busters phermone trap monitoring project.

Producers and agronomists that volunteer for the program are given a phermone trap to put out in the wheat field, they then count the wheat midge on their traps bi-weekly.

Wist says they're partnering with Secan giving phermone traps to growers that volunteer to be a part of the program.

"It is a trap that smells like a female wheat Midge, so it's like catnip for male wheat midge. We're using that to try to track the numbers of wheat Midge in people's field, and also, when those wheat Midge emerge."

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Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

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Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.