Researchers Study Invasive Alien Insects

Insects can destroy crops, resulting in millions of dollars in lost yield.

 

That's why researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) want to know more about invasive alien insects before they become a threat here in Canada.

 

Dr. Meghan Vankosky is based in Saskatoon.

 

"The objective of the project was to identify a few insect species of concern that could become invasive in Canada and use information on their biology and the climate date from Canada in order to put those things into a model to predict where in Canada those particular species might become established and if they have known parasitoids or predators then we were also hoping to include the parasitoids and predators in that model because that would allow for future work in biological control."

 

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.