Farmers in Alberta may face a range of issues in their fields with pests and crop diseases for the 2023 growing season.
The 2023 growing season is shaping up to be a mixed bag for pests and diseases. As winter rages on across the province, there are some hints of what is to come for Alberta’s crops for pests and diseases this growing season.
Disease development is mainly based upon weather conditions, so outlooks may change depending on what Mother Nature serves up during the 2023 growing season. However, recent and historical conditions can give clues as to what farmers may face in their fields this growing season.
“For regions that on average receive typically more moisture… the Highway 2 corridor from Edmonton down towards Olds, that’s typically on average you get more moisture, and thus there’s greater potential for seasonal development of disease issues,” Kelly Turkington, research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), explains in a phone interview.
Meanwhile, what insect pests you may see are more dependent on recent weather conditions. Whether it’s been wet or dry over the past year can lead to different pests’ egg populations increasing.
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