How loud is the natural enemy buzz in farmers fields? Raising awareness to improve conservation biocontrol in Western Canada

Sunday, November 13, 2022

3:25 PM – 3:55 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 119/120

Presenting Author(s)

John Gavloski

Extension Entomologist
Manitoba Agriculture
Carman, Manitoba, Canada

Co-author(s)

JS

Jill Sauter

Synthesis Agri-Food Network
JO

Jennifer Otani

Pest Management Biologist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada
MV

Meghan Vankosky (she/her/hers)

Research Scientist, Field Crop Entomology
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Co-Author(s)

TW

Tyler Wist

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Natural enemies have key roles in keeping some insect populations from reaching pest densities. Technology transfer resources are often limited and researchers have limited time to disperse their publications to farmers and agronomists in lay terms. Over the last decade, a marketing campaign (Field Heroes) funded by the Western Grains Research Foundation has targeted the agricultural industry in the Canadian Prairies to improve knowledge of natural enemies and eventually enhance conservation biological control among field crop producers. This presentation will describe the campaign and the results of an informal survey among agronomists and producers during field producer meetings in the summer of 2022.