Trap cropping for insect pests in the Canadian Prairies: a review and a case study

Abstract

The Canadian Prairies are one of the major agricultural regions of the world in terms of cereal, oilseed and pulse crop production. With few exceptions, major insect pests like grasshoppers, flea beetles, Lygus bugs, wireworms and pea leaf weevils are controlled with insecticides. Wheat stem sawfly is managed through host plant resistance and endemic natural enemies, whereas cereal leaf beetle is managed through classical biological control. Large farms and short growing seasons in the region present logistical challenges to adopt time intensive pest management systems such as trap crops. Therefore, there is no adoption of trap crops even though some research has demonstrated their potential. In this article we present a brief overview of the pest status and management, and we summarize research on trap crops in the Prairies Ecozone and adjacent ecoregions. We conclude the review with some innovative research ideas to make trap cropping a more appealing pest management system in our quest to reduce dependency on chemical insecticides and increase the environmental resilience of Canadian agroecosystems.