Development of an Insect Quarantine and Rearing Facility
Term: 1 year, beginning in 2021
Status: Complete
Researcher(s): Sean Prager, University of Saskatchewan
SaskCanola Investment: $70,000
Total Project Cost: $1,114,156
Funding Partners: University of Saskatchewan, SPG, SWDC, Western Grains Research Foundation, CFI
Project Description
This facility will increase the overall capacity for insect and pest related research and will therefore benefit numerous researchers and projects at the University of Saskatchewan. Also, this facility will result in important training opportunities. There is a limited number of individuals in Saskatchewan, and western Canada, with advanced training in economic entomology. Partly, this is because the number of students and postdocs that can be trained is limited by physical resources and space. The completed facility will expand this capacity, increasing the number of well-trained researchers.
Objective
This rearing facility will allow researchers at USask to study pests including: Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata), tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), at least two species of flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae and Phyllotreta striolata), cabbage seedpod weevil, and especially diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). Importantly, cabbage seedpod weevil and flea beetles are introduced pests, while other important pests in Saskatchewan such as Aster leafhoppers and Diamondback moth are migratory and enter the province on wind currents.