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Monitoring western bean cutworms to decrease crop loss Lindsay Brown
Western bean cutworms are migrating from their original mid-western host range towards the Great Lakes region, and that’s a big concern. When cutworm larvae emerge, they burrow into corn cobs and feed on the kernels.

Tracey Baute, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs field crop entomologist and her colleagues want to investigate how far the insect will expand east across the Great Lakes region.

“Western bean cutworm is an emerging pest that can cost producers a great deal in yield loss and seed quality,” says Baute. “It’s important to understand where the pest is in Ontario and how best to manage cutworm so that producers can act quickly.”

By establishing an effective monitoring system for this new pest, its status can be quantified here in Ontario and alert growers so they can act quickly and minimize yield loss risks.

Identifying opportunities for corn Anupriya Dewan
New technologies, uses and markets for corn being studied in Canada and elsewhere are the focus of a new report from the Guelph Food Technology Centre.

The report, Global Emerging Market and Technology Opportunities for Corn Ingredients and Food Products Containing Corn, focuses on corn as a growing food commodity.

Project leader John Michaelides says the report will provide insight to producers, investors and processors on the demand for corn-based ingredients and other food products. This will help them deal with the expected decrease in demand for grains and oilseeds as the second and third generations of biofuels advance. 

Global Emerging Market Technology Opportunities for Corn Ingredients and Food Products Containing Corn will be available through the Ontario Corn Producers Association and the CanAdvance program later this month.