Research Objective

• Establish a record of the insect community in Central Alberta canola fields
• Develop molecular gut content analysis tools to understand relationships between insect predator and prey in the field
• To determine the predator’s diet and impact on pest species

Project Description

The pest suppression ability of an insect’s natural enemies can form the cornerstone of integrated management programs. This project will fill a knowledge gap by identifying the key natural enemies of canola pests in western Canada and begin to quantify their impact on pest populations. Because direct observation of predation is difficult in the field, this project will use a molecular gut content analysis to determine the relationships between insect predators and their pests. To study the gut content of predators, the project will use molecular tools (such as multiplex PCR, next-generation sequencing, etc.) that will determine the diet content and therefore impact on the pest species. The identification of key predators will provide the foundation to develop conservation biological control strategies, therefore increasing environmental sustainability and reducing pest pressure in other field crops. This information will be important for future conservation biological control studies which aim to increase natural pest suppression through these predators. Ultimately, this information will help to increase plant health, reduce unnecessary pesticide use, and support sustainability of the ecosystem.