Flea beetles in canola continues to be a concern in many areas of the province.

Some producers have been forced to reseed crops while others are fighting the pest with a foliar insecticide application.

Provincial Entomologist John Gavloski says flee beetle numbers could remain high over the next few weeks.

"Especially in hot, warm weather they tend to become more active and feed a bit more aggressively," he said. "Numbers are still quite high, and often with the crucifer flee beetle, our more dominant species, numbers can remain high well into June. Often when we get into mid to late June you'll start to see a noticeable decline in numbers."

Gavloski notes that cutworms problems have also been reported, particularly in corn and sunflowers in the central and eastern regions of the province.

Meanwhile, producers haven't had a lot of disease issues to deal with this spring.

Holly Derksen, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development says she has been receiving questions about seedling disease.

She notes adverse weather has taken its toll on newly planted crops.

"Obviously a lot of our crops are under stress with the recent frost event and stressed plants are more susceptible to disease, so there is a chance that we could see some early season disease that way," said Derksen, "What really needs to happen is some warm weather to get the plants out of the seedling stage and it will be past that point where they're really susceptible."

Bacterial leaf streak. Source: Grower-submitted image

Derksen adds that conditions are conducive for bacterial diseases in cereal crops, with one fall rye sample being diagnosed with bacterial leaf streak.

She reminds producers to make sure they get the disease properly identified, as it can sometimes look like other leaf spots.