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A changing climate is influencing agricultural pest dynamics and their impacts on agricultural
production in the Cariboo region. During the Cariboo Adaptation Strategies planning process
facilitated by the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative, stakeholders identified a
number of agricultural pests of concern and also highlighted a significant gap in regional support
activity. This project was implemented to help regional producers begin to adapt to emerging pest
management issues resulting from climate change.
Consultations were conducted with key regional stakeholders and organizations using a survey and
an interview process, to develop lists of priority plant, insect, disease and other agricultural pests. A
ranking was assigned to these current and emerging agricultural pest threats based on individual
pest's current and potential distributions if unmanaged, the scale and severity of their impacts on
various types of regional agricultural production, and the existing research, monitoring and/or
management support (i.e. effective beneficial practices). Information gathered in the consultations,
supplemented with a separate literature review, was used to inform this ranking.
The literature review and feedback from stakeholders was also used to identify a gaps in regional
extension, monitoring and research work, with potential project partners identified. The following
recommendations are put forward to support pest management in the Cariboo-Chilcotin:
1. Employ Layered Management Strategies, recognizing the different needs of endemic pests, new
pests with limited regional distributions, and pests not yet in the region but with significant
potential to cause harm if they establish a presence;
2. Enhance Producer Education and Connection to Information, particularly in the areas of
integrated pest management, pest identification, monitoring protocols, and the full range of
suitable control options;
3. Expand and Refine Regional Pest Monitoring;
4. Establish, or Link to Existing, Climate Monitoring Networks;
5. Refine the Priority Pest Ranking System to allow for more robust pest management decision
making to the local, or in some cases, site/farm level; and,
6. Conduct Participatory Research and Adaptive Management Trials that avoid new pest problems
from establishing, improve the understanding of non-crop/non-livestock hosts and vectors, link
pest management issues to other climate-related changes, leverage existing management
capabilities, and result in long-term stable control with lower-cost inputs.
production in the Cariboo region. During the Cariboo Adaptation Strategies planning process
facilitated by the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative, stakeholders identified a
number of agricultural pests of concern and also highlighted a significant gap in regional support
activity. This project was implemented to help regional producers begin to adapt to emerging pest
management issues resulting from climate change.
Consultations were conducted with key regional stakeholders and organizations using a survey and
an interview process, to develop lists of priority plant, insect, disease and other agricultural pests. A
ranking was assigned to these current and emerging agricultural pest threats based on individual
pest's current and potential distributions if unmanaged, the scale and severity of their impacts on
various types of regional agricultural production, and the existing research, monitoring and/or
management support (i.e. effective beneficial practices). Information gathered in the consultations,
supplemented with a separate literature review, was used to inform this ranking.
The literature review and feedback from stakeholders was also used to identify a gaps in regional
extension, monitoring and research work, with potential project partners identified. The following
recommendations are put forward to support pest management in the Cariboo-Chilcotin:
1. Employ Layered Management Strategies, recognizing the different needs of endemic pests, new
pests with limited regional distributions, and pests not yet in the region but with significant
potential to cause harm if they establish a presence;
2. Enhance Producer Education and Connection to Information, particularly in the areas of
integrated pest management, pest identification, monitoring protocols, and the full range of
suitable control options;
3. Expand and Refine Regional Pest Monitoring;
4. Establish, or Link to Existing, Climate Monitoring Networks;
5. Refine the Priority Pest Ranking System to allow for more robust pest management decision
making to the local, or in some cases, site/farm level; and,
6. Conduct Participatory Research and Adaptive Management Trials that avoid new pest problems
from establishing, improve the understanding of non-crop/non-livestock hosts and vectors, link
pest management issues to other climate-related changes, leverage existing management
capabilities, and result in long-term stable control with lower-cost inputs.
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