Author: Joey Sabljic Precision Agriculture Advancement for Ontario: This article is part of a series dedicated to helping farmers understand and implement precision agriculture technology. It is based on research conducted by Nicole Rabe, Ian McDonald and Ben Rosser at OMAFRA, in conjunction with Mike Duncan, Sarah Lepp and Gregor MacLean at Niagara College. For […]
Co-written by Dr. Laura Van Eerd, Associate Professor, Nitrogen Fertility and Cover Crops, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Soil organic matter (OM) is the single most important soil health property that you have influence over through your management. Soil OM is all living, dead or long dead (and decomposed) material. Higher soil organic matter translates […]
Co-written by Joanna Follings, Cereal Specialist Should you use 2,4-D to emerged wheat in the fall to control weeds? The short answer is no. First, the label clearly states under the “Application Timing” section: “Do not apply to seedling winter cereals in the fall.” Second, there are other labelled and less injurious herbicide options that provide […]
Co-Authored with Albert Tenuta The OMAFRA Field Crops team conducted its annual vomitoxin survey to assess the presence of corn ear mould and grain vomitoxin in the 2016 corn crop. Vomitoxins can be produced by Gibberella and Fusarium ear moulds and can be disruptive when fed to livestock, particularly hogs. A total of 121 samples […]
Effective control of common burdock doesn’t happen overnight and is most successful when you can control new seedlings in the spring followed by controlling any larger first year plants in the fall so that they don’t overwinter, flower and disperse new seed the following year . Common burdock (Arctium minus) is a biennial that reproduces only […]
Forage production in 2016 was challenging as the cool spring delayed early growth and was followed by a hot, dry summer before rains returned in August. While hay inventories are below average, most of the hay harvested was high quality. This year has seen an increase use of cover crops for emergency forage and fall […]
I was driving down a long country road and noticed that two large fields, where winter wheat was harvested almost eight weeks ago, had a beautiful thick canopy of oats. It wasn’t long until I came across a field that was left fallow, that it became clear why so many farmers had chosen to plant […]
Soil Fertility Considerations in a Dry Year For some parts of the province, the 2016 growing season has been exceptionally dry. As we move towards fall, harvest, and soil sampling, there are some unique soil fertility considerations if you have experienced particularly dry weather this season. If you follow a build-up and maintain approach to […]
Despite the dry year and stripe rust infestation, we saw some big winter wheat yields across the province this season. Many growers are giving credit to a strong stand establishment last fall thanks to the excellent planting conditions. So as we get into the full swing of winter wheat planting, here are a few things […]
Featuring over 120 species commonly found in and around agricultural fields, the Weed ID Guide for Ontario Crops is now available in the following formats. ePub format (124 MB file for Kindle, iBooks and other e-reader apps): click to download .pdf format (8 mb file): click to download print ready .pdf (141 mb file): click to […]
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is developing an Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy. Specifically, OMAFRA is seeking feedback on a Discussion Document that outlines a draft vision, goals and objectives for the strategy. Healthy agricultural soils are essential in order to ensure ongoing productivity and competitiveness in Ontario’s agri-food sector […]
Managing Corn Silage Harvest in a Dry Year As corn enters the dent stage, corn silage harvest has just started in many areas. Years with below average precipitation and corn that has undergone moisture stress can present some challenges in trying to manage corn silage harvest. Whole Plant Moisture Proper whole plant moisture is critical […]
Hosted by OMAFRA & Ridgetown Campus – University of Guelph Wednesday September 14th, 2016 Gosnell Line and Ridgetown Campus • No cost • No preregistration required Join the plot tour either in the afternoon or evening Join us to celebrate and examine what has been learned from, 9 years of Continuous Cover Crop in Rotation […]
Many farmers have witnessed the value in applying herbicides in the fall to perennial weeds, especially perennial sow-thistle and dandelion (Figure 1). Often they will see a reduction in their population the next year as well as a delay in their shoot emergence. This allows the planted crop to have a competitive advantage over those […]
Authors: Meghan Moran and Mike Cowbrough Harvest aid treatments in dry edible beans will provide a more even dry down of the crop and any escaped weeds, making harvest more efficient. Controlling escaped weeds can also reduce seed stain, improving bean quality. There are six products registered for pre-harvest use in edible beans in Ontario, […]