Planting In March 2021 Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.2 million acres of grain corn, 3% higher than the 5-year (2016-2020) average seeded acres of 2.14 million acres (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). Spring 2021 provided a great start for planting. While April generally remained cool, lack of rainfall provided excellent soil conditions with […]
I spoke with an agronomist about a grower who started variable rating nitrogen (N) in corn. Logically, given that high yielding corn takes up more N than low yielding corn, the grower was going to variable rate N by yield across the field – more in high yielding areas, less in low yielding areas. The […]
The Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables have been updated for April 2021. English: Canadian Bt Corn Trait Table for April 2021 French: Maïs Bt disponibles au Canada (Avril 2021) For information on which hybrids or products have obtained EU approval, visit the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s corn hybrid database at: https://seedinnovation.ca/hybrid/ Pour plus d’informations sur les hybrides […]
Nitrogen (N) Corn responds well to nitrogen, so adequate availability of nitrogen is critical to profitable corn production. Excess nitrogen adds unnecessary expenses and increases the risk of nitrate movement to ground water, poorer quality of surface water and production of greenhouse gases through nitrous oxide emissions. Insufficient nitrogen leads to nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen deficiency […]
Uniformity of Emergence Uniform seeding depth is a critical factor in achieving uniform emergence. Uneven emergence affects crop performance, because competition from larger, early-emerging plants reduces the yield potential of smaller, later-emerging plants. Yields can be reduced by 5% when half the stand suffers from a 7-day delay in emergence and by 12% when half […]
Corn Development The vegetative and reproductive growth stages in corn are described in Table 1–12, Vegetative growth stages in corn and Table 1–13, Reproductive growth stages in corn. Corn Leaf Stages Counting the leaves on a corn plant sounds like an easy task, but there are a few complications that can cause mistakes. It […]
Planting Seeding Date The best yields in Ontario are usually obtained from corn planted in late April and the first half of May, as the crop is able to use the full growing season. Early planting also results in earlier maturity in the fall, reducing the risk of damage from an early fall frost or […]
Hybrid Selection Maturity Ratings Corn development is driven primarily by temperature, especially during the planting-to-silking period. Unlike soybeans, day length has little effect on the rate at which corn develops. The Ontario crop heat unit system has been developed to calculate the impact of temperature on corn development. Ontario crop heat units (CHUs) are calculated […]
No-Till Systems In no-till systems, tillage is not used to prepare a seedbed. Minimal soil loosening in a narrow band immediately ahead of the seed opener is performed by planter-mounted coulters and/or residue clearing devices. Successful no-till corn production is partially dependent on effective use of field management strategies which may include alternative production practices […]
Tillage To successfully produce corn in Ontario, it is important to consider factors such as soil texture and crop rotation. Factors that will influence tillage options include risk of erosion, availability of equipment and labour and impact on soil health. Soils in Ontario are usually saturated in early spring, and quick dry-down is necessary to […]
Timely planting of corn followed by in-crop manure application up to V4 stage of corn can reduce compaction, increase nutrient use efficiency and increase yield. $100 per acre extra value from applying manure after corn planting! Did that catch your attention? Nutrient-use efficiency is highest when the nutrients are applied to a growing crop. Field […]
We have revised the Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables to reflect the current potential cross resistance of corn rootworm in Ontario to all Bt-RW proteins. Here are the latest versions: English: Bt Corn Trait Table (October 2020) with Events and Resistance Status French: Tableau des caractères Bt (Octobre 2020-Français) – Évènements transgéniques et résistances For information on […]
Environment Canada has issued frost advisories for most corn growing areas of the province for the nights of September 18 to 20 which are expected to be near or slightly below freezing (Figure 1). This is earlier than we typically observe first frosts, earlier than our long-term season end dates (Table 1) and much lower […]
With the first usher of cool fall weather this past week, there were frost warnings for parts of Northern Ontario. With the introduction of increasingly shorter maturity corn hybrids, there has been more corn grown in shorter season areas than what has been typical in the past, and also growers who may have recently started […]
Background There are various ways to count growth stages of corn plants throughout the season. We use methods such as leaf over and corn height to decide when to come into fields and apply post emergence herbicides. Though what is the best method to assess corn growth in later vegetative stages? This becomes challenging when […]