The last meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 23rd at 8:00 am. Weather Conditions Dry conditions continued over the two weeks since the last meeting. Rainfall was patchy over the region, with some areas getting “just over an inch” and others nothing at all. Those that got rain reported crops continue to look good but could use more. Crops that missed the rain are…
Cereals Warm daytime and nighttime temperatures have resulted in rapid growth through the heading stage. Wheat can be vulnerable to hot temperatures during flowering especially if it gets above 33oC. Pollen viability can be affected at that temperature when the pollen is developing at 5-7 days before flowering. In the areas where it has been really hot the wheat was…
Soybean aphids (SBA) have been reported in a few early planted soybean fields. But that doesn’t mean we need to panic. It has been a few years since we have had major aphid issues so it is good to review what the best management practices are. Especially given one of the main reasons we no longer deal with soybean aphids…
Corn Nitrogen Status Nitrogen mineralization is favoured by warm soil temperatures with adequate soil moisture and aeration. Excess moisture can slow mineralization or increase the potential for losses through denitrification (especially under warm conditions) or leaching. Spring of 2021 progressed similar to 2020. Sunshine and little rainfall resulted in great soil conditions through April and May. A period of cold…
The European corn borer (ECB; Ostrinia nubilalis), has been an important pest of corn and other crops in eastern Canada for nearly a century now but is also known to be a sporadic pest in western Canada. Despite its name, ECB is actually a generalist feeder, having a wide range of hosts. Although corn is one of its preferred hosts,…
Rain events across the province have interrupted a dry spring. While the water is welcome, the 5-7 days after a rain that ends a severe dry period increases the risk of nitrates in forage crops! Nitrates are of concern because they can increase silo gas production and cause nitrate poisoning in livestock. Silo Gas Silo gas (nitrogen dioxide, N2O) is produced…
Alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper (PLH) are being reported as extremely high in many fields. Hot dry conditions have made it more favourable for these pests than their natural enemies (especially entomopathogenic fungi). Scout fields to determine if cutting is possible or if an insecticide application is necessary if thresholds are reached. Consider fields at threshold if both pests are…
Summary Soil nitrogen supply (mineralization, loss) can be influenced by weather (soil temperature, moisture) each spring. OMAFRA leads an annual Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) survey to gauge year-to-year levels across Ontario. PSNT soil samples were collected from 93 sites across Ontario from May 31st to June 2nd, 2021. The average PSNT value was 13 ppm, similar to the long-term…
Photo credit: Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota. Canola seeded May 19th in Thunder Bay District. June 2nd was the last meeting of the season. We had good attendance and would like to thank everyone that joined and participated. It is estimated that 8,000 acres of canola and soybeans are being reseeded in northeastern Ontario after the frost events last weekend. Extent…
Overview: Rainfall last week was welcomed across the region and relieved the anxiety for those with crops planted into dry soils and for growers waiting for some activation of soil applied herbicides. Crop heat unit accumulation since the beginning of May is about 425 CHU. This is close to last year and long-term average, with cooler temperatures at the beginning of the month slowing a trend from April that was ahead of normal. …
Soybean Update The majority of the soybean crop was planted by May 20th. Although plant stands have generally been good, there are fields with poor emergence. Poor soybean stands can be caused by various issues such as insect or slug feeding, but this year the main problem has been dry soil. Soybeans…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team May 28, 2021 245 Comments Off on Exeter and Mount Forest Breakfast Meeting Minutes – May 25, 2021Corn: Overall the area received very little rainfall since last meeting two weeks ago. The most that was reported was 2/10 of an inch in parts of Huron county. Most of the corn in the area is now planted except for some acres intended to go in after ryelage. Although it is still a little premature to evaluate seeding rate…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team May 27, 2021 290 Comments Off on Cobourg/Winchester Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – May 26, 2021Weather Conditions The entire eastern region received no more than 4 mm of rainfall in the past two weeks. Dry conditions were a theme throughout all topics of discussion. Cereals The winter wheat crop continues to look very good. Forages First cut has started for producers targeting “dairy quality” forage. Early reports suggest yields are good. This is mostly credited…
Tracey Baute May 27, 2021 229 Comments Off on Introducing the New Adult Corn Rootworm Trap Network – Trap Participants NeededSeveral US states and Canadian provinces are joining forces to monitor for adult corn rootworm (CRW) beetles this year. Though some US states have been monitoring adult rootworm beetles using sticky traps for several years now, trapping for CRW is relatively new for Ontario. Weekly trap data for all trap sites involved will be collected and mapped in real-time by…
Conditions Some thunderstorms through Essex provided some moisture, but most areas of the province received less than 5 mm over the long weekend and conditions throughout the province remain dry. Temperatures have transitioned from colder than normal to summer-like, and double-digit night-time temperatures have helped newly planted crops to emerge quickly. Cereals Early planted wheat fields are starting to head….
