2020 was an exceptional year for many Ontario soybean growers. Although not all regions had good yields, much of the province harvested outstanding soybeans. The overall provincial average will likely be a record in 2020. In several cases growers were able to achieve over 80 bu/ac. With 65% of insured growers having reported to date, the provincial average presently sits…
This article was written by Dr. Elson Shields, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY **A note from Christine: Alfalfa snout beetle is an invasive species. A 2008 survey confirmed its presence in Leeds & Grenville, Prescott & Russell, and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry counties. At that time, over 150 km2 were infested. Dr. Shield’s research on biocontrol nematodes was…
This webinar features OMAFRA specialists who provided an update on Bt-resistant corn rootworm, the impact on cropping systems and feed supplies, mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of Bt corn rootworm resistance, and alternative feeding options. While this webinar is open to anyone, it is geared towards cattle producers (dairy and beef). The webinar aired December 8, 2020. Speakers include…
Planting In March 2020 Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.3 million acres of grain corn, 10% higher than the 5-year average seeded acres of 2.1 million acres (2015-2019) (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). Spring 2020 provided a great start to planting. April remained cold but sun and dry weather provided an extended period of excellent soil conditions. A very…
Alexandra Collingwood December 28, 2020 532 Comments Off on Early Lessons from Ridgetown’s Long-term Cover Crop Trial for Field CropsDr. Dave Hooker and his colleagues have been curious about the value of integrating cover crops into a farming operation in the long term. These questions have remained unanswered by numerous short-term trials they had been conducting, which led them to establish a new trial. As it can take time for a cropping system to equilibrate, this long-term cover crop…
The OMAFRA Soil Team recently hosted a three-part webinar series on strip-tillage. Each event focused on a different aspect of strip-till and featured four different farmer speakers from across Ontario. To view the recordings, check out the videos below. Timing & Tools: Shank vs. Coulter and Spring vs. Fall (recorded December 8th, 2020): Strip-Till and Cover Crops: How Do They…
Alexandra Collingwood December 21, 2020 286 Comments Off on The Impact of Cover Crops in a Processing Vegetable-Grain Cropping SystemThere are a variety of agricultural research trials in the province, but one that stands out from the rest is the long-term cover crop trial set up by Dr. Laura Van Eerd in Ridgetown, Ontario. This trial was established in 2007 and has had consistent cover crop treatments within a processing vegetable-grain crop rotation on the same plot since then….
Ian McDonald December 18, 2020 497 Comments Off on Are There Reasonable Alternatives to Fall Tillage for Residue Management?Big crops mean big residue left behind! One the positives of big residues means lots of organic matter to return to the soil, which supports soil health and return or cycling of various nutrients like P, K and micros. All of this supports microbial life, reduces the potential for soil erosion by helping to keep ground covered through the…
Ian McDonald December 16, 2020 321 Comments Off on Ontario Ag Conference 2021 – Benefits of RegistrationOAgC21 – The Many Benefits with Registration! Full Access! All 3 major Ontario conferences under one roof! “One Stop Shopping” for anyone who has attended Southwest Ag Conference, Eastern Ontario Crops Conference, and/or FarmSmart Ag Conference in the past. No winter travel required Offering loads of incredible content! 6 Live Sessions (3 on January 6th and 3 on January 7th)…
This post contains the TEC TALK TUESDAYS speaker line up
An invasive perennial weed from the milkweed family, dog strangling vine, is extremely difficult to control once it gets established (Figure 1). Progress has been made on biological control of this weed in Ontario through the release of Hypena opulenta, a leaf feeding caterpillar. However, integrated strategies that include both biological and chemical methods are often most effective at…
Corn is the perfect crop for receiving the nutrients from manure. Liquid manure applied to meet two-thirds of the nitrogen needs will generally provide a good balance of the macro and micro nutrients needed for a highly productive corn crop. Using commercial starter and nitrogen for the balance of the crop’s needs ensures nutrients are available early in the…
Soybean lodging (plants that fall over) can seriously impact yield. Fortunately, it’s often only small portions of a field that lodge. In rare cases whole fields will go down, which devastates yield potential. Light penetration into the canopy during key growth stages will be impeded by lodging, reducing a plant’s ability to produce seed. Lodging that occurs from R3…
Fall 2019 A cool, wet 2019 spring pushed soybean planting well into June for most of Ontario with some regions planting well into July. Although this was expected to cause a delay in winter wheat seeding, good conditions throughout September and October allowed for a timely soybean harvest and overall, wheat was seeded into excellent conditions. The exception was eastern…
Acreage of dry beans increased approximately 20% over 2019, and 50% over 2018. Total acreage of dry beans insured by Agricorp in 2020 was 157,610 acres (Table 1). There were more acres of all market classes compared to last year, except for cranberry beans. Table 1. Acres of dry edible beans insured by Agricorp in 2019 and 2020 Dry Bean Market…
