Winchester Ag Breakfast Meeting Notes, May 1st 2012

Posted on by OMAFRA Field Crop Team in Ag Business Minutes

Discussion:
From mid to the end of April, Ottawa accumulated about 60 CHUs, or about 1/3 of the CHU needed for corn emergence.  Snow/Canada geese are damaging a number of winter wheat and alfalfa fields.

 Cereals

  • Frequent light frosts caused leaf tip burn in some of the winter wheat.  The damage is localized and should disappear quickly.
  • Spring cereals are over 95% seeded.  Early seeded fields are at the 2 leaf stage.  Crop colour is good, but growth has been slow.  Weed control has the most benefit when applied early (by the 3 – 4 leaf stage of the crop).  Early stands will be at this stage by the 2nd week of May.

Forages

  • Growth is slow, with fields showing 5 to 7 inches of growth at this time.
  • In the 5 far eastern counties (S,D&G and P&R), winterkill losses often range from 40 to 80% in older alfalfa stands.  New alfalfa stands not harvested last fall had the best winter survival rate and are showing the best spring growth.
  • Hay supply is expected to be tight on a number of farms.

Corn

  • Approximately 35% of the corn acreage has been planted.  Corn kernels in early planted fields (mid April) look healthy with roots showing ½” to 1” of growth.  Seeds in a test strip planted March 21st are showing significant signs of decay (30%).
  • Corn seed supply is adequate if needed for replant and most companies will provide replacement seed at no cost.
  • By the end of the week, a number of growers will look to switch back to adapted hybrids for their respective areas.
  • Supply of most fertilizer products is adequate, however there is very little extra urea in the system.
  • Growers don’t need to be concerned about cold temperatures when applying pre-emerge herbicides.
  • Total corn acreage is expected to be up slightly compared to last year’s (~5%).
  • Likely a small shift from corn to soys based on pricing opportunity.
  • Soil moisture is adequate, no need to plant deeper than 2” at this point.
  • Eastern ON corn population data supports aiming for a final stand approaching 35,000 plants/ac.

 Soybeans

  • Very few acres planted to date.
  • In trials, adapted soybeans varieties planted in the second or third week of May have been providing the best yields when compared to earlier or later planting dates.  Earlier planting dates only paid off when longer season soybeans varieties (+150 to 200 CHU) where grown.

 Nutrient Management Update (Phyllis MacMaster)

NASM (Non Agricultural Source Material)

  • New framework introduced in 2011
  • Transition period for land application of NASM until 2016
  • OMAFRA responsible for NASM Plan approvals, training, certification and education and notifying the local municipality
  • MOE responsible for compliance and enforcement
  • A valid Certificate of Approval or a NASM Plan
  • NASM has to have a beneficial use for growing crops before it can be land applied (nutrients, organic matter, increases pH, irrigation)
  • 3 categories of NASM
    1. Category 1 – low risk material like leaf and yard waste, vegetables culls
    2. Category 2 – processed vegetable material like organic bakery waste, wash water
    3. Category 3 – animal based material such as residuals from meat processing plants, municipal sewage biosolids, pulp and paper biosolids
  • NASM Plans required for Category 2 and 3 material
  • NASM Plan belongs to the farmer
    • Issued in the name of the farmer, partnership or corporation operating the application area
    • Farmer responsible for having a copy of NASM Plan approval and supporting documents on file and at site at time of application
    • Keep records
    • Confirm MOE has been notified in writing 24 hours and up to seven days prior to application
    • Annual Report completed by February 15 of the following year
    • Soil sampling ( 1 sample per 25 acres for P, K, pH and 1 sample per 100 acres for metals)

ASM (Agricultural Source Material)

  • Over 100 Nutrient Management Strategies waiting for approval
  • New this year is the Engineering Requirement Form – intent is to speed approval time as applicant indicates the Engineering Components required and then submits the Engineer Commitment Certificate signed by the Engineer as part of the Building Permit Process

 Publication:
A free downloadable (pdf) version of the Guide to Weed Control 2012-2013 (Publication 75) is available at: http://bit.ly/omafrapub75

 Crop Technology Contacts:
Scott Banks, 613-294-4436 scott.banks@ontario.ca
Gilles Quesnel, 613-294-4457 gilles.quesnel@ontario.ca

 NEXT MEETING: Country Kitchen, Winchester, May 15, 2012