June 2020 Forage Report

Southwestern
• According to AAFC, Lambton, Huron, Perth, Bruce, Grey, Dufferin, Wellington, Waterloo, and Halton counties had average amounts of precipitation for the month of June. The rest of the region had below-average amounts of rainfall.
• First cut was fully underway the first week of June.
• There have been many reports of true armyworm in fields in the region. OMAFRA specialists are running a True Armyworm Survey to get a better handle on the pest level this year. Armyworms prefer to feed on cereals and grasses, and are easiest to find at dusk.
• Producers should be scouting alfalfa for potato leafhopper, particularly those located in counties along the shore of Lake Erie. Potato leafhoppers are blown in from the southern US on storm fronts. Damage is often mistaken for drought stress. More information on scouting and control can be found on page 341 of OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops or HERE

Central and Eastern
• According to AAFC, Simcoe County and Muskoka District received average amounts of precipitation; the rest of the region had less rainfall in June than average.
• First cut was fully underway the second week of June. Reports suggest yields are average to above-average.
• Producers should be scouting alfalfa for potato leafhopper, particularly those located in counties along the shore of Lake Ontario. Potato leafhoppers are blown in from the southern US on stormfronts. Damage is often mistaken for drought stress. More information on scouting and control can be found on page 341 of OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops or HERE

Northeastern
• According to AAFC, Cochrane, Temiskaming and Algoma districts had above-average amounts of precipitation for June; other districts in the regions received average amounts of precipitation.
• First cut started the second week of June.

Northwestern
• According to AAFC, Thunder Bay District had below-average amounts of precipitation, Rainy River had average rainfall, and Kenora District had above-average rainfall for the month of June.
• First cut started the first week of June.
• There have been reports of alfalfa weevil in the region. The larvae feed on leaf buds and tips, and heavy infestations can cause skeletonization of the leaves. Thresholds for control vary with the height of the crop and whether biological controls are already acting upon the larvae. Cutting is the first choice for control. More information on scouting and thresholds can be found HERE.

Agricorp
Reminder of some upcoming deadlines:
July 10 – premium for spring-seeded New Forage Seeding due
August 1 – deadline to apply for or make changes to summer-seeded New Forage Seeding coverage
September 1 – report final acreage of summer-seeded New Forage Seeding
September 15 – premium for summer-seeded New Forage Seeding due
For the full list of Agricorp program deadlines, visit https://www.agricorp.com/en-ca/AllDeadlines/Pages/Default.aspx

Map showing the percent of average precipitation received across Ontario in June 2020