Crop Report – Week of August 14th, 2023

Knowing What’s in Your Toolbox

It’s the middle of August and we’re in that awkward lull where cereals are off, the last passes of fungicides on soybeans are done and it is almost time to start attending all those in-field plot days. Those days are meant to get producers talking, asking questions and get the thought process started for the next growing season. While lots of decisions are made after the crop is harvested and the snow is on the ground, some decisions need to be made this fall to ensure that your farm continues to be as successful as you can make it. So, what decision-making tools are available at your fingertips this fall and how can you make the most of them?

A big resource at your disposal is people. And I don’t mean just the neighbours (although they can be awesome for discussing localized strategies). I’m talking about your agronomist, local input and seed supplier sales rep, or your local OMAFRA crop specialists. All these people are equipped to answer questions and help you make good decisions for your operation – so don’t be afraid to reach out!

Chemical and Seed Selection Tools

On top of that, lots of input companies publish chemical and seed guides each year that explain a lot of the new technologies. Many of them break down their seed trait packages, how you should use them and what they do. Others focus on seedbed establishment, herbicide efficacy and timing windows. These are good points of reference when trying to do variety and hybrid selections. Other updated crop variety trial tools; formerly found on GoCorn.net and GoSoy.net have been updated into a new Ontario Variety Performance Trials hosted on the GFO website. This is the new home for all corn, soybean, wheat, barley and oat variety performance data. Updated annually, this site publishes the data collected across the 5 crops from more than 15 sites across Ontario. These trials are conducted, inspected, and validated through a third party and published each year through Grain Farmers of Ontario. Data of some key metrics (See Table 1) can be viewed through spreadsheets or charts, allowing for easy comparisons within your specific growing region.

Table 1. Example key metrics for Corn, Soybean and Cereals in Ontario Variety Performance Trials.

For Corn, some key metrics are: –                 Yield Index –                 Moisture % –                 Lodging % For Soybeans, key metrics include: –               Herbicide reaction –               Relative Maturity –               Seeds per kilogram –                 Phytophthora Root Rot % Plant Loss

For Cereals, some key metrics are: –           Fusarium data –           Test Weight –           Protein –           Kernel Weight –           Lodging –           Heading –           Height –           Maturity –           Mildew –           Various leaf diseases –           Straw yield index –           Winter Survival (Winter Wheat only)

Additionally, the Ontario Forage Council launched a new Forage U-Pick tool helps match forage species with their field conditions, calculate seeding rates appropriately and help manage weed pressures in both pastures and forages. Broken out by region, Forage U-Pick walks you through a series of questions, ranging from your location to your soil pH, to field drainage capabilities. Based on your answers, it shows the best suited forage species options that can be added to a seeding mixture.

Crop Agronomy Tools

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has published a wide variety of publications with a crop production and protection information.

Production publications are available online for everyone, with the option to order print copies. Publications range from the all-encompassing Agronomy Guide for Field Crops (Pub 811); to the recently updated Soil Fertility Handbook (Pub 611). These publications include crop heat unit zones, target planting dates for various field crops, right down to how different annual and perennial species fit into a forage rotation. Loaded with pictures, graphics and charts, these publications have easy to follow advice on rotation selection, when to scout for pest and diseases and how to match a cover crop species to the results you are looking for. Crop protection guides like the Field Crop Weed Guide (Pub 75) and Field Crop Protection Guide (Pub 812) are now available free on an interactive online database. It contains all the label information, application rates and timings, etc. for herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides and more. Updated routinely, the information for each product is the most current registration for each product and can be accessed on a desktop and a mobile device.

Nutrient Planning Tools

Ontario’s GoCorn.net hosts other interactive tools like the Ontario Corn Nitrogen Calculator which provides general nitrogen recommendations based on past Ontario corn nitrogen trials Manure Nutrient Calculator.

New updates in OMAFRAs AgriSuite are designed to help you with soil fertility planning, determining crop nutrient needs, and crop rotation management. With calculators for commercial fertilizer, nutrient values for manure application scenarios and various crop fertility practices, it is a user-friendly, free software to check up on your annual crop fertility plans.

You can also access Soil Survey Maps & Reports, by county, for much of the province. These maps are free to access and can be useful when diagnosing in-field crop performance issues or simply to help with management of a new farm. If you don’t feel as though you need a paper copy map, there is also available interactive GIS (Geographic Information System) forms for anyone accessed through AgMaps. This interactive tool allows you to view zoning, conservation areas, soil maps and much more.

New updates in AgriSuite are designed to help you with soil fertility planning, determining crop nutrient needs, and crop rotation management. With calculators for commercial fertilizer, nutrient values for manure application scenarios and various crop fertility practices, it is a user-friendly, free software to check up on your annual crop fertility plans. In conclusion, Ontario has several decision-making support tools that you can stock your on-farm toolboxes with. Using some (or all) of these resources is an excellent way to maximize on farm production and continue to learn new options available to producers.

Weather Data – August 7 – 14, 2023

Location	Year	Highest Temp (°C)	Lowest Temp (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rain (mm) April 1st	GDD 0C April 1st	GDD 5C April 1st	CHU May 1st
Harrow	2023	28.1	12.5	24.0	382	2232	1568	2355
	2022	29.9	11.3	20.5	356	2330	1683	2568
	10 YR Norm (11 – 20)	26.7	15.9	19.7	428	2416	1714	2684
Ridgetown	2023	27.4	12.0	6.7	430	2120	1464	2194
	2022	29.2	7.7	7.6	238	2196	1556	2367
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.1	13.5	15.4	395	2273	1575	2499
London	2023	26.9	12.6	25.1	450	2108	1453	2190
	2022	27.2	8.7	30.0	293	2131	1501	2298
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.0	13.9	21.9	404	2253	1560	2483
Brantford	2023	27.5	11.9	13.1	373	2094	1438	2171
	2022	28.3	8.9	18.0	267	2143	1502	2251
Welland	2023	26.3	13.8	14.3	408	2124	1462	2209
	2022	28.5	9.8	1.8	276	2196	1545	2377
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.5	14.3	14.6	365	2267	1572	2503
Elora	2023	25.9	10.5	8.3	369	1936	1297	1996
	2022	26.9	8.0	2.7	223	1960	1332	2061
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	24.8	11.1	23.8	402	2035	1354	2223
Mount Forest	2023	26.1	12.2	12.5	350	1935	1301	2006
	2022	25.8	6.8	6.7	307	1955	1333	2091
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	24.5	12.5	23.4	411	2019	1346	2230
Peterborough	2023	26.7	12.3	29.3	401	1971	1320	1992
	2022	27.8	5.7	1.2	266	1974	1331	2091
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.1	10.4	11.9	356	2068	1387	2230
Kemptville	2023	28.3	12.7	95.0	471	2099	1452	2153
	2022	26.3	8.4	3.6	406	2106	1444	2260
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.8	13.0	26.8	388	2173	1493	2380
Earlton	2023	26.6	10.7	24.1	298	1786	1187	1871
	2022	26.0	6.3	4.8	295	1771	1177	1931
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	24.4	10.0	18.4	341	1760	1164	1976
Sudbury	2023	26.0	9.9	17.0	458	1815	1217	1911
	2022	25.1	8.7	9.8	289	1788	1185	1971
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	24.4	12.5	22.3	377	1889	1269	2126
Thunder Bay	2023	29.3	6.0	22.4	234	1634	1057	1740
	2022	31.7	5.6	3.3	421	1560	994	1663
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	25.9	9.5	15.1	351	1678	1069	1833
Fort Frances	2023	26.2	4.9	34.9	290	1794	1210	1937
	2022	28.5	5.7	0.0	533	1637	1073	1811
	10 YR Avg. (2011-20)	26.5	9.1	22.0	354	1801	1174	1982