The Winchester and Arnprior Agriculture Business Breakfast Meetings have opted to trial hosting monthly meetings in each location from the end of June until the end of harvest. The notes will be posted after each meeting on Field Crop News, and the schedule can be found below. August’s meeting will focus on lime, amendments, manure, cover crops, and fall field management, but any other crop concerns or questions are welcome.
August
Tuesday, August 11 – Arnprior, 8:00am Breakfast & Meeting
Wednesday, August 12 – Winchester, 7:30am Breakfast, 8:00am meeting
September
Wednesday, September 9 – Winchester, 7:30am Breakfast, 8:00am meeting
Tuesday, September 22 – Arnprior, 8:00am Breakfast & Meeting
October
Wednesday, October 14 – Winchester, 7:30am Breakfast, 8:00am meeting
Tuesday, October 20 – Arnprior, 8:00am Breakfast & Meeting
November
Tuesday, November 24 – Arnprior, 8:00am Breakfast & Meeting
Wednesday, November 25 – Winchester, 7:30am Breakfast, 8:00am meeting
Arnprior Breakfast Meeting Notes – Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Wheat
- Small levels of fusarium head blight – everything checked got T3 fungicide, but levels are minimal and not expected to affect overall quality/grading.
- Some more FHB pressure down towards Kemptville/Winchester area (more rainfall, a bit later getting started in the spring compared to Renfrew).
- Pre-harvest burndown is well underway, with early harvest ready for the weekend in some areas. Tuesday rainfall expected to delay field work for at least a day.
- Noticing some field differences depending on which fungicide product was applied at T3 timing.
- Smaller kernels in some fields this year, so may factor into yield and harvestability
- Straw demand is high, inventories likely low leading up to harvest
- Red clover underseeded in the wheat looks really good, stands look healthy and overall growers are pleased.
- Some discussion around oats/peas for additional forage after wheat, but noted that peas are hard to get dry enough to bale later in the season, and ideally any oats/peas harvested in the fall would get chopped. 50% peas in the seed mix only increases protein by 2-4% but can increase bulk if producers need more feed. Consider trade off between harvestability vs protein increase when deciding what blends to plant this summer/fall.
- Spring wheat looks good – some fields have lodged in the last one or two storms, but overall good.
Weed control
- Lot of sow thistle and prickly lettuce showing up in a later flush, depending on herbicide program for early season.
Canola
- Both spring and winter acres look good
- Haven’t started to harvest in the East yet
- No big pest pressures in spring canola acres
Soybeans
- First pass of any planned two pass fungicide applications is done, getting ready to start second pass. Most one pass system is on or finishing up.
- Some varieties are not happy with heavy rainfalls and showing some differences in field.
- Samples are being sent away for Phytophthora Root Rot, Fusarium Root rot and other diseases.
Forages
- Second cut came ahead a lot faster than normal/than expected, estimated 3 days ahead of normal – more like 28 days instead of the usual 30
- Third cut is also coming on quickly, even in older stands
- Sorghum-sudangrass planted into winter triticale didn’t establish well – triticale took over sorghum establishment. Planting date may have been a factor – if planted in May, soils were likely too cool and wet for it to properly establish.
- Some challenges with making second cut hay, with smokey days and/or frequent rains slowing dry down.
Corn
- Looks good overall
- Heavy clay in poorer planting conditions look tougher, with some unevenness and paler colour.
- Anything that was planted into “fit” or good conditions looks excellent.
- A few corn fungicide acres done, applications just started in the last week.
- Decisions for what gets fungicide is a balance of silage corn, overall plant health, and long-term crop management.
Winchester Breakfast Meeting – July 22, 2026
Cereals
- Some Fusarium Head Blight in headlands, but not widespread, and not expected to be an issue.
- Some leaf and stripe rust in winter wheat, localized and variety specific.
- There is a variety and plant population trial in with Leigh Hudson-Templeton & Sullivan Agro, looking at variety-specific plant populations. More info to be shared at upcoming meetings.
- Some armyworm feeding but not at or above threshold. Also reporting some cereal leaf beetle feeding locally, but again not expected to go above threshold.
- Early harvest has started, moistures are reported to be 15-19%, but no yield numbers yet.
Forages
- Oats/peas forage yields were good
- First and second cut yields are good, not a lot of insect pressure reported in alfalfa
Corn
- Fungicide is started, applicators are most fully booked
- Acres getting fungicide are primarily for silage and plant health. There are some really nice stands of corn out there, and growers are trying to protect them.
- Some hybrid-specific tassel wrap happening, but not widespread.
Soybeans
- Second pass of bean fungicide is starting this week
- Frog eye leaf spot in some fields
- Lots of Japanese beetles
- No white mould yet, but anticipated to see some going forward, especially with frequent rains and high humidity.
- Manganese deficiency in some fields. Some growers opting to apply foliars to correct it.
- Soybeans seem to have a lot height variability across fields this year.
- Some fusarium wilt rot in soybeans, some root rot, seem to be variety specific (samples have come back confirming, and more are being sent away).
Other Items
- Quinoa gaining some traction locally
- Sevita is having an Open House August 26 to showcase their new facility – colour sorted, plant, etc.