Agriculture Development, Field Crop Summer Student Jobs

Organization: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Division: Agricultural Development Branch City: Guelph, Kemptville, London, Ridgetown Language of Position(s): English Job Term: 15 Temporary (ranging from 6 – 18 weeks between May and September) Job Code: Student 2 – Student Level 2 Salary: $17.40 – $17.40 Per Hour* *Indicates the salary listed as per […]

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Crop Report – Week of August 14th, 2023

Picture of Wheat

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 […]

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Crop Report – Week of July 24th, 2023

Injecting anaerobic digestate after wheat harvest into a growing cover crop to maximize soil health benefits and economic value of nutrients.

Getting to Know your Manure with a Manure Analysis The “magical” qualities of manure and organic amendments for providing long-term benefits have been well documented, especially for maintaining and improving soil organic matter. Sourcing off farm manure and organic amendments has become more difficult and expensive with the increased interest in improving soil health, therefore […]

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Crop Report – Week of June 26th, 2023

Tar spot injury on corn

Corn Tar Spot Watch Begins! Tar spot has now been established in the midwestern US for almost a decade and is an annual concern in many Midwestern states like Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. While tar spot was not as yield-limiting in these areas in 2022, it continued to expand its range across the […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of June 19th, 2023

Figure 1. Bluegrass (Poa spp.) in a stand of winter wheat

General Across much of Ontario major crops and forages are progressing well. Evidence of moisture stress is present on various crops, but some relief came over the period of June 11-14th with scattered rainfall periods. Keeping appraised of incoming rainfall is at the back of everyone’s mind. Be aware of various networks and stations where […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of June 12th, 2023

Figure 3. Evident but not common winter wheat lodging from recent rain (OMAFRA)

General Field crops in general across Ontario are doing well and welcomed the rain of the past few days. The need for moisture is coming up as the corn begins rapid growth. Winter wheat looks good across the province although have been impacted by dry conditions in areas. Rain across the province was welcomed but […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of June 5th, 2023

Conditions Field conditions across most of the province are drier than normal. This generally will have little effect on corn and soybeans since both are at the early vegetative growth stage. The impact on winter cereals could be significant since they are already out in head and at, or nearing, pollination. Forages There is an […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of May 29th, 2023

Field contaminated with rimsulfuron when a T3 fungicide was applied.

Conditions Planting has wrapped up across most of the province with the exception of acres going in after first cut forages or on some heavy clays that received rainfall before they were planted and edible beans. Some areas received back-to-back frost warnings, but damage has been minimal to date. Persistent dry conditions are presenting some […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of May 22nd, 2023

Wheat leaf with severe Physiological Fleck.

Conditions Outside of rains received last Friday and Saturday, conditions have generally been excellent for field work over the past week which has allowed planting to continue or wrap-up at a quick pace for most parts of the province. Cool night temperatures, including frost warnings in some areas, is expected to have minimal impacts for […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of May 15th, 2023

Dandelion Application Timing Chart

Conditions Field conditions across the province have improved vastly over the last ten days. With sunshine and temperatures in the high teens to even high twenties in some areas, planting is rolling across a majority of the province. Field work began early last week with lighter soil but by late last week, work on heavier, […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of May 8, 2023

A winter wheat field with recent field activity

Conditions Weather conditions improved considerably beginning on Monday, with sunshine throughout the week and daily high temperatures ranging from the high-teens to mid-twenties (Celsius) in both southern and northern Ontario. Planting has begun on lighter soils and is likely to progress onto other soil types by later in the week. Other field activities, including second […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of May 1, 2023

Conditions Overall, April rainfall has been slightly higher than average. This week, cold and wet weather slowed crop and planting progress. Eastern Ontario received above average rainfall, while most of the rest of the province had average rainfall. Winter Wheat Weather conditions have caused winter wheat growth to stall. The crop continues to look very […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of April 24, 2023

Winter wheat at Growth Stage 30 with plants giving that upright appearance. At this stage winter wheat moves from the vegetative to reproductive growth stages.

Winter Wheat  Winter wheat stands continue to look excellent with very high stem counts (up to 144 stems/sq ft) in the southwest. Most fields have received at least one application of nitrogen, with many opting to add sulphur. Fields that have not yet received a nitrogen or sulphur application are showing signs of yellowing. Manganese […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of April 20, 2023

A lot of manure application occurred during the warm weather late last week.

Weather  The weather late last week was unseasonably warm, with maximum temperatures exceeding 24˚C in most of the agricultural regions of the province. Crops already in the ground responded well to the heat and growth progressed quickly. With more typical single-digit temperatures this week, crop development is expected to slow, and staging should become more […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of April 10, 2023

These notes provide a collective summary of information highlights from the weekly breakfast meeting minutes with local crop consultants in Ontario. This week’s summary includes notes from meetings in Exeter, Simcoe and Winchester. Spring conditions have arrived across Ontario this week and some tillage and field preparation has started in fields with light-textured soils. Manure […]

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