July continues to be frustrating for those trying to make quality dry hay. Many areas continue to have had limited opportunities to make hay without rain-damage or heating. We are in a unique situation where there are considerable amounts of both first- and second-cut being made when weather conditions are suitable. Some rain-damaged hayfields […]
by Joel Bagg, Forage Specialist, Jack Kyle, Pasture Specialist & Melanie Beech, OMAF and MRA Well managed horse pastures can contribute significant forage to the diet, while providing necessary horse health benefits, fulfilling the horse’s psychological need to graze, and minimizing the risk of poisonous weeds. Too often we see over-grazed horse pastures, filled with […]
Our trap network has been up and running for nearly a month and surprisingly, trap counts have been very low so far. The lowest we have ever seen them for this time of year. We typically see moth catches peak the mid to second last week of July which means peak egg laying is usually […]
The following 10 herbicide injury related scenarios where showcased at the 2013 South West Diagnostic Days held at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. These scenarios are either duplications of common mishaps that have occured in Ontario or a “look and see” based on farmer or agronomist query. It is important to point out that […]
Question: Once canola starts to bolt, do I need to be concerned about damage from Swede Midge. Answer: Yes. Canola is susceptible to significant damage up to secondary branch development. Once secondary branches begin to bud, canola is not subject to serious damage. The importance of secondary branches to yield depends on plant density. Under normal […]
Although there was a good window to make quality dry hay the week of June 17th, rainy weather continues to be challenging, and there is significant first-cut remaining to be made. Yields are good, but maturity is now quite advanced. Second-cut regrowth is excellent on early-cut haylage fields, and second-cut will begin shortly. Hay […]
This meeting was hosted by the Huron Research Station. Thanks for breakfast and an excellent tour. We appreciate the work conducted for Ontario Agriculture at the Huron Research Station. Synopsis: Rainfall has been excessive in many areas but things are actually starting to get dry in some regions. This has been a year with many issues mostly due to […]
Our trap counts of adult swede midge this week have spiked to high levels in some areas. To view a map indicating swede midge trap catches go to Ontario Canola Grower’s website at www.ontariocanolagrowers.ca. Regularly check this website for updates on the level of swede midge in your growing area until your canola is beyond the […]
Now that planting is over, we look back on how we did at our variable rate management strategies? Did those uniform seeding rates go in as we had intended? That is the value of the as-applied map! Go back to the office download your work into your desktop farm GIS software from your in-cab display and […]
Can nutrient quality and sugar content of hay be improved by cutting in the afternoon rather than in the morning? This is sometimes suggested, but seems to contradict the idea of cutting in the morning to make haylage-in-a-day. There has been a great deal of conflicting information about AM/PM cutting in the farm media that has created some […]
The Ontario Canola Growers, OMAF and MRA and the University of Guelph are working together to monitor swede midge this season. As swede midge is difficult to detect until the damage has been done, monitoring stations have been set up in Ontario’s major canola growing areas. You will find the 2013 trap count maps indicating […]
First-cut is still underway, with the first good opportunity to make dry hay without rain-damage the week of June 17th. Lots of propionate hay preservative and plastic wrap is being used. Some wet fields have been badly rutted. Yields are generally good, but maturity is advanced. Grasses are more mature relative to the alfalfa. Second-cut […]
I have been hearing reports of soybean aphids starting to pop up on non-Cruiser soybeans in Ontario. It has been a few years since we’ve had to deal with them so I thought a refresher might be in order. Soybean aphids initially start to colonize in pockets of early planted fields. Several plants in these […]
Hay sampling should be a very simple, basic task, but is often a weak link in forage quality evaluation. Samples are taken for laboratory analysis so that we can balance rations, achieve livestock performance and determine the market value of the hay . Think about what we are trying to accomplish when we take a hay […]
What’s better on large round bales – net wrap or twine? Of course, the question is largely a matter of personal preference. Some of the suggested advantages of net wrap include faster baling, lower baling losses, better bale integrity during handling and transport, better water shedding ability and lower outdoor storage losses. The net wrap […]