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 […]
I admit that scouting soys when just the cotyledons are out makes for tough pest injury diagnostics. It does take some years of experience to really get to know what you are looking at. Three pests that commonly feed on the cotyledons include seed corn maggot, bean leaf beetle and slugs. Occasionally, the feeding damage […]
Rainfall accumulation across the region for the past week was approx. 40 mm (1.5 inches), nearly double the weekly normal. Since May 1st, the area accumulated about 130 mm of rain, which is slightly above the average and roughly 600 Crop Heat Units, which is on par with the 30 year average. Forages: First […]
Many growers are frustrated by trying to control the high populations of flea beetles this season. Some have sprayed for control only to see high populations reappear several days later. Although flea beetles are most active under warm sunny conditions, moisture generally favours insect development. It is important to not spray too soon. Expect to […]
Forage harvest has been delayed by frequent and sometimes heavy rains, and limited to haylage and baleage. Making dry hay has been put on hold. Yields have been increasing with the calandar date, but nutrient quality is suffering with advancing maturity. There is still considerable first-cut acreage to be harvested. Second-cut regrowth looks excellent. With […]