With corn planting season soon upon us, it is a good time to remind everyone to take extra precautions to try to reduce the risk to bees being exposed to neonicotinoid contaminated dust from corn planters. Virtually all corn seed is treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide (ie. Poncho or Cruiser), and with over 200 incidences […]
Synopsis: Sugar beet and potato plantings began last week, with carrots and onions ready to plant. Ground conditions have been tremendous, but will only deteriorate. Wheat looks excellent. Significant nitrogen was applied (up to 50% of acres) in some areas, with loss concerns after heavy rains. Hay and spring cereal seeding made good progress, red […]
Frost heaving can significantly damage alfalfa plants, leaving stands with much less or even zero yield potential. Plants may initially appear undamaged, but taproots are typically broken and unable to pick up enough nutrients or moisture, and stands eventually die. Frost heaving of alfalfa happens when repeated freezing and thawing pushes the tap root and crown out of the soil. […]
Highlights: Glyphosate resistance: hot button issue over the winter has been glyphosate resistant weeds, particularly Canada fleabane. Awareness is good at retail, but not at farm gate, where it varies from excellent to “what does fleabane look like?”. From Essex to Niagara, assume that fleabane is resistant. Control options are limited in no till soys […]
Below is a summary of all weed samples sent into the University of Guelph by producers and agronomists that suspected resistance to a particular herbicide during the 2012 season. Also included are herbicide options with different modes of action that are effective on each species. The latest summary of glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane and Giant […]
Purpose: Aftermarket planter modifications to control row unit down pressure have been well promoted into the Ontario marketplace, and are advertised for their ability to improve planter function, and final yields. The basic principles behind the modifications have merit, but the relative yield impacts of the different modifications, and their ability to respond above and […]
According to Environment Canada, atmospheric sulphur dioxide emissions were reduced by over 50% from 1990 to 2010. Although this is a positive outcome for emissions reductions it does signal an inevitable need to ensure that field crops have an adequate supply of this essential nutrient. A study was initiated in 2011 to determine how varying […]
Does ESN pay in spring wheat? Results from two on-farm sites in eastern Ontario showed no advantage in grain yield or protein content with the use of ESN in 2011 (see Table 1). There was also no significant difference in residue soil nitrogen levels. As expected there was also no impact in the percentage of […]
We are looking for growers who are interested in participating in our study this spring/summer. Art Schaafsma (UGRC) and myself have received funding to work on some particular questions with regards to corn planter dust and bee incidences. We are looking for 2 corn growers per county from the following counties: Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, […]
Dr. Rebecca Hallett will be offering a Swede Midge Identification Workshop on Friday, April 5th from 10 am to noon, University of Guelph. Session in the lab, looking at swede midge and other easily confused insects on sticky cards with naked eye and microscope; swede midge specimens on sticky cards and in alcohol under microscope; […]
Low forage inventories, high land costs, and sometimes increasing risks for alfalfa winterkill make assessing spring alfalfa health essential. Walking fields in early spring to determine if the alfalfa stand has thinned, and assessing if plants are dead or unhealthy is a proactive strategy to determine management options. Making the decision whether to manage an existing reduced stand or replace it […]
How do you control chickweed in alfalfa? It is a question asked annually. If you don’t know what chickweed is search it on google images. Of course there is always www.weedinfo.ca. There are three main points on chickweed infesting an alfalfa crop that I have learned over the years. Any herbicide that is effective at controlling chickweed […]
Orchardgrass can be very productive, particularly in pastures and hay fields with aggressive cutting schedules. It is a very fast growing, perennial, cool-season grass. However, because it heads so very early in the spring and then declines quickly in digestible energy and protein, it has not been as widely used for stored forage in […]
Frost seeding or the broadcasting of forage seed on frozen ground in late-winter or early-spring can be an effective way of improving the forage quality and yield of thinning pastures. It allows for the establishment of forages at reduced cost in an undisturbed sod and also shortens the non-grazing period in the spring. For frost […]
Written by: Tracey Baute – Field Crop Entomologist and Greg Stewart – Corn Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs A high level of concern was raised last spring regarding bee kills and corn planting. Many growers are asking what actions they can take to help reduce the risk of bee […]