Chris DiFonzo from MSU and I both have this pest on our radar. I was hoping to see more areas get some of the rain that touched Ontario yesterday but sadly that didn’t happen. It is typically a little early for mites given the stage of the soybean crop but with this heat and dry […]
We are starting to see an increase in moth catches in our WBC trap network though we are still behind compared to last year. Last year by this week we were catching 10 moths per trap. We are not close to that yet. However, things could change quickly. Storm fronts can help bring in large […]
Here is a summary of herbicide injury scenarios in soybeans (glyphosate tolerant), white beans, kidney beans and adzuki beans showcased at the South West Crop Diagnostic Days in Ridgetown on July 6th and 7th, 2011. Scenario 1: Sandea (halosulfuron) is currently not registered in Ontario. Above is a post-emergent application of the 70 g ai/ha […]
It’s time to start scouting soybeans to make sure soybean aphids are not reaching threshold. A few fields that my crew has been monitoring have continued to rise in aphid numbers and are getting closer to threshold. There are natural enemies present though and they could still win the battle. We’ve seen some fields with […]
Above average precipitation in the spring of 2011 has illustrated for many, areas within their fields that are slower to drain and even prone to have standing water (see below). Certain herbicides are at greater risk of causing crop injury in areas where there is standing water. The reasons are two fold. First, the plants […]
I had a few calls and emails yesterday about cereal leaf beetle in both winter and spring wheat. Damage was significant enough even in the winter wheat near Stayner and Bolton to warrant a spray. These winter wheat fields in particular were still in the earlier heading stages with 5 weeks to go before harvest. […]
There is a bit of confusion out there amongst our trap participants who are trying to identify their catches. Western bean cutworm (WBC) has a few look a likes. Plus Large Yellow Underwing moths are flying around this year which is confusing matters. Pay extra attention to the details that are on the wings. Here […]
A few of our WBC trap network participants reported catching moths in their traps last week. This is a week later than last year. Moths were found at a few trap locations scattered across the province. And more reports are coming in this week from those out checking traps during this weeks’ travels. This could […]
It’s been quite a week and it’s only Tuesday. Many of you are calling about one of these pest issues so hopefully I can help answer all of your questions here. Grass Sawfly in Wheat: Once you start to see sawfly feeding (see previous blog for pics and details) the feeding damage is nearly done. […]
I was hoping this was a one time pest that showed up last year. But there have been some wheat fields in the Highgate/Muirkirk to Kerwood areas that are seeing grass sawfly feeding. It is easier to identify grass sawfly since they feed during the day. They also have a characteristic feeding habit of clipping […]
Lots of reports are coming in of black cutworm and armyworm damage in Ontario. Black cutworm has been found feeding in numerous corn fields and even an alfalfa field. Locations that I know of so far include fields near: Parkhill, Watford, Embro (alfalfa field), Renfrew County, and parts of West Elgin. True armyworm has also […]
I’ve been pondering our planting situation lately and what impacts it is going to have on some of our key insect pests. We’ve been anticipating this year to be a good soybean aphid year for Ontario. It was such an extremely low aphid year last year that natural enemies didn’t build up their populations. So […]
I realize it has been a difficult planting season to say the least. But one issue that growers need to consider is that spring canola fields planted later than the first week of June are at significant increased risk of experiencing swede midge damage. Research conducted by Rebecca Hallett at the University of Guelph found […]
With most of the winter wheat planted on time last fall, or even a few days early, we have the yield potential to take advantage of more inputs. With wheat prices at record levels, and our inputs still at last year’s prices, it’s time to GO FOR BROKE! Nitrogen – add 10 pounds to your […]
The Ontario Soybean Growers began a soybean yield competition in 2008. The results were impressive! The winner yielded 72.1 bu/ac near Seaforth. These yields are good examples that with the right weather, soil type, and management, large yields are possible in Ontario. With the big yields and excellent prices in 2008, some producers grossed over […]