Managing Forage Crops and Pastures through Excessive Rain and Flooding
Field Crop News for Week of August 10, 2026
Optimizing White Mould Fungicides in Edible Beans White mould (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is a fungal pathogen that can reduce edible bean yields by more than 50%. Ontario edible bean growers typically apply at least one white mould fungicide application as the weather in Ontario is often conducive for disease development. Cool, moist weather in a dense bean canopy favours white mould development. Initial infection by the pathogen typically occurs on maturing and senescing flower petals. The goal of a white mould fungicide application is to coat as many flower petals as possible before the flower petals […]
Field Crop News for Week of August 3, 2026
The forage production year starts in the fall, not the spring. How perennial forage crops are managed now helps set them up for 2027. Fall fertilizer applications assist persistence Perennial plants “harden off” to survive the winter. The process changes how water is regulated in the plant, to prevent ice crystals from forming inside cells […]
Wheat Midge Detected in Ontario Winter Wheat, Raising Yield and Quality Concerns
As winter wheat harvest progresses across south-central Ontario, growers and agronomists have reported a range of yield and quality concerns, including empty heads, partially filled heads, shrunken kernels, premature head death, and lower-than-expected yields. Many affected fields also contained blackened heads and kernels showing symptoms of black point (Figure 1 and 2). While black point […]
2026 Ontario Cereal Crop Committee Winter Wheat and Barley Data is Live!
The Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC) 2026 winter wheat and barley trial data is now available at GoCrops.ca. The 2026 data can be found in the tables under “winter wheat” and “winter barley” in the “performance trial results” tab at GoCrops.ca. The PDF report can be found here. When considering decisions, it is best to use multi […]
Field Crop News for Week of July 27, 2026
Don’t Turn Your On-Farm Trial into an Expensive Guess On-farm trials are one of the best ways to evaluate new products, practices, and management strategies under real farm conditions. The often provide more useful information than testimonials or marketing claims alone. However, a trial only has value if it is designed to produce reliable results. […]
Spider Mites Active in Some Fields – Scouting is Advised
Spider mite infestations are starting to pop up in some soybean and dry bean fields, especially in regions that have missed the recent rains and those fields with a known history of mite infestations. Scouting soybeans and dry beans frequently for mites this time of year is important, as infestations tend to be noticed too […]
Eastern Ontario Agriculture Business Breakfast Meetings
The Winchester and Arnprior Agriculture Business Breakfast Meetings have opted to trial hosting monthly meetings in each location from the end of June until the end of harvest. The notes will be posted after each meeting on Field Crop News, and the schedule can be found below. August’s meeting will focus on lime, amendments, manure, […]
Crop Report for Week of July 20, 2026
Crop Report for Week of July 13, 2026
Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Organic Amendments One of the benefits of cereals in rotation is the opportunity to include cover crops and organic amendments into the rotation. Livestock farmers have always realized the value of manure in building soil fertility and supporting crop production. Today, a wide range of organic amendments—many sourced from […]
Crop Report for week of July 6, 2026
Reflection On Spring Planting Season-Did Patience Payoff in 2026? Every spring and in each field, we are faced with the question of whether the soil is “fit” to begin tillage and planting. When you consider the size, speed, and weight of equipment today, starting a couple of days or even a half a day too […]
Crop Report for week of June 29, 2026
Rain Rainfall from mid June through mid July is strongly related to corn yields, and in some cases, optimum nitrogen rates. It’s the time of year when high clearance applicators might be gearing up to do late nitrogen (N) applications on corn. Like traditional sidedress applications, moving N supply closer to N demand can be […]
How do I manage potato leafhopper in alfalfa?
Potato leafhopper is a major alfalfa pest in Ontario. Yield losses may reach 50%, and crude protein content can drop 2-3% from heavy infestations. Potato leafhopper feeding decreases stand vigour, slows regrowth and increases winterkill. The simple answer As alfalfa gets taller it can tolerate more potato leafhoppers before action is necessary to protect forage […]
Crop Report – June 24th, 2026
Soybeans Soybeans are at the unifoliate to 5th trifoliate (V5) growth stage depending on planting date and region. Emergence is variable with some fields struggling to achieve a uniform plant stand. Overall, replanting was not necessary in most regions. Early planted fields are now starting to close the canopy. For maximum yield potential it’s ideal […]
Crop Conditions – Week of June 15, 2026
OVERVIEW A cool unsettled week with below-seasonal temperatures and high risk of showers and thunderstorms has slowed crop growth and made crop protection applications a challenge. That said, most of the intended acreage has been planted, and early season crop growth is considered good. Field Corn Soybeans Cereals Edible Beans Canola Forages Weed Control […]