Crop Conditions – Week of April 20, 2023

A lot of manure application occurred during the warm weather late last week.

Weather  The weather late last week was unseasonably warm, with maximum temperatures exceeding 24˚C in most of the agricultural regions of the province. Crops already in the ground responded well to the heat and growth progressed quickly. With more typical single-digit temperatures this week, crop development is expected to slow, and staging should become more […]

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Taking a Manure Sample

It is difficult to manage what you don’t know. Sampling manure will provide information to help determine nutrient availability and determine where commercial fertilizer may or may not still be required. The link gives greater details about sampling and interpreting the results from manure samples. […]

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Crop Conditions – Week of April 10, 2023

These notes provide a collective summary of information highlights from the weekly breakfast meeting minutes with local crop consultants in Ontario. This week’s summary includes notes from meetings in Exeter, Simcoe and Winchester. Spring conditions have arrived across Ontario this week and some tillage and field preparation has started in fields with light-textured soils. Manure […]

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The Crop Protection Hub -How does it work?

All of OMAFRA’s pest management publications have been digitized into the Crop Protection Hub. While we have received positive feedback on this tool, we do understand that some prefer the print publications. We are working on a print solution from the Crop Protection Hub that we hope meets those needs. If you would like to […]

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Crop Report – April 13, 2023

Figure 2. Waterhemp seedlings (photo by Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA)

Spring conditions have arrived across Ontario this week and some tillage and field preparation has started in fields with light-textured soils. Manure application is also underway. Taking a manure sample at the time of application is recommended and will help fine-tune fertilizer needs. Several heavy rainfall events in early April have some producers concerned about […]

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2023 Thames Valley Soil and Crop Projects

Directors in the Thames Valley Soil and Crop Region (Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford) have lead an effort to produce larger, more consistent datasets for the on-farm soil and crop projects that are conducted locally each year. One part of this effort has been to post protocols for easier access and research consistency. Table 1 lists projects […]

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Frost Seeding Forages FAQ

Frost seeding is a popular way to renovate an existing forage stand and is most effective in fields where patches of bare soil at least the size of a loonie are visible. With spring around the corner, many producers have questions about how to best use this technique to improve their hay fields and pastures. […]

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Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables for 2023

The Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables have been updated for March 2023. These tables include all registered Bt Corn Trait Packages and indicates which Bt proteins and herbicide tolerant traits they contain and pests they target. These tables also include known resistance status for each pest and Bt protein. English:  Canadian Bt Corn Trait Table […]

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Fall cover crop termination vs. planting green on a clay soil: Trial results

field of young corn

This article shares the findings from a 2021 on-farm trial that compared fall cover crop termination with planting green. It was conducted near Hagersville, Ontario, as part of an Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association Tier Two project. Highlights To watch a short video with in-season footage from the trial, click below: Background Information on […]

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2023 Summer Employment Opportunity – Corn Agronomy Research and Extension Assistant

Organization:                         Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Division/Branch:                   Economic Development Division / Agriculture Development Branch Position Title:                        Corn Agronomy Research and Extension Assistant Job Term:                              Temporary for up to 18 weeks, beginning spring 2023 Salary:                                    $16.35 / hour, based on a 36.25 hour work week Office Location:                    Guelph, Ontario Contact:                                 Ben Rosser, ben.rosser@ontario.ca Get your […]

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