Reports indicate widespread alfalfa winterkill due to several thaws that reduced snow cover and created ice in fields. Many stands were either patched or put into an annual forage. Here are some tips on managing alternative forage crops. First cut is usually (but not always) 60 days after planting Table 1. Harvest guidelines for alternative […]
English Version revised April 15, 2021. With new plant growth regulators (PGRs) entering the Ontario market, many are asking, when and where should a PGR be used? First, it is important to know what the purpose of a PGRs is. PGRs can be applied to winter wheat to reduce plant height and increase stem thickness. […]
Thank you to Ken Currah (BASF) for chairing the meeting. The final meeting for this spring will be on June 25th starting at 7:00 am for breakfast (meeting starts at 7:30) at the Malibu. Alex Zelem will be chair. Synopsis: Significant progress was made in the area the end of last week and through the […]
Thank you to Chad Garrod and Corteva for sponsoring breakfast. With such variable conditions, some producers are finishing planting, while others have not yet started. Even though yield potential has likely suffered, it’s important to recognize the need to manage good and bad crops to get the most out of each. Rural communities are made […]
Corn Significant planting progress was made the end of last week and through the weekend as sunshine and warm temperatures dominated for a string of days. Despite the calendar date and reduced yield potential of later planting, many continued to plant corn noting the competitiveness of returns relative to soybeans. Many areas are reporting corn […]
Quote of the Week: “Lots of sins in the field – we need the rains to hide them.” Conditions Since May 1st the area has accumulated 475 crop heat units (CHU) as of June 11th, 150 less than the 30-year average. Rainfall accumulation is actually 10mm less than average at the Ottawa airport, but patchy […]
The group agreed the breakfast meetings are starting to feel like the movie Groundhog Day, because we don’t seem to have anything new to talk about since meeting 2 weeks ago, or even 4 weeks ago. Some general notes on conditions are that crop rotations are going out the window. Producers are planting what they […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks, from the group to Chuck Belanger and Greg Stewart, Maizex Quote of the week: “Unprecedented” – everybody! Synopsis: As has been the case this spring, planting progress has been impacted by the frequent rain events and planting in most cases has been concentrated on the lighter textured soils in the area. Growers […]
Only one retail outlet was represented at the meeting indicating that field work was still at full speed ahead of forecasted rain for late Tuesday into Wednesday. There has been considerable progress across the area in the last few days. Some areas of the province continue to struggle such as south Huron and Perth and […]
Corn Progress was made over the last week in areas with lighter textured soils. Those areas now have upwards of 80% of their intended corn acres planted. However, regions with heavier textured soils such as Lambton, Essex, Niagara and Middlesex have 30% of their corn acres planted. Overall, ~60% of the intended corn acres are […]
The 2019 growing season has been a challenge for the winter wheat crop to say the least! While many winter wheat fields have been removed, a significant amount of stands remain and are being kept through to harvest. Given the wet conditions so far this spring and as we approach heading in many areas, it […]
Published in Ontario Farmer June 4th, 2019. Authors Ian McDonald and Alex Barrie, OMAFRA and Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture It’s hard to put any more adjectives to the frustration of this springs weather. In 2019 “all bets are off” on what is the right thing to do in terms of planting timeliness, and how, when and […]
It seems a bit cruel to point out some potential pest issues in a season like we have had where few crops are even in and might not even get in. But some crops are in the ground and at risk. There are a few pests that will take advantage of delayed crop emergence or […]
Image: corn is being planted in the region, but field conditions are variable. Thank you to Nicole Beechey from BASF for sponsoring breakfast. The next meeting will be June 12th at 7:30 am. If there are any suggestions on how to improve the meeting, or topics to discuss if you cannot attend, please let Ian McDonald […]
The OntarioHayListings.ca website is a free classifieds database for producers looking to buy or sell hay and straw. Southwestern Estimates suggest at least 50% of fields have some level of winterkill. Cool conditions have slowed forage growth. First cut of dairy-quality hay usually begins on the Victoria Day weekend; however, less than 295 GDDs have accumulated outside […]