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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Field Crop Pest Management in the Absence of Matador, Silencer, Voliam Xpress and Endigo in 2023

Some popular insecticides won’t be available for use in field crops in Ontario in 2023. All products containing lambda-cyhalothrin including Matador, Warrior, Silencer, Labamba, Voliam Xpress and Endigo will be limited for use to only horticulture crops in eastern Canada this year. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) re-evaluated lambda-cyhalothrin and end use products in […]

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Summer Employment Opportunity: Student – Field Research Assistant @ Ridgetown

Organization:                    Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Division/Branch:               Economic Development Division / Agriculture Development Branch Position Title:                   Student – Field Research Assistant Field Crops – 5 positions available Horticultural Crops – 2 positions available Job Term:                           Temporary, for up to 18 weeks, beginning spring 2023 Salary:                                $16.35/hour, based on a 36.25 hour work week Available […]

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Putting the economics to a three-crop rotation in Ontario: Wheat improves corn and soybean yields and returns

overhead view of small research plots

Co-authored with Ken Janovicek and Dr. Dave Hooker, University of Guelph Highlights By now, you’ve likely heard the message from the long-term rotation trials at Ridgetown and Elora: winter wheat in rotation improves corn and soybean yields. But with greater revenue coming in during corn and soybean years, the real question is whether these yield […]

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2022 Ontario Corn Rootworm Trap Network Results

Results from the 2022 Ontario trap sites participating in the Adult Corn Rootworm (CRW) Trap Monitoring Network have been summarized in the infographic below. A more detailed report for all trap sites across North America was prepared by Ashley Dean and Erin Hodgson at Iowa State University and myself at: 2022 Regional Corn Rootworm Monitoring […]

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2022 Corn Seasonal Summary

Black tar spot fungal structures (stromata) on leaves in a field near Ilderton in late September 2022.

Planting In March 2022, Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.3 million acres of grain corn, 6% higher than the 5-year (2017-2021) average seeded acres of 2.16 million acres (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). Spring arrived slow. Lingering snows and rain limited field work on all but the lightest soils in late April. A very […]

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2022 Soybean Seasonal Summary

Poor soybean plant stands in Lambton County. (June 23, 2022)

Over three million acres of soybeans were seeded in 2022. High prices have increased the farm gate value of soybeans to over 2.5 billion dollars. The Agricorp floating claim price was $18.72/bu in 2022. Rainfall was sporadic during key plant growth stages, so yields were variable across the province. Field averages ranged below 25 bu/ac […]

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