Corn Grain corn planting is largely wrapped up. Depending on the region, anywhere from less than 10% (heavy clays) to 90%+ of intended corn acres have been planted. There were a small number of growers in higher heat unit regions intending to plant final fields of grain corn before the forecasted rain on Thursday, June […]
This article discusses cereal rye cover crop management in the spring prior to planting soybeans. For the most up-to-date information on this project, click below: Organic no-till soybean production: making it work in Ontario When should I spray my cereal rye cover crop before soybeans? Achieving sufficient biomass from cover crops is essential to reaping […]
Ontario’s dry edible bean producers are top notch farmers. They invest a great deal of time and money in managing this high risk, high reward crop. To keep the scales tipped towards ‘high reward’, dry bean producers need to know the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) status of their fields. SCN is now present in 22 […]
Over the last few years a number of corn insect pest populations have developed resistance to at least one Bt trait used in corn hybrids. From western bean cutworm (WBC) resistance to Cry1F, corn earworm (CEW) resistance reported to Cry1Ab, Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2, to the latest confirmation of European corn borer (ECB) resistance to Cry1F […]
Feature Image Photo Credit: Doug Rogers. We all know about the many benefits that cover crops can provide, from erosion control to forage production and overall increased soil health. But there are limited opportunities to establish cover crops in typical Ontario field crop rotations. There is simply not enough time, temperature, or sunlight to get […]
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 […]