There is clearly a renewed interest in trapping for Western bean cutworm (WBC) in 2015. This is understandable, given that WBC caught us off guard in 2014 with ear damage being reported across much of Ontario, beyond our typical hot spot areas. Sign up to the Ontario WBC Trap Network: We will be mapping trap […]
Conditions: Moderate temperatures at the end of winter, combined with limited precipitation minimized spring water runoff and soil erosion. Soil is drying slowly, allowing for only limited field activity to date. Alfalfa: Winter survival generally looks excellent. Alfalfa has 1 to 2 inches of new growth at this point and is showing no sign of […]
April 14, 2015 Malibu Restaurant, Exeter Chair for this meeting was David Townsend. Chair for next meeting is Steve Johns. The meeting on May 12 will be chaired by Eric Richter. There was an excellent turnout to the first meeting of the 2015 growing season. Thank you to all those who attended and participated in […]
Synopsis: Very little field work has been done to date. There is still frost in the ground below 4” especially where there are significant crop residues present. The snow melted without any significant rainfall so there was very little ponding of water on wheat and very little freeze thaw. 50 to 75% of the unseeded […]
A well-planned and run on-farm trial is a great way to test new ideas, products, and equipment. But, to provide meaningful information, even a simple on-farm trial takes time to plan and carry-out. For an on-farm trial to provide useful information, two basic requirements need to be met. First, the trial has to be set […]
Over the last 10 years there has been increased interest in applying foliar fungicides to soybeans in Ontario. Liquid in-furrow fungicide application is also now being used in more US states on soybeans. Many trials have been conducted in Ontario to assess the yield and seed quality benefits of foliar fungicides. Very little work has […]
Purpose: Pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) provide a means of estimating soil nitrogen supply, and can aid producers in fine-tuning their nitrogen application rates for corn. One drawback of current soil nitrate tests is that they are only calibrated for situations where all of the nitrogen being measured has come from soil mineralization, that is […]
Current P and K recommendations in Ontario guide crop producers to apply a rate of fertilizer that will provide the greatest potential of an economic response during the year of application. Increases in crop yields over time have resulted in higher nutrient removal rates which have decreased the “equilibrium” soil test values where average crop […]
Let’s start on a positive note. We did not find any brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) during our corn or soybean field survey this year. Though the eager summer students are always disappointed that they come back each year with nothing to show for their training and scouting efforts, I am always relieved. The not-so-great […]
Forage inventories are generally more than adequate, with good spring carry-overs. With lots of rain, yields were good but it was challenging to make dry hay without rain-damage. Considerable haylage, baleage and poor to good quality hay were made. Premium “horse quality” green, dust-free 1st-cut hay and dairy hay is a bit more limited in […]
Many of you are familiar with the forage variety performance brochure published annually by the Ontario Forage Crops Committee (OFCC). (www.goforages.ca) Due to recent changes to the Seeds Act, new support from producer organizations and seed companies will be needed for this third-party variety information to be available in the immediate future. Farmers want […]
Many Ontario Fields Don’t Need Neonicotinoid Treated Seeds Assess Your Risk for Early Season Insect Damage Fill out the Pest Evaluation Checklist for Corn or Soybean for your farm at ontario.ca/bx1n Use this Pest Evaluation Checklist to target the use of insecticide seed treatments on corn and soybean seed for fields with identified risks. […]
Greg Stewart, OMAFRA Corn Specialist Albert Tenuta, OMAFRA Field Crop Pathologist The OMAFRA Field Crops team has completed the survey of the 2014 Ontario corn crop to determine ear mould incidence and the occurrence of mycotoxins in the grain. These mycotoxins, particularly vomitoxin (DON) produced primarily by Gibberella/Fusarium ear moulds, are grading factors and can […]
Author: Jocelyn Smith, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus “Check your fields for WBC and ear rots now and consider harvesting early to stop mould growth. Adjust your combine to discard lightweight mouldy kernels and dry mouldy corn as soon as possible.” If you had trouble finding Western bean cutworm (WBC) egg masses when scouting back […]
While cutting alfalfa in the fall is often practiced in Ontario, it does create some risk to stand health, depending on the location, stand age, harvest frequency and other factors. The decision whether to cut alfalfa should weigh these factors and the immediate need for forage against the increased risk of winterkill and reduced yields […]