There was an excellent turnout and good discussion this week. Thank you to Brian Woolley (Syngenta) for sponsoring breakfast. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 9th at 7:30am. Wheat There was significant discussion of frost heaving damage to winter wheat, particularly in heavy clay soils. Wheat that was seeded late is most […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from the group to “Stephanie Divitaris – Syngenta” Quote of the week – “Start clean and stay clean” – Dr. Peter Sikkema “Be Safe! Double check – look twice when at a stop sign” – Bob Thirlwall Synopsis: Compared to two weeks ago, it was nice not to arrive to freshly […]
Ontario has a new strategy to help ensure the province’s agricultural soils remain healthy and productive for years to come. The Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Working Group worked for over two years to develop and hone the New Horizons: Ontario’s Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy. The working group sought input from experts drawn […]
Winter Wheat Acreage increased about 10% in 2018. Too early to % winter survival. Some areas winter wheat was seeded late into mid-October appears to be struggling. Definite winter kill in low lying pockets in the fields due to flooding damage. Some of the nitrogen intended for the split-nitrogen programs, has been applied. There has […]
The 2018 season is obviously off to a slow start following a significant storm system that brought freezing rain, ice pellets and snow to much of the province on the April 14th weekend. As of April 18th, it’s easy to find fields that are still snow covered (Figure 1). The weather and soil conditions will […]
Thank you to Joanna Follings who chaired the first breakfast meeting and to Steve Johns (Syngenta) who sponsored breakfast. The next meeting will be on May 1 starting at 7:00 am for breakfast (meeting starts at 7:30). Huston De Brabandere will be the chairman. The meetings will finish no later than 9:00 am. There was […]
National Soil Conservation Week runs from April 15th to 21st, 2018. Soil conservation for many years focused on protecting the soil from wind and water erosion. Today, that is still a focus but the soil is becoming an integral part of the larger environmental picture. Soil conservation is now directly linked with water quality, greenhouse […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from the group to “Richard Anderson – BASF Canada“ Quote of the week – If you need anything other than glyphosate up front – you haven’t been doing a good job.” Roger Bourassa And a couple more: “Resistant Weeds Cost More Money” and “Not hard finding a tillage resistant weed” Synopsis: There […]
Many fields across Ontario may be at risk of alfalfa winter kill this year. This post contains links to OMAFRA resources that can help you determine whether your fields were at risk, if damage occurred, and what to consider for next steps. Late cutting can increase risk Due to rain delays, some fields were cut during […]
Spring canola yields have been strong in Ontario in the past two years, but are we meeting our yield potential? Are there ways to profitably increase yields? In 2017 a trial was conducted by Deb Campbell of Agronomy Advantage Inc. and Darcy Martin on Darcy’s farm in Kenilworth, Ontario to test and demonstrate management practices […]
Have you ever had a dry bean crop that looked healthy but resulted in disappointing yields? Have you seen stunted or yellowing patches, but could not identify the cause? If so, you may want to look for soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Researchers in Ontario and the US have shown that SCN is not just a […]
This article was written by Peter Johnson, Agronomist, Real Agriculture. Can we grow record-breaking wheat here in the Great Lakes Region? NO! will be the resounding answer from most, but don’t give in so quickly. The world record set by Eric Watson of New Zealand stands at 249.7 bu/ac. In 2016, a well-calibrated yield monitor […]
Red Clover is known to have many benefits in crop rotations both for soil health and fixing nitrogen for the following crop. Long-term rotation trials by Drs. Hooker and Deen, University of Guelph, have shown significantly improved yields to both the corn and soybean crop from the inclusion of wheat in rotation and the added […]
Spring is just around the corner, and preparations for the upcoming grazing season are in full swing. Farmers are checking their fences and water systems, and frost-seeding legumes to improve pasture quality. Soon there will be livestock out on grass, and less (if any) feeding to do in the barns! But with all the excitement, have […]
This article was written by Dr. Eric Page, Research Scientist in Weed Ecology, and Sydney Meloche, Weed Science Technician, AAFC Harrow Research and Development Center Soybean production in southwestern Ontario is increasingly challenging because of the presence of multiple glyphosate resistant weed species. Essex, Kent and Lambton counties have the unfortunate distinction of being home […]