Cover Crops Resources
Have you thought about planting a windbreak?
Windbreaks are a great way to reduce soil erosion and increase crop growth on your farm. They reduce wind speeds, which can increase growth of crops for a distance of up to 20 times the height of the trees. The taller the trees and the longer the windbreak, the greater the area the windbreak will […]
What to consider when selecting corn silage hybrids
This article originally appeared in Milk Producer Magazine. As another harvest season approaches, it also marks the time for deciding which corn hybrids to select for next year. It is always important to choose hybrids that are well adapted to the area and have good agronomic characteristics for your fields, although some characteristics commonly selected […]
Are you waste wise?
Disposing of non-nutrient agricultural waste responsibly needs to be a year-round effort. Burning and burying non-nutrient agricultural waste can pollute the air, contaminate water and can have other potential harmful impacts on the environment, which can harm people and livestock. Consider recycling or reusing your waste instead – recycling and reuse not only lowers your […]
Understanding Precision Agriculture – Lessons from the Field
Author: Joey Sabljic Precision Agriculture Advancement for Ontario: This article is part of a series dedicated to helping farmers understand and implement precision agriculture technology. It is based on research conducted by Nicole Rabe, Ian McDonald and Ben Rosser at OMAFRA, in conjunction with Mike Duncan, Sarah Lepp and Gregor MacLean at Niagara College. For […]
Nitrogen Fertilizer: Does It Help Build Soil Organic Matter?
Co-written by Dr. Laura Van Eerd, Associate Professor, Nitrogen Fertility and Cover Crops, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Soil organic matter (OM) is the single most important soil health property that you have influence over through your management. Soil OM is all living, dead or long dead (and decomposed) material. Higher soil organic matter translates […]
Should 2,4-D be used to control weeds in emerged winter wheat during the fall?
Co-written by Joanna Follings, Cereal Specialist Should you use 2,4-D to emerged wheat in the fall to control weeds? The short answer is no. First, the label clearly states under the “Application Timing” section: “Do not apply to seedling winter cereals in the fall.” Second, there are other labelled and less injurious herbicide options that provide […]
2016 Grain Corn Ear Mould and Vomitoxin (DON) Survey
Co-Authored with Albert Tenuta The OMAFRA Field Crops team conducted its annual vomitoxin survey to assess the presence of corn ear mould and grain vomitoxin in the 2016 corn crop. Vomitoxins can be produced by Gibberella and Fusarium ear moulds and can be disruptive when fed to livestock, particularly hogs. A total of 121 samples […]
Controlling common burdock
Effective control of common burdock doesn’t happen overnight and is most successful when you can control new seedlings in the spring followed by controlling any larger first year plants in the fall so that they don’t overwinter, flower and disperse new seed the following year . Common burdock (Arctium minus) is a biennial that reproduces only […]
Forage Summary 2016
Forage production in 2016 was challenging as the cool spring delayed early growth and was followed by a hot, dry summer before rains returned in August. While hay inventories are below average, most of the hay harvested was high quality. This year has seen an increase use of cover crops for emergency forage and fall […]
Farmers are reducing weed seed return after cereal harvest
I was driving down a long country road and noticed that two large fields, where winter wheat was harvested almost eight weeks ago, had a beautiful thick canopy of oats. It wasn’t long until I came across a field that was left fallow, that it became clear why so many farmers had chosen to plant […]
OMAFRA Field Crop Report – September 14, 2016
Soil Fertility Considerations in a Dry Year For some parts of the province, the 2016 growing season has been exceptionally dry. As we move towards fall, harvest, and soil sampling, there are some unique soil fertility considerations if you have experienced particularly dry weather this season. If you follow a build-up and maintain approach to […]
Planning for Big Wheat Yields!
Despite the dry year and stripe rust infestation, we saw some big winter wheat yields across the province this season. Many growers are giving credit to a strong stand establishment last fall thanks to the excellent planting conditions. So as we get into the full swing of winter wheat planting, here are a few things […]
Weed ID Guide for Ontario Crops
Featuring over 120 species commonly found in and around agricultural fields, the Weed ID Guide for Ontario Crops is now available in the following formats. ePub format (124 MB file for Kindle, iBooks and other e-reader apps): click to download .pdf format (8 mb file): click to download print ready .pdf (141 mb file): click to […]
Developing an Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy for Ontario
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is developing an Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy. Specifically, OMAFRA is seeking feedback on a Discussion Document that outlines a draft vision, goals and objectives for the strategy. Healthy agricultural soils are essential in order to ensure ongoing productivity and competitiveness in Ontario’s agri-food sector […]