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 […]
Most springs, conversation at some point turns to no-till soybeans and how tough they look compared to their tilled counterparts. 2022 was no exception. With a record corn crop in 2021 and compaction due to a wet fall, there were challenges to contend with in no-till and some fields did get off to a slow […]
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 […]
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 […]
2021 Winter Wheat Planting Conditions Planting conditions varied across the province. Areas with ideal conditions and a timely harvest of edible beans, canola, and oats were able to seed winter wheat within the optimum date range. Other areas experienced above average rainfall in October that resulted in pooling and heavy tile-run wheat. Most planting was […]
Total acreage of dry beans insured by Agricorp in 2022 was 101,901 acres (see Table 1.). The number of insured acres has slowly declinedfrom the 2020 high, when acres were the highest Ontario has experienced since 2007. Most market classes declined in 2022, except Adzuki Beans which saw a slight increase. Overall, 2022 acreage is […]
Spring Canola There was roughly 36,800 acres of spring canola insured by Agricorp in 2022. Compared to 2021, planted acreage across Ontario was similar. There were regional differences with planted acreage being slightly higher in Northeastern Ontario, and slightly lower in Northwestern Ontario Spring conditions were favourable for early planting throughout most of Ontario with […]
Winter 2021/2022 Conditions Fall of 2021 was very open, and many hay fields grew significantly more than usual. Stands that were predominantly grass created a higher risk for smothering alfalfa where there was too much top growth. Ideally grasses should be mowed to 15 cm (6 in.) to reduce smothering risk. Alfalfa will not smother, […]
Simple Summary there is limited guidance for safe fertilizer rates for strip till – unlike 2”x2” planter banding, there are many different fertilizer placement options in strip till there is likely some tradeoff with fertilizer placement in strip till – placement closer to the seed likely improves starter fertilizer effect and fertilizer efficiency, but likely […]
Crop scouts and agronomists that walk multiple fields in a day should consider biosecurity and preventing the movement of soil, and soil borne pests, between fields. Risk of disease movement from one farm to the next is proportional to the amount of soil moved. While other aspects of farming represent a greater risk of soil […]
Co-authored with Albert Tenuta, Field Crop Pathologist, OMAFRA. OMAFRA field crop specialists in collaboration with Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and members of the Ontario Agri-Business Association (OABA) have completed the annual Ontario corn ear mould and DON mycotoxin survey. Corn ear moulds such as Gibberella and their corresponding mycotoxins occur every year in Ontario. […]
Publication 30: Guide to Forage Production is a comprehensive guide to forage agronomy. It has information on establishment, fertility, weed management and weather stress for many species grown as forage in Ontario. It also covers harvest and storage of forage crops and understanding a laboratory forage analysis. To download a free PDF version or order a […]
Ontario Hay Listings is a free classifieds service provided by the Ontario Forage Council. Producers looking to buy or sell hay or straw are encouraged to post an ad. Bt-resistant corn rootworm is a serious pest of continuous corn and is a major threat to the silage corn supply. Work with your agronomist and nutritionist […]
When does a killing frost no longer damage soybean seed? Late planted fields or double cropped soybeans may still be green in late September or October. A killing frost will not significantly harm seed quality once the field is at the R7 (beginning maturity) growth stage. R7 is reached when 50% or more of the […]
Cereal rye is a versatile cover crop that can be seeded late into the fall in Ontario. Not to be confused with annual ryegrass – a grass that can be challenging to control – it is a winter cereal that overwinters reliably and grows rapidly in the spring. Delayed termination of rye by herbicide prior […]