Some US states to our south have been reporting high numbers of black cutworm moths in their pheromone traps and are starting to see some black cutworm injury in newly emerging corn fields. These moths are carried into Ontario via storm fronts. Once they arrive the adult moths look for weedy patches in fields to […]
Ag Breakfast Meeting Ridgetown – May 19, 2015 Willson Hall, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, 120 Main St. East. Ridgetown. This week’s Breakfast courtesy of DuPont Pioneer while last meeting breakfast sponsored by Dekalb Brand Seeds. Synopsis: Dry conditions continue throughout most of the area with the exception being western Essex. Rainfall around area continues […]
Soil moisture levels are variable across the province, with some areas having adequate moisture with good forage growth, while others with little rain are dry with shorter than normal stands. Grass growth has been more affected by the dry weather than the alfalfa. Many alfalfa stands harvested during the Critical Fall Harvest Period are showing […]
I often carry 5 or 6 scouting and management guides with me when walking fields to determining what pests are present and how to control them, if necessary. I find lugging these books around inconvenient and inefficient, especially when I leave the book I need in another vehicle or at home. The pest manager app was […]
With warmer temperatures and recent rains, the alfalfa and grass growth and development is now advancing rapidly, despite a slow start in early April. Older, less healthy stands are beginning to become yellow with dandelions. Many fields that were fall cut are seeing delayed growth that will likely result in reduced 1st-cut yields. Grass stands have […]
Conditions: Warm, sunny and dry conditions over the last 2 weeks were ideal for field work. Timely rains May 10-12 brought 20 mm (5 to 50 mm) of welcome precipitation across eastern Ontario. With most of the cereals, new forage seedings, corn and part of the soybean acreage seeded/planted between April 27th and May 10th, […]
Special thanks to Agri-Food Labs for sponsoring breakfast. Chair: Eric Richter (author of minutes) Chair for next meeting will be Jeremy O’Shea Synopsis: A tremendous amount of field work has taken place over the last 2 weeks. Field work is ahead of where it has been for the last number of years considering the date. […]
Synopsis: An optimism that has been missing from the past few spring planting seasons; field work has started everywhere and planting is occurring into soils that have worked into a mellow seedbed. Less than ideal wheat crops are being kept for rotation purposes (fewer soybeans) and promise of excellent straw prices. On average 20 % […]
Synopsis: Additional acres of winter wheat that were on the ‘watch list’ have been taken out of production. Overall loss of acres is estimated at 10-15% across the area. Corn planting is over 40-50% complete into good soil conditions. Concern with rainfall to activate pre-emerge herbicides. Forage survival has been good for well managed stands. Still […]
Alfalfa has generally over-wintered very well, but there are scattered reports from across the province of some winterkill and winter injury. The normally higher risk area of the Ottawa Valley seems to have minimal (less than 10%) winterkill issues. Winter injury is observed more commonly in older stands, fall harvested stands, and stands with poor […]
Those planting neonicotinoid treated corn or soybean seed with a vacuum planter that requires a seed flow lubricant MUST use Fluency Agent. Talc or graphite are not permitted. Exceptions include: 1. planters that don’t need seed flow lubricant (i.e. you don’t have to start using fluency agent if you didn’t use graphite or talc in […]
Conditions: Below average temperatures persisted throughout most of April. At Ottawa, approximately 100 CHU and 65 mm of rain were accumulated in April. Soils dried slowly and field activity only picked up during the last few days of April. Forages: Alfalfa winter survival is excellent, generally in the 90% plus range. Alfalfa fields not harvested […]
Chair for this meeting was Steve Johns. Chair for next meeting will be Eric Richter. Synopsis: Considerable spring cereal acreage has now been seeded, although not as much as intended. Hopefully the weather stays dry so that growers can finish up with cereals this week. Some oat fields have now been seeded for over 10 days. A […]
Diseases and pathogens are always a risk, but with Avian Influenza and PEDv outbreaks in Ontario extra vigilance is required. The poultry and swine industry are doing their part to prevent spread of the diseases. However, as farmers, custom work operators and agronomists begin spring field work, including manure application, it is extremely important that […]
Synopsis: April 1 to April 20 at Simcoe 102 CHU have been accumulated and average temperature was 7.5o C . Official CHU recording begins May 1st. 39.9 mm of precipitation fell as rain and/or snow. Crops that have been planted into plastic are being protected against forecast snow and freezing temperatures. Cool conditions over past […]