First-cut hay is being finished while second-cut haylage is complete on some dairy farms. With reduced yields and acres, hay inventories are limited in some areas and record high prices are being reported. There are still reports of armyworm, but it is declining. There were some reports of European skipper feeding damage to forage grasses, […]
Wondering what critter ate your timothy this spring? In addition to armyworm, there was also some European skipper (Thymelicus lineola) damage to timothy and other forage grasses. While it is typically fairly isolated, in 2012, the “year of the forage insect”, we had an unusually high number of reports. Damage and larvae were confused with […]
Rainfall has been sporadic across the region. Crops like corn are showing some drought stress with curling, pointed leaves. Areas south of Ottawa are fairing better with conditions dryer the further up the valley. Currently we are running about 150 Crop Heat Units ahead of the long-term normal for the area. Cereals – Winter wheat […]
Synopsis: Rainfall over the weekend varied from 0 – 40 ml (Brussels area). High armyworm numbers can be found in a number of areas, with highest populations in Niagara and SW Ont. More reports in forage stands, but cutting of first cut providing control. Weed control and respraying is nearing completion in corn and soy’s with […]
First-cut hay is still underway, while 2nd-cut is starting on early-cut fields. Armyworm is still being reported in hayfields at high levels in some hot spots in western Ontario. It is also reported in central and eastern Ontario, but not yet at severe levels. Some is being sprayed, but most infested fields are being harvested. […]
Ridgetown Ag Business Meeting Minutes (June 19, 2012) Included: Crop conditions, armyworm, Yellow corn, SCN, aphids, soybean herbicide injury and more. NOTE: The tour of the Huron Research Station is available next Tuesday, June 26th. This was the last spring meeting for Ridgetown. A September meeting is planned either at Lynn’s Restaurant or at the […]
With higher land costs, increasing our yields is becoming key to reducing our costs of producing forage, and remaining competitive with corn and soybeans for acreage. Three factors limiting our forage yields are old stands, poor establishment and low soil fertility. Good soil fertility is essential to both yield and persistence of forage crops. Phosphorus […]
So far, areas south of the 401 appear to be hardest hit by armyworm in southern and central Ontario. Eastern Ontario is starting to report armyworm in wheat so producers in those areas should be out scouting fields. We have been seeing quite a size variation in the armyworm larvae this year which is likely […]
Synopsis Canola is advancing rapidly with April planted canola now bolting to 70% flower stage. Some canola stands are thin and uneven in growth which has growers questioning need or timing for fungicide. The biggest risk factors for sclerotinia are adequate soil moisture, rainfall during flowering, 48-72 hours of wetness in canopy for infection to […]
There are some “hot spots” with armyworm taking out hay fields, mostly south of the 401 in western Ontario (Niagara to Elgin County and surrounding areas) and up into Perth County. Grasses have been stripped of leaves with only stems and heads remaining. After fields are cut, armyworm feed on the windrow for a day […]
Included: Yellow corn, armyworm, aphids, soybean herbicide injury and more. Synopsis: Rainfall has been good for the most part. 1.0 to 2.0 inches 10 days ago and about 0.5 inches fell last weekend. Rainfall was not a heavy downpour. Some sporadic showers came last night. There still are dry areas that got only 0.5 inches […]
I’ve had a few calls in the past few days asking about armyworm and black cutworm damage in soybeans. I had the chance to get out to a few fields and found that the damage is being caused by the variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia). The variegated cutworm is another migrating moth that comes into Ontario […]
Discussion: From May 1st to June 5th the area accumulated approx. 600 CHUs, which is 100 CHUs above the 30 year average. A significant portion of Glengarry county was hit by hail on June 8th, but damage is mostly limited to some leaf shredding with little or no crop replant necessary. Soil moisture is generally […]
Trying to make dry hay between rainstorms can be frustrating. When haymaking periods without rain are short, we frequently get into a no-win situation. Either the hay isn’t dry enough to bale before the next rain and it gets rain-damaged, or it gets baled “tough” before it is quite dry enough and becomes mouldy, poor […]
Synopsis: In the past a general rainfall of about 58 mm fell across the region and about 300 chu have been accumulated – 600 chu since May 1. The rainfall was welcome and helped crops struggling to emerge as well as under-seeded red clover and new growth alfalfa. Rainfall was enough to finally activate pre-emerge […]