Take the Test – Beat SCN Soybean harvest has begun, and many growers have asked if they could sample for soybean cyst nematode this fall. For many growers, managing soybean cyst nematode (SCN) means planting SCN resistance varieties BUT effective SCN management does not end when you have selected your soybean varieties! It is imperative to not only know your…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team September 10, 2020 345 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – September 10, 2020Managing Eroded Knolls We’ve all seen them. Hilltops. Whitecaps. High spots where the crop struggles year after year. Eroded knolls are common to Ontario agriculture and cost farmers in lost productivity each season. This article is to explore knolls: how they’ve formed, how they differ, and how they can be managed or even re-mediated. How do knolls develop? The major…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team September 3, 2020 614 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – September 3, 2020Is It Bad to Plant Corn After Cereal Rye? There has been interest in rye for cover crops or maximizing yields in silage systems (Figure 1) where rye can be harvested for silage by mid- to late May which still allows time for planting a corn silage crop. Benefits of rye include good winter hardiness, early maturity and high yield…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 28, 2020 467 Comments Off on Calibration of a Rising Plate Meter: Measuring the Amount of Available Feed in your PastureThis post was written by Jessica Brasier, OMAFRA summer student. Jessica works under the supervision of Christine O’Reilly (Forage and Grazing Specialist) and James Byrne (Beef Cattle Specialist). Grazing pasture is a great way to save on feed costs and utilize marginal land. To maximize the profitability of a pasture, a producer can use different tools to aid in management…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 27, 2020 519 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – August 27, 2020High corn rootworm (CRW) pressure in 2020 is challenging current Bt rootworm hybrids and several Ontario growers have reported unexpected injury by CRW. This indicates that possible cross resistance has occurred, where even pyramid hybrids with multiple rootworm traits are impacted. Currently, we know that several fields with injury in Huron, Perth and Durham Counties are being investigated. There are…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 27, 2020 320 Comments Off on Identifying Phosphorus Use Efficiency Traits in Winter WheatThis article was written by Bailey Fleet, University of Guelph. Bailey is a summer student under the USEL program. Bailey worked under the supervision of Nick Wilker from the U of G wheat breeding lab and Joanna Follings from OMAFRA. Phosphorus (P) is important for the proper growth of cereal crops. P has been found to be a limiting nutrient…
This Ontario Virtual Diagnostic Days Series for 2020 will consist of eight 1-hour episodes occurring every two weeks starting Wednesday, July 15 through October 21, 2020. Each episode will highlight a general field crop agronomic theme.
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 20, 2020 395 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – August 20, 2020Managing to get the most from available water Water is the most important limiting input for crop production. In more than a couple of the past years, producers across the province have been forced to watch while their crops suffer from dry conditions in the heat of summer. Other than irrigation (which is rare for field crops in Ontario), there’s…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 13, 2020 449 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – August 13, 2020This week we would like to discuss tar spot in corn as well as soybean cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome in soybean. Tar Spot in Corn There is a lot of discussion and questions surrounding tar spot this year in Ontario. Tar spot is a new corn disease in the US midwest and since its initial confirmation in northern…
There are currently three key topics for forage production: nitrates, potato leafhopper, and planting annual forages for fall production. Nitrate poisoning of livestock is a risk in a dry year In a dry year, high nitrate levels in forages are a concern. Fast-growing grass species, such as corn, sorghum-sudangrass, and cereals are most likely to accumulate nitrates. Nitrogen moves from…
The establishment of cover crops after cereal harvest has been shown to reduce weed seed production and dispersal to the soil. This is of particular benefit when trying to manage glyphosate resistant weed species like Canada fleabane and waterhemp (a relative of redroot pigweed). Some highlights from recent studies include:
Harvested wheat fields offer the perfect opportunity to focus on improving soil health. Planting cover crops and/or applying manure or other organic amendments provides soil microbes with the carbon compounds that help create a more porous soil structure which improves water, air and nutrient cycling. Here are a few common questions that come up every year regarding the application of…
Dry beans are either approaching flowering or have already started flowering across Ontario. White mold is an important disease of dry beans in Ontario and in-crop management of white mold occurs during flowering. White mold spores can land on stems, leaves or pods but deteriorating flower petals are very susceptible to infection. Spores colonize flower tissue, and the disease enters…
The Ontario Virtual Crop Diagnostic Event will replace all in-person provincial crop diagnostic days that have been postponed this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first series of diagnostic learning sessions begins on Wednesday July 15, 2020. For more information and to register go to OMAFRA Virtual Diagnostic Days Series website. While the management window for much of our…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team July 2, 2020 563 Comments Off on Ridgetown – Simcoe Ag Business Breakfast Meeting – June 30, 2020Weather update: Most of the area is under hot and dry conditions. Spotty thunderstorms have resulted in variable rain ranging from no rain to 5 inches at Stoney Point (Essex). About 1/3 of normal total crop heat units (chu) will be accumulated by end of June. Considering cold temperatures to start the season, current chu are within a few days…