There are mixed reports on the health of dry beans in Ontario this season. While many fields look good, rains following the initially dry conditions at planting have increased the incidence of root rots as well as the risk of white mould. Root Rot In Ontario, the four main fungal pathogens causing root rot are Fusarium, Pythium, Rhizoctonia and…
This article was written by Dwiti Mistry, Canola & Edible Bean Research Assistant Insect surveillance was conducted in winter canola in Ontario for the 2020-2021 season to monitor the type and number of insects that inhabit this crop. There were 13 fields surveyed in Wellington, Huron, Grey, Chatham-Kent and Middlesex counties. Sweeps were taken from 10 different areas of each…
Are Double Crop Soybeans Following Wheat Harvest in Your Plans? The unprecedented price of soybeans has fueled considerable interest in double cropping soybeans. As winter wheat comes off there are a number of factors that should be considered. Since half the growing season is over by mid-July double cropping soybeans in Ontario is risky and not covered by crop insurance. Double cropping has been tried numerous times with variable…
The recent rainfall over much of the province was welcomed and appreciated by many. However, the heavy rain and winds proved to be a tipping point for some winter wheat with lodging occurring in all or parts of fields. While some wheat has managed to stand back up, the wheat remains flat where the lodging is severe (Figure 1). For…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 26, 2021 307 Comments Off on Cobourg/Winchester Breakfast Meeting Minutes – June 23, 2021Wednesday brought to a close our annual Ag Advisor Breakfast Meeting series for 2021, the second year we have done it virtually. Thanks to all who have contributed to the meetings the last two months. The contributions of all are important to the core purpose of these meetings of sharing intelligence and thoughts across our regions to ensure we are…
It is proving to be another good insect year with several early season pests keeping everyone busy scouting to stay ahead of. Going into July and August, there are a few more pests that we need to keep watch for. Thrips continue to be spotted in soybeans, corn and wheat fields. There are several different kinds of thrips that feed…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 23, 2021 386 Comments Off on Exeter, Mount Forest Breakfast Meeting Minutes: June 22, 2021This was the last meeting of the Exeter, Mount Forest Breakfast meeting for this spring. Thanks to all those who attended and a special thanks to those who participated in the discussion. We will email a survey to the group at a later date to explore ideas of how the meetings should be conducted next year (sit-down, virtual, hybrid, etc.)….
This article is written by Chris Gillard, University of Guelph – Ridgetown Anthracnose can cause severe yield and seed quality issues in dry beans. Anthracnose is managed in part with genetic resistance, clean seed and chemical seed treatments. Locally grown seed increases the risk of a disease outbreak, and growers are encouraged to use fungicides to manage this risk….
Corn Stand Checkup Scouting corn between emergence and knee high provides a report card on seedbed preparation, planter operation and agronomic practices affecting early plant establishment and growth. Causes of issues can often be identified at this stage to make improvements for following years. Counting Plants For easy math, a common method of measuring population is to measure 1/1000th of…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 10, 2021 439 Comments Off on Cobourg/Winchester Breakfast Meeting – June 9, 2021The last meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 23rd at 8:00 am. Weather Conditions Dry conditions continued over the two weeks since the last meeting. Rainfall was patchy over the region, with some areas getting “just over an inch” and others nothing at all. Those that got rain reported crops continue to look good but could use more. Crops that missed the rain are…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 10, 2021 377 Comments Off on Exeter-Mt Forest Ag Breakfast Meeting Minutes – June 8, 2021Cereals Warm daytime and nighttime temperatures have resulted in rapid growth through the heading stage. Wheat can be vulnerable to hot temperatures during flowering especially if it gets above 33oC. Pollen viability can be affected at that temperature when the pollen is developing at 5-7 days before flowering. In the areas where it has been really hot the wheat was…
Corn Nitrogen Status Nitrogen mineralization is favoured by warm soil temperatures with adequate soil moisture and aeration. Excess moisture can slow mineralization or increase the potential for losses through denitrification (especially under warm conditions) or leaching. Spring of 2021 progressed similar to 2020. Sunshine and little rainfall resulted in great soil conditions through April and May. A period of cold…
Summary Soil nitrogen supply (mineralization, loss) can be influenced by weather (soil temperature, moisture) each spring. OMAFRA leads an annual Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) survey to gauge year-to-year levels across Ontario. PSNT soil samples were collected from 93 sites across Ontario from May 31st to June 2nd, 2021. The average PSNT value was 13 ppm, similar to the long-term…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 4, 2021 346 Comments Off on Northern Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 2, 2021Photo credit: Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota. Canola seeded May 19th in Thunder Bay District. June 2nd was the last meeting of the season. We had good attendance and would like to thank everyone that joined and participated. It is estimated that 8,000 acres of canola and soybeans are being reseeded in northeastern Ontario after the frost events last weekend. Extent…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 3, 2021 383 Comments Off on Ridgetown-Simcoe Ag Breakfast Meeting Minutes – June 1, 2021Overview: Rainfall last week was welcomed across the region and relieved the anxiety for those with crops planted into dry soils and for growers waiting for some activation of soil applied herbicides. Crop heat unit accumulation since the beginning of May is about 425 CHU. This is close to last year and long-term average, with cooler temperatures at the beginning of the month slowing a trend from April that was ahead of normal. …