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 758 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…
By OMAFRA FIELD CROP TEAM Winter wheat harvest is quickly approaching so as we get prepared here are a few quick reminders to help us get through what will hopefully be a great harvest! Watch for Pre-harvest Intervals (PHI) With armyworm, as well as other insects being monitored in many areas through to harvest, and with the potential need for…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 26, 2020 674 Comments Off on Cobourg + Winchester Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 24, 2020This was the last spring breakfast meeting for the Cobourg + Winchester calls. A season recap call will be planned for late November or early December. Thank you to everyone who participated in these virtual meetings this spring. If you have any feedback, please contact Sebastian Belliard (Sebastian.belliard@ontario.ca), Ian McDonald (ian.mcdonald@ontario.ca), or Christine O’Reilly (Christine.oreilly@ontario.ca). Weather Rainfall has been variable across the region. Everyone…
Wheat Pests are Still a Concern True armyworm (TAW) larvae are in many winter wheat and spring cereal fields across southern Ontario, thankfully not always at threshold. Some fields have populations at threshold (4-5 unparasitized larvae smaller than 2.5 cm per square foot) or above and with minimal feeding damage. Larvae sometimes choose not to do as much feeding and…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 24, 2020 910 Comments Off on Exeter and Mt Forest Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes – June 23, 2020This was the last breakfast meeting for the Exeter and Mt Forest group. Thank you to everyone who has participated this season, and for adapting to the new Zoom format. Corn Crop advisors are getting a lot of questions right now about leaf wrapping and yellow flash on corn leaves. While this may look similar to herbicide injury, these symptoms…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 19, 2020 684 Comments Off on Northern Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 17, 2020This was the last spring breakfast meeting for the northern Ontario group. We would like to thank everyone that has participated in the first year of virtual breakfast meetings across the north. Please provide feedback (meghan.moran@ontario.ca) on whether you would like to continue the meetings next season and how we might improve the experience to provide more value to growers…
Soybean Plant Stand Establishment Establishing a uniform, healthy soybean plant stand which closes the canopy quickly is important to maximizing yield potential. Although a perfect plant stand is not as essential for soybeans as it is for corn; higher soybean yields are often associated with more uniform stands. Attaining a good plant stand is more difficult for soybeans than other…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 17, 2020 696 Comments Off on Ridgetown-Simcoe Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes – June 16, 2020Approximately 52 people attended the 6th Ridgetown-Simcoe Breakfast Meeting. This was officially the last call for these regions this spring, though there was interest in continuing on for at least one more call – stay tuned for details. Overall, discussion focused on good looking wheat, tough-looking corn, herbicide injury concerns in soybeans and edible beans and emerging insect issues. While…
Summary Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) soil samples were collected from 94 sites across the province from June 8th to 10th, 2020 The average PSNT value was 14 ppm, slightly above the long-term average of 12 ppm. Optimal nitrogen (N) rates are a function of both soil N supply and yield. Consider both when determining N rate requirements in 2020….
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 12, 2020 720 Comments Off on Cobourg + Winchester Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 10, 2020Weather Conditions The last two weeks have been dry, although some areas received rainfall and/or thunderstorms. Frost damage has affected some corn and soybean stands, particularly on muck soils in Renfrew and Glengarry. There have been isolated reports of hail damage around St. Isidore and on Wolfe Island. Forages First cut is underway across the region. Reports suggest yields are…
By OMAFRA FIELD CROP TEAM June – 4 – 10 Crop Conditions Soybean Some replanting has occurred especially on heavy clay soils with poor emergence. Soil crusting and seed corn maggot feeding are the main issues this spring. If plant stands are below 100,000 plants per acre replanting is warranted. The same variety can be planted into an existing thin…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 10, 2020 622 Comments Off on Exeter – Mt Forest Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 9, 2020Soybeans Horst Bohner chaired the meeting and started with a summary of soybean emergence and replants. Some soybeans are taking a long time to emerge. Beans are still emerging from early planted stands (where soils were dry). Plant establishment and the need for replanting due to crusting is worse this year than in recent memory, especially in Eastern Ontario and…