A collective summary of information gleaned from the weekly breakfast meeting minutes with local crop consultants in Ontario
Optimizing Crop Residue Management for Overall Profitability When and where should crop residue management start? It’s an ongoing and system-wide aspect of overall crop management, so choices such as crop rotation, fertilization and tillage feed into it. However, crop residue management generally starts with the combine. Combining crops without the proper equipment or setup can […]
Fall Herbicide Applications: Maximize Impact on Perennial Weeds Many farmers have seen the benefits of applying systemic herbicides in the fall, especially for the control of perennial weeds (Figure 1). Dandelion control can be improved by over 20% with fall application timings (Figure 2), while the population of other perennial species will be reduced and […]
Hazardous Gases on the Farm: A Silent Threat to Safety Hazardous gases are an often-overlooked danger on farms, lurking in silos, manure storages, anaerobic digesters, grain bins, and any confined space with poor ventilation. They can pose serious health risks to both humans and animals. Common farm gases include: Some gases, like nitrogen dioxide and […]
Crop Conditions – Week of September 1st, 2025. As the 2025 corn season nears its end, two significant diseases—tar spot and southern rust have been getting considerable attention from agronomists and growers across Ontario and the US Corn Belt. Tar spot has been confirmed from Ontario to Kansas, while southern rust’s fast-moving progression from the […]
Pre-harvest Management of Soybeans Many soybean fields are now beginning to yellow, which indicates they are at the R6 (full seed) growth stage. This means that green soybean seeds fill the pod cavity on one of the 4 top nodes. At this stage, pods have reached their full length and no new pods form. Root […]
Resources for Evaluating and Salvaging Moisture Stressed Corn for Corn Silage Under exceptionally dry conditions, there can be corn fields which are severely moisture stressed to the point they will make very poor (or in some cases almost zero) grain yield (Fig. 1). Under these same conditions, forage yields on livestock farms may also be […]
The 2025 AgSpray Expo; Innovations & Best Practices in Agricultural Spraying was a one-of-a-kind summer event that was not to be missed! July 23rd was a warm sunny day north of Brockville, ON, perfect for demonstrating sprayers, drones, and sensor equipment. With more than 120 people in attendance, smaller groups took in eight sessions that […]
There are areas of the province that have received little effective rainfall since early June. Dry and hot growing conditions can limit regrowth in hay fields and pastures. AgriStability compensation rate has been increased for 2025 and Agricorp has extended the deadline to apply to July 31, 2025. If you have questions about crop insurance […]
Finding and Fixing Soil Compaction When it comes to spring seeding, there can be challenges on the weather and soil conditions fronts. Areas in Ontario that often struggle with planting conditions had crops planted under good soil conditions and in record time this spring, while other areas, even some with lighter soils, experienced delays due […]
Optimizing Winter Wheat Quality at Harvest Fusarium Head Blight Management With frequent rain events in some areas as winter wheat matures, managing fusarium head blight (FHB) fungus is crucial to prevent yield loss, reduce mycotoxin contamination, and maximize grain quality. Identification FHB symptoms are noticeable soon after flowering. Diseased spikelets (glumes and florets) appear to […]
Turning soil tests into fertilizer recs Take one soil test, give it to two agronomists, and get four different fertilizer recommendations. How is this possible? Soil testing is one of the most profitable operations that a farm business can do, assuming proper sampling technique, and aligning samples with the field conditions and management. Soil testing […]
Swede midge and imported cabbageworm observed in canola At this time, canola exists in Ontario at almost every growth stage. Late planted or re-seeded spring canola is at the seedling stage in Northeastern Ontario. There is also spring canola approaching first flower, and some already in full bloom in the far north and Grey, Bruce, […]
The start of this week has been marked by several days of well above normal temperatures – daily highs in the low to mid 30’s brings the first summer-like hot spell across much of Ontario. These temperatures have helped reduce the heat unit deficit that has been a hallmark of spring 2025. Field Corn Very […]
The province experienced weather extremes. Southern Ontario saw warmer conditions that supported corn and soybean growth and helped dry fields still awaiting planting. However, wind and scattered rain complicated weed control efforts. In the Northeast and Northwest Ontario, temperatures neared 0°C, raising concerns about frost damage to emerged soybeans and white beans. Field assessments are […]
It’s been a tough spring across much of Ontario and growers continue to face variable weather conditions, creating both opportunities and challenges across regions. Frequent rain events have delayed planting in parts of eastern Ontario, particularly on heavier clays from Belleville to Kingston and Essex which had up to 3” of rain last week halting […]