Breakfast meetings bring crop agronomists and industry professionals together during a key time in the growing season to discuss current field conditions. These meetings are a great opportunity to ask questions, work through field challenges, and share clear, consistent messages for growers across the industry. Participants are welcome to purchase their own breakfast and the meetings offer a valuable chance to connect and network with peers.
The meeting locations and meeting dates for all breakfast meetings are listed below. For the 2026 season, the Ridgetown meeting will be live-streamed and in-person. The Northern meeting will continue as a virtual meeting. All other meetings will be held in-person only and cannot be livestreamed because they are held in restaurants.
If you cannot join us for breakfast, you can catch up on the discussion in the summary notes below (posted later that same week).
Variable weather conditions across the province over the last week have led to a range of planting progress. Areas of the southwest are well into spring planting, with some areas estimating over 50% of the crop acres planted, while others are just getting started with field work. Growing Degree Days (GDD) are behind last year, […]
Field Conditions Soils are steadily drying out as we have more sun and wind. With warmer temperatures, more seeding and herbicide applications have been completed. Extreme winds during storm events this week resulted in a lot of soil movement out of fields that have been worked, and noticeably less soil movement in fields that have […]
Crop Conditions Cool temperatures with variable rainfall has slowed field drying. Some field work has started in the last few days where the conditions allowed. Nitrogen and sulphur applications are being made to the winter wheat crop, manure is being applied, and tillage operations are beginning. Corn planting has begun in the southwest of the […]
How do cover crops impact nitrous oxide emissions? Cover crops help build soil carbon, reduce erosion, and can offset crop nitrogen fertilizer requirements. But when it comes to nitrous oxide (N2O) – a greenhouse gas that contributes about half the total warming effect from agriculture in Canada1 – there is a question mark surrounding their […]
No-till corn planted into wheat stubble. Photo taken June 25, 2024 near Warkworth in Northumberland County. […]
Seedling waterhemp at the 2 to10 leaf stage in 6 leaf corn. Control must be prioritized since herbicide effectiveness will be reduced as this weed gets bigger. […]
Areas across the province are seeing variability in corn emergence and growth due to frequent rainfalls. […]
Crop Report – June 6, 2024 Field Conditions Significant planting progress has been made in many areas across the province over the last two weeks. Some growers were able to wrap up their corn, soybean and edible bean planting and apply their T3 fungicide applications in wheat. However, those on heavier soils or those who […]
Field Conditions It continues to be a frustrating spring through much of the province. Frequent precipitation has continued to cause delays in tillage, planting, and spraying in some areas, and weather earlier this week has shut down field work once again in many areas. However, with 3–5-day windows of good weather, many producers have covered […]
Cereals Winter wheat is advanced by 10-14 days in southern Ontario compared to other years, particularly in early planted fields. Fields in Essex are now at the early boot stages. Regions of the province further north and east as well as later planted fields are not as advanced and are at the first to second […]
Frequent rains and wet soils across the province have slowed or prevented field work. Soil compaction is likely to be an issue this year, especially for farmers trying to get manure spread ahead of spring planting. Fertilizer has been moving out to farms with storage. Retailers are full and ready to apply product once soil […]
Field Conditions Light rains and cool temperatures this past weekend and early this week slowed field drying and limited opportunities for early planting of field crops. While it is generally too wet for field work, conditions are variable depending on rainfall received. The remainder of this week was mostly sunny, but expectations are tempered by […]
Quote of the week: “You can have a 2000 bushel grain cart, but man, it squeezes!” – Adam Pfeffer – concerning the compaction that large equipment can cause in-field. The first agribusiness breakfast meeting of the year kicked off in Ridgetown on April 16, 2024. For the schedule of local meetings across Ontario, contact margaret.templeman@ontario.ca […]
General Across much of Ontario major crops and forages are progressing well. Evidence of moisture stress is present on various crops, but some relief came over the period of June 11-14th with scattered rainfall periods. Keeping appraised of incoming rainfall is at the back of everyone’s mind. Be aware of various networks and stations where […]
Conditions Weather conditions improved considerably beginning on Monday, with sunshine throughout the week and daily high temperatures ranging from the high-teens to mid-twenties (Celsius) in both southern and northern Ontario. Planting has begun on lighter soils and is likely to progress onto other soil types by later in the week. Other field activities, including second […]