Spring canola harvest is not yet complete, with a majority of the crop still standing in northern regions. Many fields were ready to harvest up to two weeks ago, but the weather has not cooperated. Producers are now reporting that canola is re-growing and quite green in the lower canopy. Pre-harvest herbicide application may improve harvest conditions; some details to…
Producers interested in growing winter canola should consider the herbicide history of their field, and the herbicide options open to them following winter wheat harvest. There are a number of restrictions, and some herbicide labels do not mention safety on canola. At this time there is only one winter canola variety that is registered in Ontario and readily available to…
Scouts and agronomists may put biosecurity measures in place with a certain disease or crop in mind, but should ensure protocols are in place each and every time you walk fields. Crops are grown in rotation, so the soil in corn fields may contain soybean cyst nematode and soil in wheat fields may contain clubroot disease that infects canola. What…
Corn Significant planting progress was made the end of last week and through the weekend as sunshine and warm temperatures dominated for a string of days. Despite the calendar date and reduced yield potential of later planting, many continued to plant corn noting the competitiveness of returns relative to soybeans. Many areas are reporting corn planting reaching 90-95% of intended…
Corn Progress was made over the last week in areas with lighter textured soils. Those areas now have upwards of 80% of their intended corn acres planted. However, regions with heavier textured soils such as Lambton, Essex, Niagara and Middlesex have 30% of their corn acres planted. Overall, ~60% of the intended corn acres are planted in the province. With…
Planting progress remains slow for all crops, and spray applications have also been significantly delayed by poor weather. Temperatures forecasted for early June are relatively cool, remaining around or below the 20°C mark in many regions. Corn Corn planting progress at the end of May was estimated to be less than 50% complete. In some regions, corn planting at the…
The weather story continues this week with very little change across the province in terms of field activity, including fertilizer and pesticide application to wheat, manure application, field preparation and planting. A small number of acres were planted on the lighter soils across the province, where conditions permitted, but to date less than 10% of corn is in the ground….
Weather The continuing thread of the story for this spring is the weather. Very little has changed across the province in the last week in terms of manure application, wheat fertilization, tillage and crop planting. We continue to wait on weather that allows fields to dry out and support equipment. Eastern Ontario did get a small window to get some…
This article was written by Charles-Étienne Ferland, MSc Candidate, and Dr. Rebecca Hallett, University of Guelph A biological control agent is a beneficial insect that will help control populations of pest insects. Finding the right biological control agent is a bit like having guests over for dinner for the first time. If you’re not careful in selecting the candidate,…
Boron application at flowering is a common practice for Ontario canola growers. Canola has a higher requirement for boron than crops like wheat and barley, so it make sense to give canola a shot of this micro nutrient. Timing the application during reproductive stages makes sense too, because boron deficient plants have been shown to express slow growth of pollen…
This article was written by Meghan Moran (OMAFRA Canola & Edible Bean Specialist) , Travis Cranmer and Dennis Van Dyk (OMAFRA Vegetable Crop Specialists) There have been times growers and agronomists have asked, “What is this house fly-looking insect I am seeing in canola fields?” The flies were particularly abundant in some regions in 2017, and at the time it was…
This article was written by Meghan Moran (OMAFRA) and Sydney Meloche (AAFC Harrow) Winter canola fields across Essex, Chatham-Kent, Wellington, Hamilton-Wentworth, Haldimand and Niagara have been assessed in fall of 2018. Approximately 900 acres have been scouted in 20 fields. The goal is to take observations on plant populations and plant size in the fall, and assess winter survival in…
Cabbage seedpod weevil (CSW) are being found in spring canola, particularly in earlier planted fields that are beginning to flower. CSW may begin to appear just prior to bolting and can primarily be found on flower buds until pods begin to form. They are approximately 3 to 4 mm in length and are fairly easy to identify by their dark…
Spring canola yields have been strong in Ontario in the past two years, but are we meeting our yield potential? Are there ways to profitably increase yields? In 2017 a trial was conducted by Deb Campbell of Agronomy Advantage Inc. and Darcy Martin on Darcy’s farm in Kenilworth, Ontario to test and demonstrate management practices that maximize canola yields. Profitability…
This article was written by Dr. Eric Page, Research Scientist in Weed Ecology, and Sydney Meloche, Weed Science Technician, AAFC Harrow Research and Development Center Soybean production in southwestern Ontario is increasingly challenging because of the presence of multiple glyphosate resistant weed species. Essex, Kent and Lambton counties have the unfortunate distinction of being home to 4 glyphosate resistant weeds:…
