Co-authored with Albert Tenuta, Field Crop Pathologist, OMAFRA. OMAFRA field crop specialists in collaboration with Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and members of the Ontario Agri-Business Association (OABA) have completed the annual Ontario corn ear mould and DON mycotoxin survey. Corn ear moulds such as Gibberella and their corresponding mycotoxins occur every year in Ontario. […]
I spoke with an agronomist about a grower who started variable rating nitrogen (N) in corn. Logically, given that high yielding corn takes up more N than low yielding corn, the grower was going to variable rate N by yield across the field – more in high yielding areas, less in low yielding areas. The […]
Several reports of fields with fall armyworm (FAW) larvae have been coming in over the last few days. Growers or scouts drive by a field and pull over, shocked to see only stems left of plants with larvae happily feeding. So far most of the damage has been found in oats, rye cover crop, mixed […]
If you are interested in learning more about planting green into a strip-till corn system, the video below outlines the experience that Matt Beischlag, a farmer based in Haldimand county, Ontario, had in the 2021 season. Matt and his family have a mixed farm of broiler chickens, corn, soybean and wheat cash crops, and red […]
If you are interested or considering planting green into cover crops, the video below outlines key challenges and successes that Larry Dyck, a Niagara farmer based in Campden, Ontario has experienced. Larry farms with his son Ben and shares some of his experiences planting green into a cover crop mixture on heavy clay soils. This […]
Based on WBC trap counts, peak flight likely took place over the last 7 days. Though we never know for sure until a week later when moth catches really dropped. That said, comparing this year to previous years, it lands in the same week we have experienced peak flight since 2018 (Figure 1). Peak flight […]
The Making Cover Crops Pay series (available on YouTube and linked below) includes three practical webinars that have discussions and presentations by technical specialists and experienced farmers. This series is presented by Soils at Guelph, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Soil Team, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and the Ontario Soil […]
Several US states and Canadian provinces are joining forces to monitor for adult corn rootworm (CRW) beetles this year. Though some US states have been monitoring adult rootworm beetles using sticky traps for several years now, trapping for CRW is relatively new for Ontario. Weekly trap data for all trap sites involved will be collected […]
Purpose: As strip till gains in popularity as a reduced-tillage option offering conventional tillage benefits for corn production, some of the most common questions revolve around phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) fertility management. This project was initiated to answer some of the more common questions around strip till and fertility placement and timing, particularly: How […]
The Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables have been updated for April 2021. English: Canadian Bt Corn Trait Table for April 2021 French: Maïs Bt disponibles au Canada (Avril 2021) For information on which hybrids or products have obtained EU approval, visit the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s corn hybrid database at: https://seedinnovation.ca/hybrid/ Pour plus d’informations sur les hybrides […]
Nitrogen (N) Corn responds well to nitrogen, so adequate availability of nitrogen is critical to profitable corn production. Excess nitrogen adds unnecessary expenses and increases the risk of nitrate movement to ground water, poorer quality of surface water and production of greenhouse gases through nitrous oxide emissions. Insufficient nitrogen leads to nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen deficiency […]
Uniformity of Emergence Uniform seeding depth is a critical factor in achieving uniform emergence. Uneven emergence affects crop performance, because competition from larger, early-emerging plants reduces the yield potential of smaller, later-emerging plants. Yields can be reduced by 5% when half the stand suffers from a 7-day delay in emergence and by 12% when half […]
Corn Development The vegetative and reproductive growth stages in corn are described in Table 1–12, Vegetative growth stages in corn and Table 1–13, Reproductive growth stages in corn. Corn Leaf Stages Counting the leaves on a corn plant sounds like an easy task, but there are a few complications that can cause mistakes. It […]
Planting Seeding Date The best yields in Ontario are usually obtained from corn planted in late April and the first half of May, as the crop is able to use the full growing season. Early planting also results in earlier maturity in the fall, reducing the risk of damage from an early fall frost or […]
Hybrid Selection Maturity Ratings Corn development is driven primarily by temperature, especially during the planting-to-silking period. Unlike soybeans, day length has little effect on the rate at which corn develops. The Ontario crop heat unit system has been developed to calculate the impact of temperature on corn development. Ontario crop heat units (CHUs) are calculated […]