Why be concerned about the Bt resistant rootworm populations showing up in Ontario? Dr. Jocelyn Smith, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus stands in a field that has cross resistant rootworm. The grower experienced more than 50% yield loss in this 2nd year silage corn field planted with a pyramid hybrid in 2020. Jocelyn discusses the impacts of these resistant rootworm…
Ben Rosser October 13, 2020 1519 Comments Off on 2020 Ontario Grain Corn Ear Mould and Deoxynivalenol (DON) Mycotoxin SurveyCo-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. These mycotoxins, particularly deoxynivalenol (DON,…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team October 9, 2020 308 Comments Off on Non-corn options for livestock producers to manage Bt-resistant corn rootwormIn fields where Bt rootworm corn hybrids have been used for more than three consecutive years, resistance among corn rootworm populations is suspected. Growers can no longer rely solely on Bt hybrids for protection against rootworm injury. The best management practice to reduce the resistant rootworm population is to rotate out of corn for at least one year. Growers are…
Extensive injury by corn rootworm (CRW) to pyramid Bt rootworm (Bt-RW) hybrids was observed in several Ontario counties in 2020, suggesting that CRW populations have developed resistance to multiple Bt-RW proteins. The Canadian Corn Pest Coalition (CCPC) and OMAFRA have developed mitigation recommendations for continuous corn producers, in hopes of knocking back the resistant corn rootworm population present in Ontario….
Tracey Baute October 9, 2020 194 Comments Off on Revised October 2020 – Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables with Events and Resistance StatusWe have revised the Canadian Bt Corn Trait Tables to reflect the current potential cross resistance of corn rootworm in Ontario to all Bt-RW proteins. Here are the latest versions: English: Bt Corn Trait Table (October 2020) with Events and Resistance Status French: Tableau des caractères Bt (Octobre 2020-Français) – Évènements transgéniques et résistances For information on which hybrids or products have…
Environment Canada has issued frost advisories for most corn growing areas of the province for the nights of September 18 to 20 which are expected to be near or slightly below freezing (Figure 1). This is earlier than we typically observe first frosts, earlier than our long-term season end dates (Table 1) and much lower than our normal low temperatures…
AgriSuite is an interactive online collection of management tools and calculators, developed by OMAFRA that you can access from your desktop or mobile device. AgriSuite assists you with key crop fertilization management decisions and how they relate to optimizing crop production and protecting the environment. AgriSuite: The Field Management Calculator helps with nutrient balancing to optimize crop production Consider the…
With the first usher of cool fall weather this past week, there were frost warnings for parts of Northern Ontario. With the introduction of increasingly shorter maturity corn hybrids, there has been more corn grown in shorter season areas than what has been typical in the past, and also growers who may have recently started growing corn the first time….
Andrew Priest September 1, 2020 666 Comments Off on Have You Been Accurately Staging Your Corn Plants in Later Vegetative Growth Stages?Background There are various ways to count growth stages of corn plants throughout the season. We use methods such as leaf over and corn height to decide when to come into fields and apply post emergence herbicides. Though what is the best method to assess corn growth in later vegetative stages? This becomes challenging when lower leaf senescence occurs and…
Ian McDonald August 26, 2020 640 Comments Off on Biostrip Till Production Systems – Letting Plants Do The Tillage!By Ian McDonald, OMAFRA with valued contribution from Lawrence Hogan and Steve Howard with thanks. These two brothers have set a lofty goal for their farm west of Lucknow. Maximize their soils health and protection which in turn will optimize the farm economics and reduce its environmental footprint. To achieve their goal they have set specific objectives for the farm:…
Key Points: Rotating out of corn is the most effective way to reduce populations of Bt-resistant corn rootworm. To replace silage corn for 2021, establish fall rye or winter triticale immediately after 2020 silage corn harvest. After the cereal silage comes off in mid-May, establish sorghum-sudangrass and take two cuts. An energy source will need to be supplemented; producers should…
Tracey Baute August 20, 2020 614 Comments Off on Scouting Guidelines to Determine Possible Rootworm ResistanceScouting for corn rootworm injury is important to detect potential resistance to rootworm Bt traits and to plan management options for the next growing season. It is especially important to report any fields showing signs of suspected resistance to your corn agronomist and the provincial entomologist. Rootworm larvae feed below ground on corn roots from late May until late July….
Canadian Corn Pest Coalition News Release: Corn rootworm (CRW) has historically been one of the most important pests of corn in Canada and can cause extreme economic loss and increased management costs. High CRW pressure in Ontario in 2020 is challenging current Bt corn rootworm hybrids and several growers of Bt rootworm hybrids are reporting unexpected injury by CRW to…
Here is the latest update on where the trap catches are for western bean cutworm in the region based on trap site data entered into the Great Lakes and Maritimes Pest Monitoring Network. Peak flight for Ontario and most other states and provinces on the network (except Michigan) occurred during Week 11 (Aug 3-9) (see Fig. 1). Trap catches are…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team August 13, 2020 531 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – August 13, 2020This week we would like to discuss tar spot in corn as well as soybean cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome in soybean. Tar Spot in Corn There is a lot of discussion and questions surrounding tar spot this year in Ontario. Tar spot is a new corn disease in the US midwest and since its initial confirmation in northern…