Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
Weather Much of the province received rain this past week, with significant rainfall (over 76 mm or 3 inches) in Huron Shores and Georgian Bay and eastern Ontario. A 25 to 50 mm (1-2 inch) rain mid-summer can still help finalize average yields, but it is too early to make final yield predictions. Crops that […]
Improved nitrogen testing may be around the corner Ontario’s corn crop is past the halfway point at this time and is left to Mother Nature’s will to help mature the corn and give us a decent harvest. For the most part, that means we can look back at what 2022 brought us and how we […]
Weather Conditions The percentage of average precipitation during the current growing season is quite variable across the province. Crop conditions generally mirror precipitation levels with below average precipitation received in mid-western and southern Ontario causing significant crop stress, especially on lighter textured soils. Conversely, parts of eastern Ontario are above average with generally good crop […]
Managing Weed Seeds in Manure Where manure is applied there often seems to be higher weed pressure. The question: does manure fertilize the weeds already in the seed bank or are the seeds brought in with the manure? Consider that there are up to 15,000 weed seeds per square foot in the soil seed bank according […]
Spring canola across the province is currently at or beyond full bloom. Observations from around the province at this stage are that spring canola is looking better overall than it has in recent years, particularly in Timiskaming District where the majority of the crop is grown. Little to no swede midge damage was observed in […]
Enhancing Corn & Soybean Yields in Ontario How adding complexity to crop rotations and diversity to tillage practices can benefit corn and soybean growers long term. Gone are the days of grandpa getting the tractor and 3 furrow plow out to work the whole farm each fall after harvest. For decades now, producers have been […]
Spring Roundup As we close out the 2022 spring planting window, for the most part we see crops in good shape, but as always, there are regional differences. Alfalfa in western and southwestern Ontario suffered a great deal of die out this winter. Farmers had to make quick plans to address this issue. Alternatively, alfalfa […]
Insect/Pest Update – Current Issues Cereal leaf beetle (CLB) populations have reached threshold in some spring cereal fields this week (Figure 1). CLB larvae and adults feed on the tissue between leaf veins, leaving long scratch marks that can make plants appear silver or frosted from a distance. Before boot stage, the threshold is an […]
Soybean Update Soybeans range from VE (emergence) to the fourth trifoliate leaf stage. The majority of the crop was planted in May, although sporadic showers meant that some could not be planted until June. A few soybeans were planted in April. They are now at the fifth trifoliate leaf stage. Ideally, soybeans should have 6 […]
Conditions For most of southern and central Ontario, this week’s rains were timely to support crop establishment. Precipitation June 7th ranged from 12 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inch), with regional reports in southern Ontario (Lambton, Middlesex, Bruce and Grey counties) reporting over 50 to 55 mm (2 to 2.3 inch). Cereals Herbicide applications […]
Conditions Some sporadic rains have occurred across the province this last week. In areas where planting is mostly complete, these rains have generally been well received. Temperature swings between stretches of very warm and cooler weather has continued this spring, though crop heat unit (CHU) accumulation is similar to slightly ahead of normal. Cereals Emergence […]
Conditions A large storm system with high winds, and variable amounts of rain on Saturday swept across Windsor to Quebec City, and left widespread power outages, downed trees, and property damage. The storm was classified by Environment Canada as a Derecho, (Figure 1.) which is defined as a line of intense, widespread and fast-moving windstorms and […]
Conditions Large swaths of the province saw rain early this week, which put a pause on a very productive planting window over the previous week and a bit. The forecast predicts slower progress due to more regular precipitation, which will provide some stress relief on fields that were starting to turn alarmingly dry. Northwestern Ontario […]
Winter Wheat Winter wheat is at Zadok’s growth stage 31 in many areas, especially if planted before mid-October. Early planted wheat has reached GS 32 in some regions and GS 33 in the deep southwest. Nitrogen applications are largely completed, even on heavier-textured soils in Niagara and Lambton County. The focus has turned to herbicide […]
Nitrogen applications in winter wheat are progressing throughout the province as breaks in the spring rain provide opportunities to get out in the field. Tillage and other field preparations have begun. Cereals Winter wheat fields in general continue to look good across the province with many counties reporting early planted wheat at GS30 and some […]
