Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
New! ‘Crop Chat’ videos on Field Crop News Check out Crop Chats at https://fieldcropnews.com/crop-chats, recently launched at the OSCIA/OMAFA tent during Canadas Outdoor Farm Show. Crop Chats are a series of video case studies showcasing Ontario farmers and agri-business people doing interesting and innovative things to enhance their farm operations’ efficiency and profitability. The first […]
Pre-Harvest Weed Control in Soybeans With many soybean fields turning yellow, the timing for pre-harvest weed control, if needed, is imminent. A pre-harvest herbicide treatment can make harvest more efficient when there are an unacceptable number of weeds in a soybean crop. Drier plant matter will pass more easily through the combine, lowering seed losses […]
Managing Bare Soils After Harvest Much of the province has completed harvest of both winter and spring cereals over the last two months. Growers must now make a decision on what to do with these fields through the fall. Option 1: Monitor and Manage Cereal Re-Growth Cereal crops often have significant regrowth throughout the summer […]
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 […]
Soil Health Assessment and Planning Tool (SHAP) is a soil health tool for Ontario farmers. Healthy soil functions contribute to improved crop productivity and resilience. The tool involves taking a soil health test, and it helps measure soil health on your farm and identify areas for improvement. The SHAP tool is based on a laboratory […]
Scouting Soybeans in August August is the most critical month for soybean growth, development, and setting final yield. It’s important to scout fields to assess production issues and take control measures if necessary to maximize yield potential. Bean Leaf Beetles Bean leaf beetles feed on leaves and the surface of the pod, leaving only a […]
Winter wheat harvest has now wrapped up across much of the province. While yields and the overall season are still fresh in mind, it is a good time to reflect and assess what worked well and where improvements or changes can be made for next year’s crop. Post winter wheat harvest is also an excellent […]
Corn Diseases, Fungicide Timing, Fungicide Resistance and Nematode Surveys! Corn diseases such as tar spot, northern corn leaf blight, common rust, gray leaf spot are easy to spot this year especially in areas which have had considerable rain events. The good news is the incidence and severity has still been low as many corn fields […]
Corn Pests to Watch for Over the Next Month Tracey Baute, Entomologist – Field Crops, OMAFA Corn Rootworm Like many other pests, corn rootworm (CRW) is ahead of schedule this year. Adult beetles will be emerging this week or next. Anyone considering trapping for adults as part of the Corn Rootworm Trap Network should be […]
Rain 360© unit applies watery manure to a standing crop of corn (Photo source from Glen Arnold-OSU). […]
Nodulation and Nitrogen Use in Dry Beans In late June, adzuki beans that had been in the ground for 3 weeks already had a few nodules on the roots (Figure 1), and the nodules were active (pink inside when split open). Another field of adzuki planted in the same region around the same time did […]
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. […]
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 […]