Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
Planting In March 2024, Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.3 million acres of grain corn, 5% higher than the 5-year (2019-2023) average seeded acres of 2.2 million acres (OMAFA Crop Statistics). Unsettled weather and highly variable planting progress dominated the spring of 2024. Frequent rains through April limited early corn planting. Frequent […]
A wet spring pushed Ontario soybean acres to a record high of 3.1 million acres seeded in 2024. This was up 7% from 2023. To date, with approximately half of yields reported the provincial yield is above average at 108%. This number will be updated in January when all acres have been reported. The Agricorp […]
2023 Planting Conditions Winter wheat, barley and triticale seeding began in mid-September for those planting after canola, early planted, short season soybeans or some early maturing edible bean fields. In most regions however, winter cereal seeding was delayed to late September or early October due to a delay in soybean maturity. Persistent dry conditions through […]
Meghan Moran In 2023, Ontario dry bean acres had dropped below 100,000 acres which was the lowest in a decade. In 2024, acres returned to a more typical level for the province, at around 116,000 acres insured by Agricorp. White beans accounted for about 40% of the dry bean acres, and black beans reached their […]
In 2024 there were approximately 50,500 acres of canola insured by Agricorp. This includes winter canola seeded in the fall of 2023 and spring canola seeded in 2024, both of which had a modest increase in acreage compared to last year. Spring Canola Acres of spring canola in Temiskaming District, where the greatest acreage of […]
Winter Conditions 2023/2024 Much of the province had below-average precipitation over the winter, including the Ottawa Valley, the northern and western shores of Lake Huron, and Rainy River District. Temperatures across Ontario were milder than normal, which resulted in reduced snow cover in many areas. Hay and Haylage Above-average levels of alfalfa winterkill occurred in […]
Tip Back in Corn What is Tip Back? “Tip back” in corn is simply the term used when corn kernels do not form all the way to the tip of the ear. Tip back made its way into corn discussions this August and September with many commenting that they saw it in more fields this […]
Causes of Defective Beans After dry bean harvest, producers may wonder what caused beans to become injured or discoloured. It is typically easier to observe the plants throughout the season and identify disease or insect injury on pods to better understand the resulting injury on the beans within the pods. However, bean injury may have […]
Trendy Triticale By Christine O’Reilly, OMAFA Forage & Grazing Specialist Annual crops have played a larger role in forage production systems in recent years. Annuals often excel at filling production gaps for perennials, such as the summer slump, early spring, or late fall. Despite costing more per tonne of dry matter to grow, their ability […]
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 […]