Corn Stand Checkup Scouting corn between emergence and knee high provides a report card on seedbed preparation, planter operation and agronomic practices affecting early plant establishment and growth. Causes of issues can often be identified at this stage to make improvements for following years. Counting Plants For easy math, a common method of measuring population is to measure 1/1000th of…
Corn Nitrogen Status Nitrogen mineralization is favoured by warm soil temperatures with adequate soil moisture and aeration. Excess moisture can slow mineralization or increase the potential for losses through denitrification (especially under warm conditions) or leaching. Spring of 2021 progressed similar to 2020. Sunshine and little rainfall resulted in great soil conditions through April and May. A period of cold…
Soybean Update The majority of the soybean crop was planted by May 20th. Although plant stands have generally been good, there are fields with poor emergence. Poor soybean stands can be caused by various issues such as insect or slug feeding, but this year the main problem has been dry soil. Soybeans…
Conditions Some thunderstorms through Essex provided some moisture, but most areas of the province received less than 5 mm over the long weekend and conditions throughout the province remain dry. Temperatures have transitioned from colder than normal to summer-like, and double-digit night-time temperatures have helped newly planted crops to emerge quickly. Cereals Early planted wheat fields are starting to head….
Conditions Current weather patterns are generally expected to hold for the next week or so. This will allow for planting of corn and soybeans to be mostly complete by the last week of May, though many fields and farms will appreciate some rain soon, particularly in the far southwest (Figure 1). Significant precipitation is possible in the next two weeks,…
Winter wheat Winter wheat fields in general continue to be exceptional across the province despite temperature fluctuations. Continued cool weather the past week has resulted in some frost injury, but it is not expected to have any yield impact. In southern counties, early planted wheat is approaching the flag leaf stage. Later planted fields are advancing and identifying crop stage…
Winter wheat Winter wheat acreage is up by 8% compared to the 2020 growing season (Statistics Canada). In general, the winter wheat crop looks very good throughout the province. Cold weather caused some temporary leaf necrosis (leaf tip burn) in a few fields. This leaf burn is sometimes made worse when a herbicide is applied during such cold periods (Figure…
Growing Conditions Temperatures have been warmer than average since early March, which has advanced crop development faster than normal. Forecasts predict a few days of cold weather (Figure 1.), snow and frost, followed by more normal temperatures for this time of year. Dry field conditions have been excellent for spring manure applications. Over the…
2020 was an exceptional year for many Ontario soybean growers. Although not all regions had good yields, much of the province harvested outstanding soybeans. The overall provincial average will be one of the highest on record at 50.7 bu/ac. In several cases growers were able to achieve over 80 bu/ac. The 10-year average for those reported acres is 47 bu/ac. The…
Planting In March 2020 Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.3 million acres of grain corn, 10% higher than the 5-year average seeded acres of 2.1 million acres (2015-2019) (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). Spring 2020 provided a great start to planting. April remained cold but sun and dry weather provided an extended period of excellent soil conditions. A very…
Fall 2019 A cool, wet 2019 spring pushed soybean planting well into June for most of Ontario with some regions planting well into July. Although this was expected to cause a delay in winter wheat seeding, good conditions throughout September and October allowed for a timely soybean harvest and overall, wheat was seeded into excellent conditions. The exception was eastern…
Acreage of dry beans increased approximately 20% over 2019, and 50% over 2018. Total acreage of dry beans insured by Agricorp in 2020 was 157,610 acres (Table 1). There were more acres of all market classes compared to last year, except for cranberry beans. Table 1. Acres of dry edible beans insured by Agricorp in 2019 and 2020 Dry Bean Market…
Canola acreage in Ontario was similar to last year, with 29,019 acres insured in 2020. Spring canola acres have declined in most regions, including a drop in Temiskaming District from about 11,300 acres in 2019 to about 9,300 acres in 2020. Nipissing added 700 acres compared to last year, for a total of nearly 2000 acres. Combined acreage in Cochrane…
2019/2020 Winter Conditions Much of the province had a mild winter, with average amounts of precipitation. Areas of Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Huron, Grey, Bruce, Timiskaming, Cochrane, Rainy River, and Kenora received below-average winter precipitation. Forages broke dormancy early in much of the province, with green-up starting in mid-March in the southwest. Overall, reports of winterkill were normal or below-normal levels, except…
Take the Test – Beat SCN Soybean harvest has begun, and many growers have asked if they could sample for soybean cyst nematode this fall. For many growers, managing soybean cyst nematode (SCN) means planting SCN resistance varieties BUT effective SCN management does not end when you have selected your soybean varieties! It is imperative to not only know your…
