Co-Author: Scott Banks Winter cereals are moving forward slowly with the cool temperatures. Cold nights in low heat unit areas (-5oC) continued to stress the crop and show tip burn on leaves. A few more November acres have been targeted for replant with insufficient stand establishment to qualify for crop insurance. Manganese (Mn) deficiency is more prevalent than normal due…
There is nothing worse than having cattle to feed and then being caught off guard by low forage yields due to winter injury. If you have not already done so, walk alfalfa fields and dig some plants to assess for winterkill, heaving, frost damage and plant health. Watch for crown and root rots, brownish disclouration, spongy texture and lack of…
There is a significant increase in acres of new forage seedings. Many forage seedings are already in the ground. Ensure good seed-to-soil contact by preparing a firm seedbed. Forage inventories are exceptionally low for this time of year, with record high hay prices being reported. Frost Damaged Alfalfa: A considerable amount of alfalfa was damaged by frost in April, although…
Winter cereals responded immediately to warmer temperatures and showers over the weekend, regaining good green colour and growth. A few isolated acres in frost prone areas have been killed by frost (a first in my 27 years). Significant varietal differences in frost injury. Whether this will translate into yield differences remains to be seen. Advanced wheat is at GS 32…
Depending on the area, 5-30% of the corn crop has been planted. Soil conditions have been very good. Cool temperatures (especially at night) in the last week have slowed the emergence process. If drying trends continue growers are advised to be cautious with secondary tillage that is too aggressive (too deep, too many passes) and causes excessive drying. Yields decline…
A few “experimental” fields have been seeded. Although the long term Ontario data shows an average yield gain to early planting there are also increased risks. Over the last 3 years the yield loss associated with delayed planting has been 0.1 bu/ac/day after April 20th. The majority of soybeans should be planted in late April or the first part of…
Challenges and opportunities for the 2012 soybean crop Soybean acres continue to increase. Shorter crop rotations will mean soybean growers have to be vigilant in selecting disease resistant varieties, scouting their crop, and applying inputs when required to prevent crop losses resulting from short rotations. Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) can become a problem in short crop rotations; sandy soils are…
Challenging planting conditions could affect crop emergence and early development. Additionally, a significant portion of the corn and soybean acreage was planted with limited opportunity for pre-emergence herbicide application. These factors will increase the importance of early crop scouting and staging to assess stands establishment and determine proper timing of post-emergence herbicide application. Stand Establishment An easy way to calculate…