Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
Although the rain in the past month has rejuvenated grass growth on pastures and improved hay yields, forage inventories are still in tight supply for many livestock producers. Harvested cereal fields can be used to produce more forage yet this fall. Seeding a spring cereal like oats can produce up to 2 ton per acre […]
2018 has been an insect year. As we start to approach the end of summer, there are still a few pests to be concerned about before the crops are ready for harvest. Western bean cutworm (WBC): Overall, the WBC population have been lower than previous years. With the majority of the corn crop beyond the […]
Cereals Winter wheat harvest progress is around 7-10 days ahead of last year. Given the relatively dry summer, early reports of yield have been average to below average although crop quality has been respectable. Post-harvest weed management A significant amount of annual weed seeds can be produced and dispersed after wheat harvest if the ground […]
Soybeans Update Moisture Stress Most fields are now in the R2 (full flower) to R3 (beginning pod) growth stage. Vegetative growth has been highly dependent on the amount of rainfall in a given region and the planting date. Moisture stress and leaf yellowing is evident in many parts of the province. Late planted fields with […]
In general and across much of Ontario major grain crops and forages are progressing well. Needed relief came to many crops over the period June 22-24 and again June 27th. Prior to this there was evidence of moisture stress on various crops, especially on light textured soils. While typical of much of the rain we […]
Sulphur (S) had been a neglected nutrient in Ontario for many years. For decades, in much of Ontario, sulphur came in significant quantities from the sky – deposited from emissions from industrial activity. Even before that, impurities in fertilizers and more widespread application of manure helped ensure a regular addition of sulphur to our soils. […]
Corn Many areas of the province saw rain over the weekend putting a stop to field activities for a day or two. Corn planting is wrapping up and progressing well with corn emerging as quickly as four days after planting. The earlier planted corn is at the V3-V6 stage and the corn planted later on […]
Photo of first cut hay down in Peterborough County. Thank you to Katja Rochacewich (Bayer) for sponsoring breakfast. Overall, crops in the region are looking good. Rainfall has been scattered and total amount variable (0-3”). Windy conditions across central Ontario have complicated spraying for the past few days. Despite the slow, cool spring, attendees agreed […]
Planting of all crops is much further along than last week, although the general comments about slow progress on fine textured soils are still applicable. Regions with clay soils are dry on top but gummy below, so delays continue. There is rain in the forecast this week for much of southern Ontario so further delays […]
Planting conditions have been good in many parts of the province; however, there are some areas that have been too wet, resulting in delayed planting. Areas affected include the heavy clay soils in Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Elgin, Haldimand and Niagara. Corn, soybean and canola planting have also been delayed in many parts of northern Ontario […]
April exits without a single day over 20°C and wet conditions that mostly prevented wheels from turning in the fields. We enter May with good temperatures and lots of pent up energy to get on the land. April 30th marks the day the “Starters Pistol Cracked” and the Mad Dash has begun to get all […]
The 2018 season is obviously off to a slow start following a significant storm system that brought freezing rain, ice pellets and snow to much of the province on the April 14th weekend. As of April 18th, it’s easy to find fields that are still snow covered (Figure 1). The weather and soil conditions will […]
2017 Corn Seasonal Summary Planting The March 2017 planting intentions report by Statistics Canada estimated that Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.2 million acres of grain corn. This compares to a 5-year (2012-2016) average of 2.1 million acres of grain corn planted in the province (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). While April was warmer than normal, some […]
Planting and Development The total amount of dry edible bean acres was higher in 2017 than in 2016. The number of insured acres of white beans in 2017 was 60,363 ac, up significantly from 46,194 ac planted in 2016. Coloured bean acres, however, were down overall, totaling 56,518 ac in 2017 compared to 60,668 ac […]
According to the 2016 Census of Agriculture, total cropland area increased by 1% since the previous census, despite the amount of land included on census farms decreasing by 3%. In 2016 there were 2,022,199 acres of forage crops in Ontario. Since 2011, corn silage acres were up nearly 9% across the province. Acres for forage […]