Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
There are some “hot spots” with armyworm taking out hay fields, mostly south of the 401 in western Ontario (Niagara to Elgin County and surrounding areas) and up into Perth County. Grasses have been stripped of leaves with only stems and heads remaining. After fields are cut, armyworm feed on the windrow for a day […]
First-cut yields are variable across the province, with below average yields in western Ontario. A combination of factors have contributed to low yields, including dry April and May weather, frost damage, cutting during last fall’s Critical Fall Harvest Period, saturated soils going into the winter, alfalfa disease, winterkill and stand thinning. Recent rains have helped […]
Soybean planting finished this week. Stands are generally exceptional if seed was placed into moisture. In some cases no-till drills were not able to penetrate properly especially on top of corn rows. If the seed remains dry it can remain in the soil for up to six weeks and still emerge once moisture arrives. However, […]
Grass growth continues to be slow but maturity continues to advance. Orchardgrass is headed and should be grazed immediately to maintain quality and stimulate new leaf development. Moving livestock to new paddocks when they have grazed half of the available forage will assist in managing this early growth and set pastures for continued summer growth. […]
Corn development has been rapid this past week. Some areas were close to accumulating 200 CHU in 7 days! Good soil conditions and early planting are paying off as the corn continues to move ahead despite relatively dry conditions. Some replanting has occurred where low population and uneven stands were caused by cold shock to […]
Winter Cereals continue their rapid development pace. Most fusarium fungicides will have been applied by June 3. There will be some harvest in June. Shortest varieties are those that showed the most freeze injury earlier, indicating that the injury had impact. Straw is becoming increasingly sought after, with prices in the countryside reaching unprecedented levels. […]
First-cut is complete in some parts of the province. Yields are very disappointing, particularly in western Ontario. With low yields and low carryover inventories, forage supplies could be tight this year, especially if it remains dry. Hay prices were already at record levels this winter. There are still a few things that can be done […]
Haylage started in full swing on May 21st in some areas. Yields are very disappointing, with two-thirds of a normal yield or less being reported. Some alfalfa fields severely damage by winterkill and disease are being harvested early and planted into corn for silage. Planting as soon as possible and adequate moisture are essential to […]
Soybean planting is essentially finished. Eastern Ontario is about 90 percent complete and some clay soils still need to be seeded. This has been one of the earliest planting seasons in recent memory. In the southwest some areas have been so dry that seed had to be placed over two inches deep to find moisture. […]
Corn planting is essentially complete across Ontario other then a small amount of replanting due to emergence/stand issues or where corn is following first cut alfalfa. Use the Replant Decision Aid posted at www.gocorn.net if considering this where stands are thin. Start with accurate plant counts of the current stand and consider all the replanting economics (crop […]
Winter wheat is heading rapidly. Wheat west of London will be ready for fusarium sprays by the weekend, with the crop north and east following closely. Stripe rust and high aphid numbers have been found in Chatham-Kent. Scout! Threshold is 50 aphids/stem after heading. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) symptoms are showing at surprising levels […]
Forage yield expectations are variable, but well below normal in many areas. Alfalfa fields severely damage by winterkill and disease are being harvested early and planted into corn for silage. (Planting Corn Silage After Early Haylage Harvest www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/forages/corn_earlyhay.htm) Planning to summer seed alfalfa following winter wheat is an option for those that have experienced significant […]
Fifty to sixty per cent of the crop is now seeded. Some producers are finished. Very early planted beans have emerged. Under cool conditions it can take 30 days for beans to emerge. In warm temperatures beans can emerge in 4 to 7 days. Crusting has been a problem in a few areas, but not […]
The warmer temperatures this week have made for faster grass growth. Using a quick rotation to graze all paddocks before the grass becomes mature is important. In a rotational system look to the last paddock in the rotation and adjust the rotation speed to arrive at the last paddock when it is at the right […]
Corn planting is 95 % complete across the province. Emergence is good to excellent in most areas with the majority of the corn in the 1-3 leaf stage. Weed control should be the priority as the crop approaches the critical 3-4 leaf stage. Cutworm injury has been reported in some areas south of London. Scout fields […]