Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
Winter cereals are far ahead of normal development. Rye and barley are in full head, advanced wheat fields are at head emergence. Combines need to be ready to harvest two weeks earlier than ever before. Dry weather and low fusarium risk has some growers questioning the need for fusarium control. Remember that the fusarium fungicides Caramba […]
Anticipated yields and maturity of the forage crop is extremely variable across the province. Many alfalfa fields are yellow with dandelions, indicating weak stands and reduced yields. On closer examination by digging plants, many of these fields are experiencing crown and root rots, including brown root rot (www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croptalk/2007/ct-1107a9.htm). Risk factors that contributed to weak alfalfa […]
Planting progress has been slow over the last week although a few areas did make headway. Less than 10% of the crop has been planted to date. Soil potassium levels have slipped in Ontario with estimates that up to 20% of Ontario fields may be below ideal levels for soybeans. Applying potassium in the spring […]
Warm temperatures and showers will result in rapid growth during the next few weeks. First rotation management will set the stage for remainder of the season. Leaving 7-10 cm of grass after grazing will allow for rapid regrowth and the development of a strong stand. Grass based pastures will respond to an early June nitrogen […]
Corn planting ranges from 50 to 95% complete; provincially corn planting is estimated at 80%. In most areas rainfall has not been intense and soils remain in good shape despite large acreages without significant residue cover. Corn requires about 180 CHU to emerge. Corn planted April 16-20 is emerging this week. Most reports suggest that […]
Winter wheat is advancing rapidly with warmer temperatures. The window for herbicide applications is closing as fields reach flag leaf stage. Flag leaf herbicide applications run a high risk of crop injury. If weeds are a harvest issue, pre-harvest glyphosate is the best option on advanced fields. Early wheat at Harrow is just beginning to […]
Some frost damage to alfalfa occurred again in late-April, mostly in areas in south-western Ontario. Some of these fields were also frost damaged in late-March. Regrowth of these fields will likely occur, but maturity will be delayed and yields reduced. www.fieldcropnews.com/?p=2236 With dry April weather, most new forage seedings were completed in good time. Once […]
Approximately 5% of the overall acreage has been planted. Once fields dry planting will start in earnest. There is no reason to wait at this date even if soil temperatures are cool. The yield benefit of early planting generally outweighs the risk of planting into cold soils. Seeding rate recommendations are significantly lower in some […]
Pasture growth continues to be modest with cool temperatures and limited moisture until this past week. For optimum pasture performance give the grasses and legumes an opportunity to produce a minimum of 10-12 cm of new growth before turning livestock into a paddock. In an ideal situation each paddock provides one day’s forage for the […]
Corn planting is 20-90% complete depending on the area of the province; provincially planting is estimated at 65%. Some of the early (i.e. April 5-15) planted corn had emerged and the cold temperatures of April 27, 28 & 29 froze the above ground tissue. However, to date, growing point and seed integrity remains high in […]
Freeze injury is a significant concern in the winter cereal crop with the very low temperatures of April 27/28/29. Leaf damage is significant in most fields, but it is head damage that is critical. Split stems in frost prone areas. Heads should be bright green to yellow. Discoloured or water soaked appearance of heads indicates […]
Cool and dry conditions have slowed grass development. Do not start grazing until the grass has the 3rd leaf emerged (a minimum of 7 to 10 cm) and then rotate quickly between paddocks. Management during the first round of rotational grazing can affect the productivity of the pasture for the rest of the summer; do […]
A few fields of soybeans were planted in the province last week. Field conditions were excellent. Little seeding progress is expected this week with cool and wet conditions. Weather permitting it’s expected that considerable acreage will be seeded in the first week of May. This would be ideal for maximum yield potential. When planting soybeans this early do […]
Nitrogen (N) dramatically increases the yield of grass stands, as well as forage protein levels. Optimum rates depend on the cost of N, anticipated value of the hay, thickness of stand, moisture conditions, and whether it is pasture or hay. Good grass stands with less than one-third legume, can generally benefit from at least 70 […]
Depending on the area, 10 to 60% of the corn crop has been planted. Provincially corn planting is estimated at 35%. Soil conditions remain dry and friable in most areas; the lack of soil moisture is an increasing concern and has forced deeper planting especially on light textured soils. Cold temperatures and rain/snow mix has […]