OMAFRA Field Crop Team July 19, 2018 2214 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – Week of July 17, 2018Cereals 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 is left fallow. In some…
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 poor stands are suffering the…
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 experienced these last few seasons,…
Jake Munroe June 22, 2018 2559 Comments Off on Ontario Field Crop Report, June 21, 2018: Sulphur response in Ontario’s field cropsSulphur (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. In recent years things have…
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 the heavier ground is from…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 7, 2018 1394 Comments Off on East Central Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 6th, 2018Photo 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 that planting and crop maturity…
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 are a possibility. Corn While…
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 due to late spring and…
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 spring cropping operations…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team April 20, 2018 2326 Comments Off on Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of April 16th, 2018The 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 eventually turn more favourable and…
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 large rainfall events in the…
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 seed production fell by 29%….
OMAFRA Field Crop Team October 5, 2017 3075 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – October 5, 2017Fall Weed Management Tips Many farmers have witnessed the value in applying herbicides in the fall to perennial weeds, especially perennial sow-thistle and dandelion (Figure 1.). Often they will see a reduction in their population the next year as well as a delay in their shoot emergence. This allows the planted crop to have a competitive advantage over those perennial…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team September 28, 2017 2960 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – September 28, 2017New Online Version for Inspection of Soil Pest Assessment Reports (PAR): Those requiring access to Class 12 Pesticides Neonicotinoid (NNI) treated corn and soybean seeds) are required to submit an Inspection of Soil Pest Assessment Report to their seed vendor prior to the purchase of the seed. There is now an online version of the form that can be filled…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team September 25, 2017 3160 Comments Off on OMAFRA Field Crop Report – September 21, 2017Plan to Assess Field for Ear Rot and Mycotoxin Risk With assistance from the Ontario Agri Business Association (OABA) and funding through the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will begin sampling grower corn fields to determine ear mould incidence and occurrence of mycotoxins in the grain. These…
