Weekly in-season progress reports of the Ontario field crop landscape
Managing to get the most from available water Water is the most important limiting input for crop production. In more than a couple of the past years, producers across the province have been forced to watch while their crops suffer from dry conditions in the heat of summer. Other than irrigation (which is rare for […]
This week we would like to discuss tar spot in corn as well as soybean cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome in soybean. Tar Spot in Corn There is a lot of discussion and questions surrounding tar spot this year in Ontario. Tar spot is a new corn disease in the US midwest and since […]
There are currently three key topics for forage production: nitrates, potato leafhopper, and planting annual forages for fall production. Nitrate poisoning of livestock is a risk in a dry year In a dry year, high nitrate levels in forages are a concern. Fast-growing grass species, such as corn, sorghum-sudangrass, and cereals are most likely to […]
The establishment of cover crops after cereal harvest has been shown to reduce weed seed production and dispersal to the soil. This is of particular benefit when trying to manage glyphosate resistant weed species like Canada fleabane and waterhemp (a relative of redroot pigweed). Some highlights from recent studies include: […]
Harvested wheat fields offer the perfect opportunity to focus on improving soil health. Planting cover crops and/or applying manure or other organic amendments provides soil microbes with the carbon compounds that help create a more porous soil structure which improves water, air and nutrient cycling. Here are a few common questions that come up every […]
Dry beans are either approaching flowering or have already started flowering across Ontario. White mold is an important disease of dry beans in Ontario and in-crop management of white mold occurs during flowering. White mold spores can land on stems, leaves or pods but deteriorating flower petals are very susceptible to infection. Spores colonize flower […]
The Ontario Virtual Crop Diagnostic Event will replace all in-person provincial crop diagnostic days that have been postponed this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first series of diagnostic learning sessions begins on Wednesday July 15, 2020. For more information and to register go to OMAFRA Virtual Diagnostic Days Series website. While the management […]
By OMAFRA FIELD CROP TEAM Winter wheat harvest is quickly approaching so as we get prepared here are a few quick reminders to help us get through what will hopefully be a great harvest! Watch for Pre-harvest Intervals (PHI) With armyworm, as well as other insects being monitored in many areas through to harvest, and […]
Wheat Pests are Still a Concern True armyworm (TAW) larvae are in many winter wheat and spring cereal fields across southern Ontario, thankfully not always at threshold. Some fields have populations at threshold (4-5 unparasitized larvae smaller than 2.5 cm per square foot) or above and with minimal feeding damage. Larvae sometimes choose not to […]
Soybean Plant Stand Establishment Establishing a uniform, healthy soybean plant stand which closes the canopy quickly is important to maximizing yield potential. Although a perfect plant stand is not as essential for soybeans as it is for corn; higher soybean yields are often associated with more uniform stands. Attaining a good plant stand is more […]
By OMAFRA FIELD CROP TEAM June – 4 – 10 Crop Conditions Soybean Some replanting has occurred especially on heavy clay soils with poor emergence. Soil crusting and seed corn maggot feeding are the main issues this spring. If plant stands are below 100,000 plants per acre replanting is warranted. The same variety can be […]
While planting has largely been completed the last number of weeks, corn is still being planted on heavier soils which have just recently been fit enough for planting (Niagara/Haldimand, Southern Lambton, SW Kent). If rainfall further delays planting, more remaining acreage may be switched to soybeans. […]
Warmer conditions starting late last week have fast-tracked crop growth. Rainfall during the past week has been sporadic with isolated thunderstorms resulting in flooded fields in one location and no rainfall less than a km away. Fields in many regions would welcome some moisture. Listen to the audio version below or subscribe on iTunes, Google […]
Temperatures over the past week have been significantly warmer than the week prior. Most of the province saw rain over the long weekend. In many areas this was welcome news, but much of southwestern Ontario received significant downpours and flooded fields were a common sight. Listen to the audio version below. Subscribe on iTunes, Google play […]
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/14439563/height/360/theme/standard/thumbnail/no/direction/forward/” width=”100%” height=”200″ scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”bottom” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/fieldcropnews/OMAFRA_Field_Crop_Report_for_May_15_2020.mp3″ theme=”standard” custom_color=”” libsyn_item_id=”14439563″ /] Temperatures were well below seasonal for much of the past week due to the presence of an arctic air mass. Low night-time temperature records were set in many areas of the province with low temperatures between 0 to -7⁰C and […]