We have likely all heard the term “registered variety” but what does that mean? What kind of registration criteria exist for different field crops and how does that system work in Ontario? What is a registered variety? Registered varieties are unique cultivars, each with their own registration number and a name they must be marketed […]
Meghan Moran In 2023, Ontario dry bean acres had dropped below 100,000 acres which was the lowest in a decade. In 2024, acres returned to a more typical level for the province, at around 116,000 acres insured by Agricorp. White beans accounted for about 40% of the dry bean acres, and black beans reached their […]
Causes of Defective Beans After dry bean harvest, producers may wonder what caused beans to become injured or discoloured. It is typically easier to observe the plants throughout the season and identify disease or insect injury on pods to better understand the resulting injury on the beans within the pods. However, bean injury may have […]
Anthracnose has been found in dry beans in Oxford County and may be present in other areas. Conditions have been ideal for the development of the disease. Resistant Varieties Some dry bean varieties carry resistance to anthracnose but there are popular varieties within each market class that do not carry resistance. There are currently no […]
The Ontario Corn Committee (OCC), the Ontario Cereal Crops Committee (OCCC), the Ontario Pulse Crop Committee (OPCC), and the Ontario Soybean and Canola Committee (OSACC) launched their new website: GoCrops.ca. The new website brings together the four previous crop committee websites under one cohesive banner. Ontario growers rely on third-party variety performance trial information to […]
There are producers in Ontario who grow dry edible beans every year. Others may only grow dry beans when prices are strong and they fit into the crop rotation. It makes sense to be selective about where and when to grow dry beans, because they can be higher risk than soybeans. What is the profit […]
A few pests are starting to show up in fields. If you haven’t had a chance to take a look yet, plan to check those high risk fields that are prone to seeing soybean aphids (soybeans) or western bean cutworm (corn and dry beans) in the next week or so. Soybean aphids: Soybean aphids are […]
co-authored by: Meghan Moran Western bean cutworm can significantly reduce the quality and yield of your dry bean crop. Below are best practices for minimizing this insect’s impact to your bottom line. The simple answer Spraying insecticide for western bean cutworm (WBC) control in Ontario dry bean fields is warranted only if ALL of the […]
Some areas saw a bit or a lot of rain this past week but likely not enough yet to reduce our risk of spider mites in soybeans and dry beans. What is very concerning is that samples collected last year from 10 fields in southern Ontario all were resistant to dimethoate (Lagon or Cygon). The […]
The European corn borer (ECB; Ostrinia nubilalis), can be an important pest of corn. Despite its name, ECB is actually a generalist feeder, having a wide range of hosts. The recent confirmation of ECB resistance to Cry1F Bt corn in Nova Scotia has increased the need to monitor this pest across Canada. With so many […]
This article is written by Chris Gillard, University of Guelph – Ridgetown Anthracnose can cause severe yield and seed quality issues in dry beans. Anthracnose is managed in part with genetic resistance, clean seed and chemical seed treatments. Locally grown seed increases the risk of a disease outbreak, and growers are encouraged to use […]
Background Although named for its affliction on soybean plants, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) can cause comparable damage to dry edible bean crops, and can adversely affect yields and economic benefit, as well as the future use of Ontario’s current dry bean-producing land. Poor yields associated with SCN infestation can be exacerbated by other environmental factors […]
In 2015 an Oxford County farm family, the Vollmershausen’s, were looking around for a yield monitor for their Pickett combine. The Vollmershausen’s grow kidney and cranberry beans which are harvested by pulling and windrowing, then picked up and threshed by a Pickett combine. Large seeded dry beans are somewhat delicate and must be handled gently […]
Ontario’s dry edible bean producers are top notch farmers. They invest a great deal of time and money in managing this high risk, high reward crop. To keep the scales tipped towards ‘high reward’, dry bean producers need to know the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) status of their fields. SCN is now present in 22 […]
This article was written by Chris Gillard, University of Guelph- Ridgetown Campus. Sulphur is an important nutrient in field crops. It is part of the chlorophyll in leaves, two essential amino acids, and rhizobia bacteria need it for nitrogen fixation. Sulphur is mostly stored in soil organic matter (OM), and it is mineralized each summer […]