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Field Conditions In contrast to the early warm weather experienced last year, the 2025 cropping season has so far started as more of a normal trend. This comes off the tails of a colder, snowier winter than we’ve seen in recent years. Cool temperatures have slowed field drying, and limited opportunities for much field work. […]
Winterkill Winter cereals can be destroyed during the winter and early spring period by frost heaving, ice, low temperatures, and snow mould. Varieties differ in their ability to withstand these different winter stresses. This explains the regional adaptation of some varieties that may not perform well across the province. Select the varieties to address the […]
Insects and Diseases Figure 4–8, Cereal crops scouting calendar, shows insects and diseases that could be causing symptoms in the field. Individual descriptions of insects and diseases, scouting and management strategies can be found in Chapter 15, Insects and Pests of Field Crops and Chapter 16, Diseases of Field Crops. Treatment guidelines to control insects, pests […]
Lodging of cereal crops can be a major harvest issue and can cause significant yield loss when it occurs early in the growth of the crop. Huge varietal differences exist in resistance to lodging (visit www.gocrops.ca). Nitrogen rates, use of manure, seeding rates, seeding dates, and disease infections all play a major role in lodging […]
Fungicides have become an integral part of the integrated pest management (IPM) for cereal production in Ontario over the past decade. This is due to several factors including: higher grain prices, better genetics, better fungicides, and breakdown of genetic disease resistance. Fungicide application for disease control should be based on scouting and presence of disease […]
Nitrogen Cereals are members of the grass family and are very responsive to nitrogen. Over-application of nitrogen causes lodging in cereal crops, resulting in reduced yield, quality and harvestability. See Photo 4-2. The optimum rate of nitrogen for a particular field will depend on the crop being grown, past applications of manure or fertilizer to […]
Depth of Seeding Seeding depth can have a significant impact on plant development, refer to Figure 1, Days to emergence at various seeding depths, but soil conditions at the time of planting must always dictate seeding depth. Do not plant shallow into dry soil in anticipation of rain for germination. Plant into moisture to ensure quick […]
The principles of selecting a winning variety do not vary greatly from crop to crop. Quality factors for specific end-use products and the impact on price and yield are confounding factors with wheat variety selection. Ontario grows more types of wheat than any other region in Northeastern North America. Milling and horse oat markets also […]
Tillage Options Cereal crops do not respond significantly to tillage. Research comparing the yield response of winter wheat to various tillage options demonstrated an economic advantage to reduced tillage with no significant yield difference among mouldboard plowing, minimum tillage and no-till systems, as shown in Table 4–1, Winter wheat yield response to tillage systems. While yields […]
Insects and Diseases The Dry edible bean scouting calendar shows insects, pests and diseases that could be causing injury symptoms in the field. Individual descriptions of insects, pests and diseases, as well as scouting and management strategies can be found on the Ontario Crop IPM website (insects & pests) and the Crop Protection Network (Diseases). […]
Dry edible beans are sensitive to damage at harvest. Beans are sold based on eye appeal so seed coat quality and colour are important. Producing beans that are clean, bright and whole is the ultimate goal and timely harvest is paramount to maintaining quality. Know the quality standards for the crop’s market class. The ideal […]
Nitrogen Although dry edible beans are legumes, they obtain less than half their nitrogen requirement through nitrogen fixation. Studies have not shown a benefit to inoculation with rhizobia. Ontario nitrogen research has demonstrated yield increases in some years, but has not shown an economic response to pre-plant incorporated or banded nitrogen. Nitrogen applied pre-flower does […]
Bean varieties are characterized by their growth habitat. Indeterminate plants continuously grow and exhibit long vines. Most of the commonly grown bean types have a semi-determinate growth habit, meaning they continue to grow after flowering begins and develop short to long vines. Determinate types tend to flower and ripen over a short period. Determinate types […]
Seed Quality Using high-quality, pedigreed seed from inspected fields is important to promote early season vigour and reduce the risk of seed-borne disease. Bacterial blights, anthracnose and BCMV are seed-borne diseases that cause serious issues in some years. Most coloured bean seed (except black bean seed) is imported from arid growing regions in the U.S. […]
Before deciding on a marketing class, carefully consider the unique production requirements and risks for each class. There are differing seed sizes and plant architectures that may dictate the required equipment and harvest method, and for some classes there are distinct challenges in meeting quality standards. Most dry edible beans in Ontario are grown under […]