Identification Cereal leaf beetle (CLB) adults have metallic, blue-green wings, are approximately 5 mm (1/5 in.) in length, with a reddish-orange head and legs (figure 1). CLB eggs are football shaped and approximately 0.5 mm in length (figure 2). They are laid on the upper surface of the leaf, close to the midrib and start […]
Identification Cereal aphids are a complex of three different species that infest cereals. Bird cherry-oat aphids (figure 1) are the most common aphid found in Ontario cereals. These aphids are small, 2 mm (1/12 in.) or less. Adults are olive-green with patches of red-purple near the rear of the abdomen, between a pair of “tailpipes” […]
Identification The primary symptoms of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) include stunting and yellowing, reddening or purpling of the leaf tips (Figure 1 and 2). BYDV is often confused with nutrient deficiency or other environmental causes, or other virus diseases such as wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) or soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV). Identifying […]
Introduction Lodging of cereal crops can be a major harvest challenge and can cause significant yield loss when it occurs early crop development. Variety selection, history of manure and organic matter levels, seeding dates and rates and disease infections all play a role in lodging susceptibility. There are significant varietal differences in resistance to lodging. […]
Cereal leaf beetle (CLB) adults and eggs have been spotted at low levels in some of the YEN cereal sites being monitored this year. Best to scout fields with a known history of CLB activity soon and plan to check all cereal fields a few times over the next few weeks until the head is […]
2023 Planting Conditions Winter wheat, barley and triticale seeding began in mid-September for those planting after canola, early planted, short season soybeans or some early maturing edible bean fields. In most regions however, winter cereal seeding was delayed to late September or early October due to a delay in soybean maturity. Persistent dry conditions through […]
Frequent rains and wet soils across the province have slowed or prevented field work. Soil compaction is likely to be an issue this year, especially for farmers trying to get manure spread ahead of spring planting. Fertilizer has been moving out to farms with storage. Retailers are full and ready to apply product once soil […]
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYVD) effects a wide range of grass hosts including wheat, oats and barley with oats being considered the most susceptible crop. In some regions of the province, BYDV has been reported as having a significant negative impact on oat yields. Appearance: The primary symptoms of BYDV include stunting and yellowing, reddening […]
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 […]
Updated: May 18, 2023 With temperatures dipping below zero in much of the province last night, many are wondering what effect this will have on cereal crops. What temperatures will cause injury? Figure 1 shows the various wheat growth stages and when injury is likely to occur to the crop after experiencing cold temperatures for […]
As the wheels have started turning and the spring cereals are going in the ground the question that continues to come up is how much nitrogen (N) should I apply? With spring cereals we know there is a balance between having enough nitrogen to maximize yield potential while avoiding lodging issues. However, OMAFRA’s current nitrogen […]
Over the winter months there has been a quite a bit of discussion around spring cereal yields in Ontario and oat yields in particular. Trendlines for oat yields in Ontario compared to western Canada (Figure 1 and 2) show that while Ontario yields continue to increase, the increase is smaller than for our friends […]
When we think about fungicide applications we naturally think about protection from disease. However, there has been more discussion and reflection about the additional benefits that fungicides may provide including an improvement in overall plant health and harvestability of a crop. This was something that was discussed at the Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC) table […]
Yield and quality of an oat cover crop was evaluated with and without an application of digestate. The study was conducted in two years on two separate fields. The oats were hand harvested and 3 samples were collected for each of the triplicated treatments. The results were evaluated based on harvested crop value (yield and […]
Farmers wishing to plant oats to increase feed inventories after an early corn silage harvest likely don’t need to worry about atrazine negatively affecting oat establishment and yield. It is not without risk because atrazine dissipation in the soil is slower in dry years and oats are a relatively sensitive species to atrazine. However, given the […]