Summary Some years it’s a pleasure to grow soybeans. Other years producing a crop can be a real challenge. The 2019 growing season will be remembered as being very stressful for those involved in crop production. During this challenging year, Agricorp focused on optimizing resources to ensure that customers had the information they needed and that program payments were delivered….
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 13, 2019 1459 Comments Off on Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of June 10th, 2019Corn Significant planting progress was made the end of last week and through the weekend as sunshine and warm temperatures dominated for a string of days. Despite the calendar date and reduced yield potential of later planting, many continued to plant corn noting the competitiveness of returns relative to soybeans. Many areas are reporting corn planting reaching 90-95% of intended…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team June 6, 2019 1164 Comments Off on Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of June 3rd, 2019Corn Progress was made over the last week in areas with lighter textured soils. Those areas now have upwards of 80% of their intended corn acres planted. However, regions with heavier textured soils such as Lambton, Essex, Niagara and Middlesex have 30% of their corn acres planted. Overall, ~60% of the intended corn acres are planted in the province. With…
Mike Cowbrough March 22, 2019 1755 Comments Off on What’s Working on the Farm? Practical Solutions for Problem Weeds“Do not be cheap. Weed control is an investment into the current and future crops on every field.” That was parting advice from Norfolk and Oxford County farmer Ann Vermeersch at the 2019 FarmSmart Conference in Guelph. In front of 80 farmers and agronomists, I moderated a session with Vermeersch and Steph Kowalski, a Certified Crop Advisor and Lead…
Mike Cowbrough November 20, 2018 1805 Comments Off on Managing Glyphosate Resistant Canada Fleabane with Cover Crops and TillageMy colleague Dr. Clarence Swanton (University of Guelph) used to say that based on research he did in the 1980’s, one should not expect to control weeds with cover crops. Their utility was in preventing soil erosion and improving soil health but not in significantly reducing weed populations. However, Dr. Swanton has had to re-think his long held position on…
The OMAFRA Guide to Weed Control for Field Crops (Publication 75A) is available in the following formats: ENGLISH PRINT VERSION (2019 – SouthWest Ag Conference Edition): A limited number of print copies have been made that include chapter tabs. If you would like a copy, contact mike.cowbrough@ontario.ca directly. ELECTRONIC VERSION (PDF): click to download
The latest best management practices for common ragweed competing in corn, soybean and winter wheat can be found here: Common ragweed control (Source: Problem Weed Guide for Ontario Crops)
Ridgetown Campus Weed Research April 18, 2017 3158 Comments Off on Corn – 2,4-D or not 2,4-D? Situational with SikkemaIn, Dealing with Escapes – What will they cost you? , we discussed late emerging weeds and their effect on corn yield. We also discussed some points to consider beyond the effect the weeds will have on yield and why you might consider a post application. A post-emergence application can provide you with the opportunity to control heavy weed infestations and reduce…
Tracey Baute April 5, 2017 1707 Comments Off on Consultation for the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada – Ends April 30thLearn, participate and have your say The proposed Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada was drafted together by governments, industry and others who play a role in safeguarding plant and animal health. The strategy will protect plants and animals from new and emerging risks by focusing efforts more on prevention and increasing partner collaboration and coordination. You are invited…
Previously we discussed the possible benefits of using a pre-emergence soil applied herbicide application in a 2-pass weed management plan. Those benefits include protecting yield, providing a wider window for a post-emergence application and as a resistance management strategy. In this installment we look at the effect of weed emergence, following a pre-emergence application, on soybean yield and examine the…
Volume 1 of the inaugural “Problem Weed Guide for Ontario Crops” includes management strategies for 19 species in corn, soybean and cereal crops that is cited from work conducted by the University of Guelph Department of Plant Agriculture as well as other peer reviewed studies. This 176 page guide features over 175 images and 50 tables that help illustrate the…
Ridgetown Campus Weed Research February 28, 2017 1986 Comments Off on Dealing with Escapes – What will they cost you?In “Going for the Set up”, we looked at a number of pre-emergence set up options in corn and discussed reasons to consider going with a set up program. Today we look at a situation where you have made the decision to go with the set up program but are noticing some late emerging weeds. We will discuss what those…
Ridgetown Campus Weed Research February 21, 2017 2270 Comments Off on Going for the Set up! Situational with SikkemaIn Part 1, “Big Weeds = Big Deal!” we touched on the importance of early weed control to protect corn yield. Today in Part II, “Going for the Set up”, we will explore a number of set up programs for use in a two-pass weed control program in RR corn and give you something to consider for the upcoming season….
Ridgetown Campus Weed Research February 14, 2017 2880 Comments Off on Big Weeds = Big Deal ! Situational with SikkemaThis is part of a short series focusing on weed management in field corn. In Part 1 – “Big Weeds = Big Deal” we look at what happens when Mother Nature delays our herbicide application. Data collected by Peter Sikkema will show the possible repercussions of delayed application and the effect of weed size on corn yield. …
Mike Cowbrough December 5, 2016 5700 Comments Off on Has the adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops resulted in more herbicide resistant weeds in Ontario?The increased acreage of genetically engineered (GE) crops planted in Ontario has not led to an increase in herbicide resistant weeds according to results from the University of Guelph’s testing laboratory. Table 1 summarizes the number of species confirmed as resistant to common herbicides used in Ontario over the past 40 years. There are currently fewer species resistant to glyphosate,…