The field season is well underway with much of the nitrogen on winter wheat, spring cereals being seeded and herbicide, fungicide and plant growth regulator (PGR) applications planned for the coming weeks. And yes, it is only April 16th! The early spring brought a lot of excitement to the wheat crop with the recent rains […]
Winter triticale, barley, rye and wheat fields in many areas of the province are experiencing snow mould. Those regions that had significant snow coverage in particular, including but not limited to Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth and Wellington counties are showing significant patches throughout fields. Those fields effected were generally planted early and had lots of […]
There has been a reoccurring phenomenon in winter wheat the last few years known as physiological flecking. While not exactly predictable, physiological flecking tends to occur if it is cloudy for an extended period followed by sunny periods. The wheat leaf cuticles can be thin due to the cloudy conditions, and when conditions turn […]
This article was written by Bailey Fleet, University of Guelph. Bailey is a summer student under the USEL program. Bailey worked under the supervision of Nick Wilker from the U of G wheat breeding lab and Joanna Follings from OMAFRA. Phosphorus (P) is important for the proper growth of cereal crops. P has been found […]
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 […]
Everyone is probably sick of me talking about the importance of winter wheat establishment and the need to seed winter wheat at the optimum time for improved success, yet we continue to push winter wheat seeding dates later and later each year. While there may be situations where we get away with seeding wheat into […]
This article was written by Liam McCarthy, University of Guelph. Liam was a summer student under the USEL program. Liam worked under the supervision of Nick Wilker and Mitra Serajazari from the U of G wheat breeding lab and Joanna Follings from OMAFRA. What’s the impact of fusarium head blight (FHB) on winter wheat production […]
As we saw in 2019, if winter wheat is planted late and if conditions are not fit, there is a greater risk of winter survival issues. When it comes to determining your optimum planting date for your region, Ontario’s Optimum Winter Wheat Planting Date map (Figure 1) is a great resource. When determining the optimum […]
Unfortunately, due to the wet fall and spring and impact of winter or spring kill across the province this year, the Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC) winter wheat performance trial data will not be available for the 2019 season, with the exception of Area V (Emo and New Liskeard). As a result, the OCCC will […]
English Version revised April 15, 2021. With new plant growth regulators (PGRs) entering the Ontario market, many are asking, when and where should a PGR be used? First, it is important to know what the purpose of a PGRs is. PGRs can be applied to winter wheat to reduce plant height and increase stem thickness. […]
Joanna Follings, Mike Cowbrough, Peter Sikkema, Dave Hooker and Peter Johnson Mother nature has finally awarded us with some sun and warmer temperatures which will hopefully get the remaining winter wheat stands off to the races. However, as we get out into the fields some are questioning what to prioritize and what practices to avoid […]
How should one deal with large bare spots in a wheat field that is otherwise in good condition? Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all solution because the size and number of bare spots in fields can vary greatly. Here are some options and considerations for filling in those bare spots. Leave the Bare […]
This article was written by Joanna Follings, OMAFRA Cereal Specialist and Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA Weed Specialist-Field Crops Q: Can I mix ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) with herbicides and fungicides to address sulphur deficiency symptoms or should I apply it separately with streamer nozzles? A: With reductions in atmospheric sulphur deposits, Ontario research has found significant sulphur […]
Winter wheat can often be found to survive short freeze thaw events throughout the winter. However, there are concerns about crop damage and survivability, particularly in those fields that were planted late last fall and those fields that were covered in ice for prolonged periods. When making assessments for winter survival, fields are typically walked […]
This past fall brought challenges for many growers. Prolonged wet weather delayed soybean harvest and pushed winter wheat seeding into late October and early November for some. Before the snow fell, many fields had not yet emerged. While the seed did germinate and vernalize, the late planting meant no tiller development. As a result, nitrogen […]