Early planting has been adopted as a management strategy to achieve maximum yield in modern soybean production. There is considerable evidence that soybeans planted in late April and early May yield more than beans seeding during the second half of May. Ontario trials have shown that in some years early planting can provide a 10 bu/ac yield advantage. In the…
This article was written by Dave Hooker and Albert Tenuta, on behalf of the Ontario Corn Committee Purpose Although 2018 was very challenging to growers and the rest of the corn industry, it presented an opportunity to compare hybrids for DON accumulation across several locations of the Ontario Corn Performance Trials. The main purpose of the OCC study was…
Ian McDonald, OMAFRA Crop Innovation Specialist James Dyck, OMAFRA Engineer – Field Crop Conditioning & Environment Jacqui Empson Laporte, OMAFRA Environmental Specialist Terrence Sauve, OMAFRA Engineer – Farmstead Optimization & Safety Farm equipment today is larger and can travel faster than ever before. Farms have also grown bigger, spread across fields that can be many miles from home base….
Joanna Follings March 20, 2019 2790 Comments Off on Common Questions Related to Dealing with Sulphur Deficiency Symptoms in Winter WheatThis 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 responses (10–14 bu/acre) on some…
This article was written by Ben Rosser, OMAFRA Corn Specialist, and James Dyck, OMAFRA Engineer- Field Crop Conditioning & Environment A number of growers cleaned corn this fall in efforts to reduce DON. Whether it is on the combine or at the bins, the general message is to remove as much fines or cob as possible as these harbour the highest levels of…
The nitrogen (N) fertility algorithm proposed at the recent Eastern Ontario Crop Conference by Dr. Dave Hooker, University of Guelph- Ridgetown Campus, was “80% of the recommended N applied pre-plant, then 1 lb/ac of additional N for each millimetre (mm) of rain from the V7 to VT corn growth stage.” Drs. B. Deen, D. Hooker and J. Nasielski of…
Joanna Follings March 18, 2019 815 Comments Off on Assessing Winter Wheat Stands for Winter SurvivalWinter 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 after a week or two…
Joanna Follings March 18, 2019 787 Comments Off on Looking for Tillers? Consider Early Season Nitrogen Management!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 management will be important in…
Ben Rosser March 15, 2019 786 Comments Off on 2019 Summer Jobs – Student Field Crop Assistant – Corn Agronomy and Nutrient ManagementJob Term: Temporary for 16 weeks, beginning spring 2019 Salary: $14.85 / hour, based on a 36.25 hour work week Job Ad Closing Date: Friday, March 29, 2019 Available Positions/Locations: Position Focus Location Contact Person Corn Agronomy and Nutrient Management Guelph Ben Rosser and Christine Brown Are you serious about making your mark, getting hands-on work…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team February 22, 2019 1284 Comments Off on 2019 Summer Jobs – Student Field Crop AssistantJob Term: Temporary for 16 weeks, beginning spring 2019 Salary: $14.85 / hour, based on a 36.25 hour work week Job Ad Closing Date: Friday, March 8, 2019 Available Positions/Locations: Position Focus Location Contact Person Field Crop Pathology Ridgetown Albert Tenuta Soil Management Ridgetown Adam Hayes Field Crop Entomology Ridgetown Tracey Baute Are you serious…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team January 29, 2019 3409 Comments Off on Sulphur Fertilizer Trial in Dry Edible BeansThis 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 as OM breaks down. Sulphur…
Planting The March 2018 planting intentions report by Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.2 million acres of grain corn, comparing to a 5-year (2013-2017) average of 2.1 million acres (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). A cool April coupled with snow and freezing rain events through to the middle of the month limited early field work. A warm dry period…
Jake Munroe December 17, 2018 2845 Comments Off on To plant green or to plant brown? Rye cover crop termination timing before soybeansCereal rye has several strengths as a cover crop option. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to kill. Rye improves soil structure, builds organic matter and helps protect against water and wind erosion. It also competes with weeds, as Mike Cowbrough has written here (see Figure 1). However, in most cases, rye doesn’t put on much growth until the month of…
Summary The saying in cropping “rain makes grain” was certainly true for soybeans in 2018. Above average rainfall in late July and August resulted in the highest provincial yields on record. What makes this achievement especially impressive is that much of May, June, and even the first half of July were very dry. At the end of the day Ontario…
Did you know that OMAFRA has a handbook that’s all about nutrients and soil fertility? It’s called the Soil Fertility Handbook and was first published in 1998. The book covers topics such as soil testing, soil pH and lime and fertilizer application. There’s a chapter on organic nutrient sources, like manure, biosolids and cover crops, as well as tips for…
