Purpose: Aftermarket planter modifications to control row unit down pressure have been well promoted into the Ontario marketplace, and are advertised for their ability to improve planter function, and final yields. The basic principles behind the modifications have merit, but the relative yield impacts of the different modifications, and their ability to respond above and […]
According to Environment Canada, atmospheric sulphur dioxide emissions were reduced by over 50% from 1990 to 2010. Although this is a positive outcome for emissions reductions it does signal an inevitable need to ensure that field crops have an adequate supply of this essential nutrient. A study was initiated in 2011 to determine how varying […]
Does ESN pay in spring wheat? Results from two on-farm sites in eastern Ontario showed no advantage in grain yield or protein content with the use of ESN in 2011 (see Table 1). There was also no significant difference in residue soil nitrogen levels. As expected there was also no impact in the percentage of […]
We are looking for growers who are interested in participating in our study this spring/summer. Art Schaafsma (UGRC) and myself have received funding to work on some particular questions with regards to corn planter dust and bee incidences. We are looking for 2 corn growers per county from the following counties: Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, […]
Dr. Rebecca Hallett will be offering a Swede Midge Identification Workshop on Friday, April 5th from 10 am to noon, University of Guelph. Session in the lab, looking at swede midge and other easily confused insects on sticky cards with naked eye and microscope; swede midge specimens on sticky cards and in alcohol under microscope; […]
Low forage inventories, high land costs, and sometimes increasing risks for alfalfa winterkill make assessing spring alfalfa health essential. Walking fields in early spring to determine if the alfalfa stand has thinned, and assessing if plants are dead or unhealthy is a proactive strategy to determine management options. Making the decision whether to manage an existing reduced stand or replace it […]
How do you control chickweed in alfalfa? It is a question asked annually. If you don’t know what chickweed is search it on google images. Of course there is always www.weedinfo.ca. There are three main points on chickweed infesting an alfalfa crop that I have learned over the years. Any herbicide that is effective at controlling chickweed […]
Orchardgrass can be very productive, particularly in pastures and hay fields with aggressive cutting schedules. It is a very fast growing, perennial, cool-season grass. However, because it heads so very early in the spring and then declines quickly in digestible energy and protein, it has not been as widely used for stored forage in […]
Frost seeding or the broadcasting of forage seed on frozen ground in late-winter or early-spring can be an effective way of improving the forage quality and yield of thinning pastures. It allows for the establishment of forages at reduced cost in an undisturbed sod and also shortens the non-grazing period in the spring. For frost […]
Written by: Tracey Baute – Field Crop Entomologist and Greg Stewart – Corn Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs A high level of concern was raised last spring regarding bee kills and corn planting. Many growers are asking what actions they can take to help reduce the risk of bee […]
Many horse owners are finding it increasingly challenging to find and purchase suitable hay at a price they can afford. Low hay yields due to dry weather in 2012 were followed by poorer quality as a result of rainy haying weather in 2013. However, there are also long term economic factors in play that […]
Manure Injection – New technology = More Options The goal: To increase the opportunities for injecting manure into a variety of growing crops with nutrient placement as similar to commercial fertilizer placement as possible. Traditional manure injection combined manure application with primary or secondary tillage gives the benefit of full disturbance of the soil profile […]
It seems to be an annual question. Do I add ammonium sulfate (AMS) to glyphosate? Will it improve weed control especially if my water source is hard? The short answer is no. Skeptical? I understand. There are many areas within the United States that insist the addition of ammonium sulfate (AMS) to glyphosate is critical, […]
Last summer, potato leafhopper (PLH) certainly lived up to its reputation as the most damaging alfalfa insect pest in Ontario. In many parts of the province, PLH feeding resulted in yield loses of over 1 tonne of alfalfa per acre or roughly a loss of $200/acre. While PLH damage was far greater than normal, it […]
Record acreages of emergency annual forages were seeded this summer after wheat and spring cereals were harvested. Low yields of first- and second-cut hay left many farmers with very low forage inventories. Emergency forages used included cool-season cereals (oats, barley, triticale) and cereal pea mixtures, as well as some warm-season sorghums, sorghum-sudans and millets […]