Co-Author: Albert Tenuta, OMAFRA Field Crop Pathologist The annual corn ear mould and vomitoxin survey by the OMAFRA Field Crops team indicates that the 2012 Ontario corn crop is distinctly low in ear moulds and vomitoxin. However, stakeholders are reminded that individual field conditions (environmental, hybrid, tillage, rotation, etc.) are important in ear mould and […]
A beautiful stand of red clover can provide as much as 75 kg of nitrogen per hectare (when at 40 cm tall) for next years corn crop. However, if the clover crop is not “killed off” in the fall, then preparing a suitable seedbed to plant next years crop in is often significantly delayed resulting […]
The University of Guelph Pest Diagnostic Clinic confirmed this week Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus (SVNV) infection in soybean plants OMAFRA collected in Kent and Elgin counties last week. SVNV is a new soybean disease which was first identified in Tennessee in 2008. Since then the disease has been reported in many other States and most […]
Compiled by Chris Brown, edited by Horst Bohner 2012 Soybeans were originally introduced to Ontario as a forage crop for cattle. Today, the vast majority go for crush and the IP market. Letting the crop mature and harvesting the seed is far more profitable than using it as a forage crop but in some cases […]
Ontario research shows an average of 7.5 bushels more wheat. Add in improved winter survival and a more uniform stand and you have an agronomic no-brainer. Stooped over a seed trench late at night, squinting through the beam of a flashlight at dark grey soil, Alan McCallum still doesn’t doubt how worthwhile starter fertilizer is […]
Cutting Alfalfa This Fall? With reduced forage inventories, it will be very tempting to cut some alfalfa this fall. The decision and the immediate need for forage should be weighed against the increased risk of alfalfa winterkill. The Critical Fall Harvest Period for alfalfa is the 6-week rest period preceeding the average date of killing […]
It can be very tempting to cut some alfalfa for haylage or baleage in the fall, particularly when supplies are tight or there is a lot of growth. The decision to cut or not needs to weigh the immediate need for forage against the increased risk of alfalfa winterkill and reduced yields next spring. How do […]
Stink bugs have been showing up in soybean fields in south western Ontario in noticeable numbers over the past 2 weeks and reports of stink bug numbers from Ohio are showing a similar trend. We may see more stink bug in the soybean crop this year then in previous years so it’s time to be […]
This article was originally written by Joel Bagg in 2012. It was edited August 22, 2025 by Christine O’Reilly to fix broken links to further resources. Extended periods of dry weather without rain can severely stress corn plants. When this occurs during tasselling and pollination, cob formation and grain yield can be significantly reduced. As […]
The importance of harvest moisture and maturity to corn silage quality and animal performance is often underestimated. Not only is it important to minimize fermentation dry matter and spoilage losses, it is difficult to compensate for poor forage quality in ration balancing and animal performance. Don’t get caught harvesting corn silage past optimum moisture and […]
This article was originally written by Joel Bagg (retired OMAFRA Forage Specialist) in 2012. It was edited August 22, 2025 by Christine O’Reilly to fix broken links to further resources. Corn silage is a useful late-season forage option for livestock producers, particularly in years when hay and haylage inventories are limited. Rainfall has been extremely […]
Although we are missing some data from a few trap locations it appears as if most of the province has experienced peak flight for WBC. We hit peak flight earlier this year then in previous years but this consistent with what we have seen with other Lepidoptera pests this year. Counties with an asterisk “*” […]
Reports of two spotted spider mite in some corn fields have been coming in. This pest is not normally a problem in corn but due to the hot, dry weather this year spider mites are showing up in numbers high enough to cause visible damage. Spider mite infestations start at the field edge and move […]
Note: This post was originally published in July of 2010, but once again in 2012 there are reports of Japanese beetles feeding on soybeans. In particular it would be worthwhile to go and click on the article below that shows what the leaf feeding insects look like along with threshold values. There are quite few […]
In Ontario there are many root/stem diseases which cause wilting symptoms in soybeans. With the hot, dry conditions this year over much of the province some of these diseases such as stem canker, Fusarium wilt, charcoal rot have taken advantaged of the additional stress. Fusarium wilt or blight of soybeans can affect soybeans at any […]