This article was written by Tracey Baute, Entomologist- Field Crops and Joanna Follings, Cereals Specialist Cereal Leaf Beetle (CLB) is an important pest in cereal crop production feeding on wheat, oats, barley, corn, forages and grassy weeds. CLB overwinters as an adult and then emerges early in the spring and females lay their eggs on leaves in wheat fields and…
With temperatures dipping below zero in various parts of the province last night and continued cold temperatures forecasted into the weekend, 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…
Air temperatures for the week of May 4th were below the seasonal average. This has slowed soil warming and while not hindering planting, it is delaying germination and emergence of seeded crops. But so far, the 2020 season has offered better planting conditions than the past number of springs. Cereals Most of the winter wheat crop looks excellent although the…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team May 7, 2020 281 Comments Off on Northern AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting – May 6, 2020The morning of the meeting conditions were sunny across the north, but still cold. Generally, conditions have been sunny and windy so soils have been dry. A rainfall last week provided welcome moisture. There were no major concerns raised regarding grain crop planting and conditions, other than cold temperatures. Some regions are a week or two behind normal with the…
Prolonged cold weather this spring has led some producers to wonder if soybean planting should be delayed. Over the next few days weather forecasters are even predicting a “polar vortex” with possible daytime highs of 3°C and nighttime temperatures of minus 3. Does this mean soybean planting should be delayed until things warm up? There is an old adage that…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team May 6, 2020 337 Comments Off on Ridgetown and Simcoe Breakfast Meeting Minutes – May 5th, 2020The warm weather in the last week resulted in lots of corn and some soybean planting in the region, though wet soils on heavier ground has not been touched yet, especially in the Norfolk to Niagara region. Planting progress and conditions are much better than 2019. Some March planted sugar beet and carrot fields had to be replanted. Winter canola…
Photo: Orchardgrass accumulates anthocyanins during sunny days and cold soil conditions when photosynthesis outpaces root development. Turning purple is temporary; it will grow through this. Winter Conditions Most of the province had average amounts of precipitation over the winter. Areas of Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Huron, Grey, Bruce, Temiskaming, Cochrane, Rainy River, and Kenora received below-average winter precipitation. Overall, reports of winterkill…
Mike Cowbrough May 3, 2020 405 Comments Off on Mixing “ATS” with herbicides: The importance of a “jar test”Each year I get more questions about mixing the liquid fertilizer, ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) with herbicides. With reductions in atmospheric Sulphur deposits, Ontario research has shown positive yield responses in some crops when Sulphur fertilizers are applied and so it makes sense that farmers are looking at ways to add Sulphur to their crop in an efficient manner. However, my…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team May 1, 2020 373 Comments Off on Cobourg and Winchester AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes – April 29, 2020People have commented that the mood is generally good out there and farmers are eager to plant. Field work started progressing quickly in the middle to end of last week. Manure is going out, fertilizer is going out and ground is being worked. Planting has started under very good conditions. The typical issues associated with soil texture are dictating how…
Corn: Planting began at the tail end of the week of April 20 and continued at a good pace until the widespread rain event on Wednesday/Thursday during the week of April 27th. Many agronomists have commented that soil conditions have been exceptional given the calendar date and what recent spring conditions have been like. As is typical, there is a…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team April 29, 2020 404 Comments Off on Exeter + Mt. Forest AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes – April 28, 2020As a reminder, participants can join breakfast meetings by phone without using the Zoom app or logging onto the Zoom website by using the number provided in the breakfast meeting listserv. Corn planting began in earnest on Thursday and continued through Monday. Some producers are nearly done their corn acres, particularly on light ground in Huron County. There have been…
In these uncertain times, farmers with grain still in the bin may be considering storing that grain a bit longer than they’d originally expected. If you are in that situation, there are a few steps to take which will help you store your grain long-term in good condition. ENSURE GRAIN IS DRY When it comes to storage, keep grain cool…
Joanna Follings April 24, 2020 421 Comments Off on Considerations for Nitrogen Applications in Spring CerealsAs the wheels have started turning and the spring cereals are going in the ground the question that continues to come up is how much nitrogen (N) should I apply? With spring cereals we know there is a balance between having enough nitrogen to maximize yield potential while avoiding lodging issues. However, OMAFRA’s current nitrogen guidelines for spring cereals are…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team April 23, 2020 460 Comments Off on Northern AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting – April 22, 2020Synopsis AgriBusiness Breakfast Meetings have been held across southern and eastern Ontario for many years, and the virtual platform being used this year inspired the organization of a Northern AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting. Representatives called in from Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Algoma, Manitoulin, Greater Sudbury, Nipissing, Temiskaming and Cochrane districts. This meeting summary includes crop-specific notes, current conditions in each region,…
While the growing season started early in many regions, cooler temperatures over the last week have slowed progress. Manure applications continue where soil conditions are fit. Cereals Winter wheat planted prior to mid-October continues to look good. However, some late planted fields have holes due to winterkill or excess water. Growers with a market for mixed feed grain are choosing…
