Ontario Crop Report – Week of June 13, 2024
Areas across the province are seeing variability in corn emergence and growth due to frequent rainfalls. […]
Cutworms of All Kinds
It is safe to call 2024 a good pest year. Mild winters and warm springs tend to help pests overwinter well or expand their range further than usually and get ahead of crops when soil conditions delay planting. Armyworm and cereal leaf beetle are continuing to show up in some wheat fields, while some grubs […]
Corn Rootworm Trap Participants Needed!
Have you really lived, if you haven’t had the enjoyable experience of trying to change sticky traps while rootworm beetles crawl down your shirt? Or had the thrill of tripping over goosenecked plants while you’re looking ahead to find your next trap down the corn row? Well, if that sounds thrilling (or even if it […]
Crop Conditions – Week of June 6, 2024
Crop Report – June 6, 2024 Field Conditions Significant planting progress has been made in many areas across the province over the last two weeks. Some growers were able to wrap up their corn, soybean and edible bean planting and apply their T3 fungicide applications in wheat. However, those on heavier soils or those who […]
Silo Gas
This article was posted by Joel Bagg (retired OMAFRA Forage Specialist) on September 9, 2012. It was updated on August 22, 2025 by Christine O’Reilly to fix broken links to external resources. Farmers exposed to silo gas (nitrogen dioxide, NO2) are at risk of severe respiratory distress, permanent damage to lungs, and even sudden death. It […]
True Armyworm and Cereal Leaf Beetle Scouting Alert
True armyworm (TAW) larvae have been spotted in some winter wheat fields in Chatham Kent and Lambton County. This is in addition to cereal leaf beetle (CLB) larvae reaching threshold in some cereal fields, in some cases causing significant damage. So far reports of CLB reaching threshold have been from fields in the Sombra, Petrolia, […]
Ontario Crop Report – Week of May 30, 2024
Field Conditions It continues to be a frustrating spring through much of the province. Frequent precipitation has continued to cause delays in tillage, planting, and spraying in some areas, and weather earlier this week has shut down field work once again in many areas. However, with 3–5-day windows of good weather, many producers have covered […]
Best Management Practices for Late Planted Soybeans
A wet spring has delayed soybean planting for many Ontario growers. See picture #1. Picture #1. No-till field ready for soybean planting in Perth County. May 27,2024. Timely planting is important for maximum yield, but soybeans are more tolerant to late planting than other crops. Although late April or early May planting is ideal weather […]
Crop Report – Week of May 24th
Crop Report – May 23, 2024 Figure 1. Corn is beginning to emerge across the province this week. Field Conditions This past week, much of the province was able to make some progress on field work. Crop Heat Units (CHU) and Growing Degree Days (GDD) are still well above the five-year average across the province. […]
Weekly Cereal Pest, Winter Wheat Growth Staging and GDD Update
Cereal Leaf Beetle and True Armyworm Update Cereal leaf beetle (CLB), and true armyworm are common cereal pests in Ontario. To help support growers in their management of these pests and to better understand their prevalence, 28 fields across Ontario are being scouted weekly for cereal leaf beetle (CLB) and true armyworm (TAW). Crop growth […]
Keep an Eye Out for Cereal Leaf Beetle Larvae
Cereal leaf beetle (CLB) adults have been active and laying eggs over the last month in winter cereals. Though the adult feeding does not cause much injury, expect to start seeing larvae and their leaf feeding start over the next few weeks. My crew just found a few first instar CLB larvae today in one […]
Crop Report – May 16, 2024
Field Conditions The season continues to be advanced of normal, which is especially evident in perennial and over-winter crop development. Crop heat units (CHU) and growing degree days (GDD) are significantly above the 10-year average, especially in southern Ontario. Progress for field work, particularly on heavier-textured soils has been limited due to frequent patchy rain, […]
Effectively Managing Stripe Rust
Co-authored with Albert Tenuta, Pathologist, Field Crops In 2016 the milder winter conditions resulted in early leaf and stripe rust infections in Tennessee and Kentucky. This resulted in rust spores being blown into Ontario earlier than we typically see. By mid-May 2016, stripe rust was prevalent in most areas of southwestern Ontario. Growers who selected […]
Alfalfa Weevil
This article was originally written by Joel Bagg in 2013. It was edited May 1st, 2023 by Christine O’Reilly to reflect current insecticide options to control alfalfa weevil. Alfalfa weevil can be an issue in Ontario, particularly in south-western parts of the province. While outbreaks tend to be isolated, they can be severe and dramatically […]
Ontario Corn Nitrogen Calculator
The Ontario Corn Nitrogen Calculator can be accessed by clicking the icon below. (this is the same tool previously posted on gocorn.net) Simple Summary The Corn Nitrogen Calculator Ontario Corn Nitrogen recommendations are derived from the Ontario corn nitrogen database which contains over 40 years of Ontario corn nitrogen yield response data. Current recommendations were […]