Late planting combined with below-average heat unit accumulation this year means Ontario’s corn crop is behind in maturity from where we would normally expect it to be. Autumn is here in full swing and many parts of the province have already experienced frost. If corn is not fully mature by the time the first frost hits, frost damage can occur. …
Co-authored with Albert Tenuta, Field Crop Pathologist, OMAFRA OMAFRA field crop specialists in collaboration with Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and members of the Ontario Agri-Business Association (OABA) have completed the annual Provincial corn ear mould and mycotoxin survey. Corn ear moulds such as Gibberella and their corresponding mycotoxins occur every year in Ontario. These mycotoxins, particularly deoxynivalenol (DON, or…
Ben Rosser October 18, 2019 1899 Comments Off on Marketing Immature or Frost Damaged Corn: Livestock Feed Harvesting and Storage Alternatives for Corn Originally Intended as Dry Grain CornThis article was written by James Byrne and Megan Van Schaik, OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialists, and Ben Rosser, OMAFRA Corn Specialist. In many parts of the province, 2019 proved to be a challenging year to get crops in the ground in a timely fashion. The impacts of spring conditions are still felt as we approach harvest and there are concerns…
Late planting dates, low Crop Heat Unit (CHU) accumulations, and early frost may result in situations where corn is killed by frost before it reaches the normal stage of maturity and moisture for silage. Some fields planted for grain may not mature adequately for optimum yield, moisture and quality. Farmers may be looking at salvaging these crops by harvesting or…
Meghan Moran October 6, 2019 1143 Comments Off on Made-In-Ontario Yield Monitor Now Available for Dry Bean CombinesIn 2015 an Oxford County farm family, the Vollmershausen’s, were looking around for a yield monitor for their Pickett combine. The Vollmershausen’s grow kidney and cranberry beans which are harvested by pulling and windrowing, then picked up and threshed by a Pickett combine. Large seeded dry beans are somewhat delicate and must be handled gently so that the final product…
Meghan Moran October 4, 2019 831 Comments Off on Pre-Harvest Herbicide Options in Canola; Managing Re-GrowthSpring canola harvest is not yet complete, with a majority of the crop still standing in northern regions. Many fields were ready to harvest up to two weeks ago, but the weather has not cooperated. Producers are now reporting that canola is re-growing and quite green in the lower canopy. Pre-harvest herbicide application may improve harvest conditions; some details to…
We all agree that this has been one of the most challenging cropping years in Ontario, but there were some pest lessons learned from the experience. Effect of Delayed Planting Delayed planting can reduce the risk of some early season pests. Pests like bean leaf beetle (BLB) move into the earliest emerging fields first. With much of the acreage…
Joanna Follings September 27, 2019 991 Comments Off on Inside Fusarium Head Blight Testing in Ontario Winter WheatThis article was written by Liam McCarthy, University of Guelph. Liam was a summer student under the USEL program. Liam worked under the supervision of Nick Wilker and Mitra Serajazari from the U of G wheat breeding lab and Joanna Follings from OMAFRA. What’s the impact of fusarium head blight (FHB) on winter wheat production in Ontario? FHB is a…
Introducing….to your mobile device or computer, the first of several on-line AgriSuite calculators that will help with agronomic and environmental land use decisions. The nutrient management software (commonly known as AgriSuite, which includes NMAN and MSTOR) has been available to Ontario Farmers for many years. Although popular, it is perceived to be mainly a regulatory tool and perceived to be…
Ben Rosser September 24, 2019 1478 Comments Off on Will My Late Planted Corn Mature Prior to a Frost?Spring of 2019 was clearly frustrating to be a corn grower. Frequent rains and cool weather delayed planting for large parts of Ontario. A significant amount of corn was planted into June (Fig 1), and many fields tasseled in early to mid-August, later then the middle to late July we normally expect. Naturally, the common question now is what are…
In much of Europe there have been restrictions to applying manure only during the growing season. There the technology has been perfected over time to meet those needs. Wouldn’t it be fitting to bring the technology to Ontario without the same application restrictions? I asked a few custom applicators what was holding them back from utilizing the European technology in…
Nutrient deficiencies can seriously impact crop yield. Certain deficiencies are seen every year in Ontario field crops, such as nitrogen deficiency in corn and manganese deficiency in soybeans. Others are brought on or made worse by environmental conditions – for example, potassium deficiency in soybeans and boron deficiency in alfalfa (Figure 1) during dry spells. Knowing how to identify deficiencies…
Cereals, soybeans, and silage corn are all being harvested, or will be soon! That bare ground provides an opportunity to boost forage inventories by double cropping with a winter cereal, while getting all the benefits of a cover crop in the rotation. Why use winter cereals as forage? It’s a cover crop that makes money the year it is grown….
Tracey Baute September 20, 2019 995 Comments Off on Is Corn Earworm the Next Field Crop Pest for Ontario?It is August when this article is being written so we do not know what potential impact corn earworm (CEW) could have on our grain corn crop until harvest. Corn earworm was found in several fields in Ontario and Eastern Canada in late summer of 2018 and in 2019. They arrived in Ontario in June which is much earlier than…
OMAFRA Field Crop Team September 19, 2019 1028 Comments Off on Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of September 16, 2019Fall Means – Sampling for Soybean Cyst Nematode! As fall approaches, two things are certain – winter will come and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has done its business! For many growers, managing soybean cyst nematode means planting SCN resistance varieties BUT effective SCN management does not end when you have selected your soybean varieties! It is imperative to not only…
