This Ontario Virtual Diagnostic Days Series for 2020 will consist of eight 1-hour episodes occurring every two weeks starting Wednesday, July 15 through October 21, 2020. Each episode will highlight a general field crop agronomic theme. […]
Key Points: Rotating out of corn is the most effective way to reduce populations of Bt-resistant corn rootworm. To replace silage corn for 2021, establish fall rye or winter triticale immediately after 2020 silage corn harvest. After the cereal silage comes off in mid-May, establish sorghum-sudangrass and take two cuts. An energy source will need […]
Scouting for corn rootworm injury is important to detect potential resistance to rootworm Bt traits and to plan management options for the next growing season. It is especially important to report any fields showing signs of suspected resistance to your corn agronomist and the provincial entomologist. Rootworm larvae feed below ground on corn roots from […]
Canadian Corn Pest Coalition News Release: Corn rootworm (CRW) has historically been one of the most important pests of corn in Canada and can cause extreme economic loss and increased management costs. High CRW pressure in Ontario in 2020 is challenging current Bt corn rootworm hybrids and several growers of Bt rootworm hybrids are reporting […]
Managing to get the most from available water Water is the most important limiting input for crop production. In more than a couple of the past years, producers across the province have been forced to watch while their crops suffer from dry conditions in the heat of summer. Other than irrigation (which is rare for […]
Reports have been coming in about pod feeding from bean leaf beetle (BLB) in IP, food grade and seed soybeans. Pod damage on crush beans typically does not warrant control. Foliar feeding (defoliation) is rarely the concern this time of year. But BLB can feed on the surface of the pod which exposes the seed […]
Here is the latest update on where the trap catches are for western bean cutworm in the region based on trap site data entered into the Great Lakes and Maritimes Pest Monitoring Network. Peak flight for Ontario and most other states and provinces on the network (except Michigan) occurred during Week 11 (Aug 3-9) (see […]
This week we would like to discuss tar spot in corn as well as soybean cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome in soybean. Tar Spot in Corn There is a lot of discussion and questions surrounding tar spot this year in Ontario. Tar spot is a new corn disease in the US midwest and since […]
Winter canola acres in Ontario have been increasing since 2018. While research on the crop has been limited, some recommendations are outlined below based on experience with the crop in recent years and experience with spring canola in Ontario. Field Selection Fields should have good drainage and low clay content. Seeds may fail to emerge […]
There are currently three key topics for forage production: nitrates, potato leafhopper, and planting annual forages for fall production. Nitrate poisoning of livestock is a risk in a dry year In a dry year, high nitrate levels in forages are a concern. Fast-growing grass species, such as corn, sorghum-sudangrass, and cereals are most likely to […]
Photo above: Potato leafhopper damage (called “hopper burn”) is frequently mistaken for insufficient water. To maximize the forage yield of fall cereals next spring, research from New York state suggests planting fall rye or winter triticale 10-14 days before the optimal winter wheat planting date (Figure 1). September 1st is the deadline to report […]
The establishment of cover crops after cereal harvest has been shown to reduce weed seed production and dispersal to the soil. This is of particular benefit when trying to manage glyphosate resistant weed species like Canada fleabane and waterhemp (a relative of redroot pigweed). Some highlights from recent studies include: […]
Before I talked about the WBC trap data, I want to thank everyone who set up a trap this year and are entering their data into the network. Despite COVID-19, there are more than 1000 WBC traps in the system! That is a record and helps us figure out what the flight patterns are. Now […]
Corn rootworm adults emerged a few weeks earlier than usually and are quite abundant this year. This is particularly concerning when the adult populations are high in corn on corn fields planted with a rootworm Bt hybrid. This could be an indication that rootworm populations have developed resistance to the rootworm Bt traits involved. To […]
Harvested wheat fields offer the perfect opportunity to focus on improving soil health. Planting cover crops and/or applying manure or other organic amendments provides soil microbes with the carbon compounds that help create a more porous soil structure which improves water, air and nutrient cycling. Here are a few common questions that come up every […]