April 2020 Forage Report
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 […]
Exeter + Mt. Forest AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes – April 28, 2020
As 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 […]
2020 Great Lakes and Maritimes Pest Monitoring Network
The Great Lakes and Maritimes Pest Monitoring Network will be running again in 2020. We are monitoring for black cutworm (BCW), corn earworm (CEW), European corn borer (ECB), fall armyworm (FAW), true armyworm (TAW) and western bean cutworm (WBC) across the region and are providing an interactive real-time map and trap data dashboard that summarizes […]
2019 Corn Seasonal Summary
Planting In March 2019 Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.2 million acres of grain corn, higher than the 5-year (2014-2018) average seeded acres of 2.0 million acres (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). Unlike some springs where a large majority of the provincial crop is often planted in a 1 to 2-week window, frequent rainfall […]
2019 Ontario Grain Corn Ear Mould and Deoxynivalenol (DON) Mycotoxin Survey
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. […]
Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of September 23, 2019
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. […]
OMAFRA Field Crop Report – Week of August 12, 2019
Winter Wheat Winter wheat harvest is winding down across the province and reported yields to date have ranged from 80-130 bu/ac which compares well to the five-year average yield of 82.7 bushels/ac. This was a pleasant surprise for many growers’ considering all the stresses the winter wheat crop had to endure. Good reports of straw […]
Exeter Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes –August 13, 2019
Thank you to Martin Harry for chairing the mid-summer meeting and to Bill Norman (Belchim Crop Protection) for sponsoring breakfast. Thank you to those who came out to all the meetings this season. Synopsis: The status of crops varies in the region with some areas not looking too bad while others are showing signs […]
OMAFRA Field Crop Report – Week of August 12, 2019
Winter Wheat Winter wheat harvest is winding down across the province and reported yields to date have ranged from 80-130 bu/ac which compares well to the five-year average yield of 82.7 bushels/ac. This was a pleasant surprise for many growers’ considering all the stresses the winter wheat crop had to endure. Good reports of straw […]
Crop Report – August 8, 2019
Western bean cutworm (WBC) Peak moth flight is likely taking place this week for many regions of Ontario, putting both corn and dry beans at risk (Figure 1). WBC moths prefer pre-tassel to full tassel corn to lay eggs in so scout these fields first. If corn has passed these stages in the immediate area, […]
Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of July 18th, 2019
Pesticide Drift Pesticide drift is a complicated subject and it carries significant financial and emotional baggage. This season has been challenging for many agricultural sectors and practices, and spray applicators have been challenged with difficult timing and limited opportunities for herbicide applications. When sprayer operators are rushed or frustrated they have to make hard decisions, […]
Simcoe AgriBusiness Breakfast Meeting – June 19, 2019
This was the last meeting of the Simcoe Breakfast group. We have analysed the spring to death and we can’t just keep talking about planting! Typically by now we have had fulsome discussions on fertilizer, herbicide and fungicide programs but that has not been the case this year. The general story for the region continues […]
A Good Time to Review Resistance Management Strategies for Bt Corn
Over the last few years a number of corn insect pest populations have developed resistance to at least one Bt trait used in corn hybrids. From western bean cutworm (WBC) resistance to Cry1F, corn earworm (CEW) resistance reported to Cry1Ab, Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2, to the latest confirmation of European corn borer (ECB) resistance to Cry1F […]
Winchester Agribusiness Breakfast Meeting Minutes June 11th, 2019
Quote of the Week: “Lots of sins in the field – we need the rains to hide them.” Conditions Since May 1st the area has accumulated 475 crop heat units (CHU) as of June 11th, 150 less than the 30-year average. Rainfall accumulation is actually 10mm less than average at the Ottawa airport, but patchy […]
Ontario Field Crop Report – Week of June 3rd, 2019
Corn Progress was made over the last week in areas with lighter textured soils. Those areas now have upwards of 80% of their intended corn acres planted. However, regions with heavier textured soils such as Lambton, Essex, Niagara and Middlesex have 30% of their corn acres planted. Overall, ~60% of the intended corn acres are […]