Ontario Soil Management Committee

Table of Contents Mandate and 5 Year ThemesMembershipTerms of ReferenceHow to Submit New Recommendations or UpdatesData Requirements to Change RecommendationsFor More Information Mandate 5 Year Themes In particular, the OSMC will concentrate on the following broad themes over the next five years: Membership Membership of the OSMC is comprised of members drawn from government, the […]

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REGISTER NOW Soil Management Day 2024 – August 27, 2024

REGISTER HERE: https://ontariosoil.net/soil-management-day/ Date: Tuesday, August 27th Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Location: Sunderland Co-op Oakwood Agenda 8:30 AM – Arrival & Registration 9:00 AM – Field History & Soil Challenges 9:30 AM – In-Field Assessments Attendees will split into small groups and rotate through 5 interactive stations: Station 1: Measuring Soil Health Station 2: […]

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Anticipated Soil Nitrogen Supply for 2024’s Corn Crop

Field corn at 3 leaf stage, growing despite wet conditions.

Summary: Background: Throughout the growing season, microbes within the soil break down organic nitrogen contained in soil organic matter and crop residues and release it as plant-available ammonium.  This process is known as nitrogen mineralization. Nitrogen mineralization is favoured by warm soil temperatures with adequate soil moisture and aeration.  Excess moisture can slow mineralization or […]

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Introducing Soil Test Manager

Have you ever looked up the official Ontario fertilizer or liming recommendations? They’re featured in “look-up” tables in OMAFRA production guides, such as our Agronomy Guide for Field Crops (Publication 811), and provide rates for phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc and manganese, as well as lime, based on soil test values. A new way to access […]

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2015 Ontario Soil N Survey

Co-author Ken Janovicek, University of Guelph. Background The OMAFRA field crop unit in collaboration with farm cooperators, agribusiness and SGS-AgriFood Labs conducted the annual survey of soil nitrate nitrogen levels across the province from June 3rd to June 5th, sampling over 130 fields. The samples were collected after heavy rainfall events during the weekend of May 30-31, where […]

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Investigating Yield and Economic Performance of a “Build and Maintain” Fertility Approach versus a “Sufficiency” Approach in Corn: Interim Report

Current P and K recommendations in Ontario guide crop producers to apply a rate of fertilizer that will provide the greatest potential of an economic response during the year of application. Increases in crop yields over time have resulted in higher nutrient removal rates which have decreased the “equilibrium” soil test values where average crop […]

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Sulphur On Alfalfa

by Joel Bagg, Forage Specialist, & Bonnie Ball, Soil Fertility Specialist, OMAFRA Sulphur (S) received from atmospheric sulphur dioxide emissions (acid rain) in Ontario has steadily declined by over 50% during the last 25 years. We are beginning to see yield responses in more situations when applying S to alfalfa. Sometimes the response is dramatic, […]

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