Conditions: Below average temperatures persisted throughout most of April. At Ottawa, approximately 100 CHU and 65 mm of rain were accumulated in April. Soils dried slowly and field activity only picked up during the last few days of April. Forages: Alfalfa winter survival is excellent, generally in the 90% plus range. Alfalfa fields not harvested […]
Conditions: Moderate temperatures at the end of winter, combined with limited precipitation minimized spring water runoff and soil erosion. Soil is drying slowly, allowing for only limited field activity to date. Alfalfa: Winter survival generally looks excellent. Alfalfa has 1 to 2 inches of new growth at this point and is showing no sign of […]
A well-planned and run on-farm trial is a great way to test new ideas, products, and equipment. But, to provide meaningful information, even a simple on-farm trial takes time to plan and carry-out. For an on-farm trial to provide useful information, two basic requirements need to be met. First, the trial has to be set […]
Conditions: Over 75% of the manure is out and 40-50% of the ground has been worked. Forages: Nitrogen fertilizer has largely been applied on grass hay fields. Alfalfa growth has picked up over the last week (6” to 8”). While alfalfa winter survival is generally good, winterkill (Figure 1) is becoming evident and some fields […]
Conditions: Fields have been slow to dry. Only a small amount of manure has been applied. About 25% of the nitrogen/fertilizer has been applied to winter wheat and grassy forage stands. Alfalfa: Winter survival is very good (Figure 1), generally in the 90% range, except for areas along the St Lawrence (Morrisburg/Brockville), which have up to 80% […]
Conditions: More rainfall in region south and east of Ottawa over the April 12th weekend. Fields are generally saturated. Upper Ottawa Valley has drier conditions. Moisture from snow melt got away with very little ponding in most areas. Alfalfa: Winter survival looks good to date. Alfalfa has 2 to 3 inches of new growth at […]
From May 1st to 12th, accumulations of 15 to 30 mm of rain and 220 Crop Heat Units (CHU) were recorded. The long term average for this same period is about 130 CHU. There was frost on May 14th across eastern Ontario with a low of -2o to -3o C. Little damage expected as the […]
Synopsis: Very little nitrogen has been applied to wheat, and many are now abandoning plans for split application. In most areas the wheat looks good, including late plantings. Agricorp has received very few damage claims, and are busy inspecting uninsured late planted wheat. May 1 is deadline for applying for or making changes to crop insurance. Remind […]
There are many different diseases which are caused by various fungal pathogens that affect cereals in Ontario. The foliar diseases (powdery mildew, leaf rust, Septoria leaf spot, Septoria (Stagonospora) glume blotch and tan spot) and Fuarium Head Blight (FHB) can cause significant yield losses if not managed correctly. Although these diseases occur in all […]