The numbers for the 2013 Ontario winter wheat crop are in. This year growers averaged 80.6 bu/ac of winter wheat. Not too shabby, however, according to Peter Johnson, Cereal Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, what may be coming down the pipe for the 2014 crop is even better. How much better? The trend... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
In part one of our top 10 list of corn production tips, Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food presented us with a 1-5 list that was fairly data-driven. This time around, with the exception of number 6, the list revolves more around exploring ideas and concepts on your farm.... Read More
What's the best call for adding potash? How much bang for your buck do you get from seed-placed blends? Are protected N sources worth the cost? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, recently presented the top 10 corn production tips from 10 years of research and monitoring, and some... Read More
It seems the 2013 soybean crop defied the odds and managed to pleasantly surprise a number of farmers with decent yields. The final provincial average tally is yet to come in, but it will likely settle somewhere around the 45 or 46 bushel per acre mark. Not too shabby, considering a tough season of untimely... Read More
Bees play an essential role as pollinators in food production, but did you know they're also an integral part of top canola yields? While bees aren't necessary for canola seed set, fields where bees have foraged will yield higher and benefit from a shorter flowering window. The importance of canola to bees is also significant;... Read More
Each disease threat is unique. Some pathogens are carried on wind or insects, others live in the soil and some reside on crop residue. The expected pressure of a disease for next year is largely dependent on how a disease is spread — those that winter in the soil or on residue are the most... Read More
Do you know the soybean cyst nematode levels in fields on your farm? If you're growing or plan on growing soybeans, you should be testing every field to determine the presence of this pest. After all, it's the number one pest of soybean in the world. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with the Ontario Ministry of... Read More
More replications of research trials equals more bankable results. This can mean more reps in a field, or more reps across an entire geographic area. The North Central Soybean Research program spans a huge area of the United States, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food hosts co-operative research trials with the group as... Read More
Pleasantly surprised describes many corn growers this fall, even as the harvest drags on into December. While there were areas that suffered from excess moisture and cool temps, many areas are finally tallying up the last of the corn yields and the numbers are, well, quite good. Ontario field editor, Bernard Tobin, joined Ken Currah,... Read More
Planting in to cool and especially cool and wet soils is not ideal for soybeans. But that description applies to most planting conditions in Ontario and perhaps most of Canada. Because of this reality, fungicide seed treatments are an invaluable tool in the establishment of healthy, vigorous, soybean stands. Albert Tenuta, provincial field crop pathologist... Read More