There are some dismal looking soybean crops throughout parts of Ontario as a result of the extreme summer heat. Late summer rains have provided some relief to those fields but have left producers wondering if it's too little too late. It's not just the heat that's pushed those soybean fields to the brink. The weakened... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
There has been a lot of talk about the impact of the drought on the Ontario corn crop, but the fact is that not all of the Ontario crop was hit by the extremely dry conditions. Some areas of Ontario actually received timely rains that, coupled with the high temperatures, will look to give producers... Read More
The stretch from spring seeding to winter wheat planting isn't really that long, but a lot can happen over that period. During the time your equipment sits it's subject to all kinds of weather variations from late spring snowstorms to summer heat waves. Those kind of swings can wreak havoc with your equipment in ways... Read More
Every farmer at some point in their career has to deal with gremlins. From the moment you park your machinery it's a virtual free for all of loosening bolts, fraying belts and poking holes in things. That's why every year at seeding, sure enough, as soon as you take that equipment out to use it,... Read More
Stopping the spread of clubroot takes diligence. If you're in an area where there is a clubroot presence, it's important to get out and scout your fields regularly looking for signs of infection. If you don't know you have it, you may unknowingly spread it through soil transfer from equipment moving field to field. If... Read More
The economics of farming naturally put "high yield" at the top of every plant breeders list, but something like yield is interwoven with a number of other factors. Just to allow a plant to maintain its intrinsic yield potential you have to develop it to be able to compete with weeds, stand well and have... Read More
A little trouble now may help you deal with a lot of trouble down the line. That's exactly what happened when corn in Ontario went through a dry spell in late May and early June. That dry period caused corn in those fields to develop deep and dense roots. Fast forward now to the six-week... Read More
One of the key components involved in cultivating a 300-plus bushel corn crop is establishing a good, uniform stand. Unfortunately for producers in drought affected regions of Ontario, those conditions have taken their toll in that area. Despite an early season that helped to foster good root development, stress from hot and dry conditions kept... Read More
When we talk about the total package approach in any crop breeding program, we mean that every effort has to balance a number of key elements, not taking away from any of them while trying to add to all of them. In chickpea, as with most crops, those efforts are directed at the areas of... Read More
Clubroot is gaining traction in Alberta and continues to spread each year. The first line of defense against the spread of clubroot is awareness. That has to include information on identification and prevention in order to be truly effective. That's why events like the Canola Galla are important. The event was all about getting producers... Read More