February 23, 2012

Wheat School – Why Red Clover is a No-Brainer

Peter Johnson in Winter Wheat

As far as cover crops go, red clover is a no-brainer. That according to OMAFRA wheat specialist Peter Johnson. It’s a statement that seems to be backed up by a lot of facts. The first being its ability to provide ample amounts of nitrogen and organic matter to the soil. A good stand of red [...]

Wheat School- What Does the Winter Wheat Crop Look Like in Ontario?

peter j in ww

Wet weather has really put winter wheat in a hard place for farmers in parts of Ontario. For starters, it pushed the seeding date back and secondly a large portion of it is sitting in some very wet conditions, conditions that can be very problematic for growth and development. So what does that mean for [...]

Wheat School: The Benefits of Starter Fertilizer in Ontario

wheat_school_logo

What kind of benefit if any can we expect to see from placing fertilizer in with our seed? The question we lead off with in this episode of the Wheat School is: Starter fertilizer: Myth or Real? What follows is a solid case for the benefits of starter fertilizer from OMAFRA Cereal Expert Peter Johnson. [...]

Wheat School: Fall Weed Control in Winter Wheat – Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA

radiant winter wheat

Is fall a good time to look at weed control in your winter wheat? Pre-plant weed control is an option that most farmers don’t exercise. The reason has a lot to do with the business of the season. Harvest is in full swing depending what you’re growing and farmers have to balance that with trying [...]

Wheat School: How Late Can I Seed Winter Wheat in Ontario

With a great deal of soybeans being planted later than normal, harvest is pushed back as well this year. This in turn pushes winter wheat planting back. But just how late is too late when it comes to planting winter wheat in Ontario? What impact will that late planting have on yields and emergence? How [...]

Wheat School – Ontario Wheat Harvest & Price Update

Overall the wheat harvest in Ontario has gone well. Some areas have experienced lower than ideal yields but the quality has been very good. With corn and soybeans showing strength the concern or opportunity for Ontario wheat growers is quite interesting. What impact will one million wheat acres have on price? Will the high levels [...]

Wheat School: The Importance of a Timely Harvest – Phil Needham

With the Western Canadian winter wheat harvest about to begin, extra attention needs to be paid to harvest timing. When to swath, when to straight cut and when to combine are integral decisions to your profitability. The biggest threat to your harvest tends to be the weather. Wet weather can greatly impact quality if you [...]

Wheat School – Don’t Let M.O.G. Slow Your Harvest – Les Hill, PAMI

Getting your winter wheat off the field as quickly as possible is extremely important if you are looking to maintain quality. The longer that crop remains in the field exposed to the elements, the greater the chances are that germ, vigour and overall grade quality can be negatively impacted. That’s were combine efficiency comes into [...]

Wheat School: Minimizing Harvest Losses – Les Hill, P.A.M.I.

As commodity prices continue to rise, efficiency at harvest becomes increasingly important. Producers want to minimize loss in every area possible. Harvest is one area farmers can take control of when it comes to increasing efficiency. Depending on how the combine is adjusted and the crop type, some farmers can lose up to 5 bushels [...]

Wheat School: Why are Test Weights Down in Ontario? – Peter Johnson, OMAFRA

  Test weights on wheat are down below average in parts of Ontario. Compared to this time last year, yields by test weight alone are down by as much as 10% in areas. There are a couple of reasons behind this. The first involves under-filled  kernels from plants surrounding dead zones in the field being [...]