Unseasonably cold weather returned to Ontario this week and so, Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete’s Word, dives into the agronomic consequences—from severe erosion and grassed waterways to sulphur behaviour in soil.
This jam-packed episode of the podcast also features scouting surprises in winter canola, tile drainage success in cold regions, and a red clover discussion. Listen below or download for later!
Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field results to send in? Agree/disagree with something he’s said? Leave him a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].
SUMMARY
- Weather whiplash: Southern Ontario hit with snow, ice, and heavy rain in April
- Erosion reality check: 80% of soil erosion occurs outside of growing seasons
- Cover crops pay off: Wheat residue and cover crop residue prevented major erosion on hilly ground.
- Grass waterways matter: Degraded waterways lead to gully formation; reshaping can restore function (see photo above).
- Texas wheat in trouble: Fusarium head blight pressure in Texas is unusually high.
- Northern extremes: Peace River and Northern Ontario share similarly short growing seasons.
- Tile drainage up north: Despite the short season, tile works wonders in Cochrane.
- Grain rail limits: Western rail movement slowed in February due to extreme cold and shortened trains.
- Red clover resilience: Cold doesn’t faze red clover until the first trifoliate stage.
- Sulphate sulphur movement: sulphur lingers in soil longer than nitrate—less leaching concern.
- Soybean-rhizobia link: sulphur deficiency from cover crop rye can impact nodulation and yield.
- Corn isn’t soybeans: Corn after rye needs nitrogen, not sulfur, to offset allelopathy.
- Timing sulphur apps: Spring-applied ammonium sulfate on sandy soils shows solid carryover benefits.
- Choosing crop varieties: Match hybrid traits to soil type—drought tolerance or root strength matters.
- Winter canola curveballs: Healthy-looking tops can mask rotted roots—scouting is key.
- Lower N on weak fields: Adjust nitrogen rates based on canola stand health to avoid waste.
- Carryover caution: Suspected herbicide residue from soybeans still impacting winter canola two crops later.
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