The good news is tar spot — a new corn leaf disease — has yet to be found in Ontario cornfields. The bad news is it’s only a matter of time before the yield robber is confirmed in the province, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta. On this episode… Read More
Knowing your yield potential is a key factor to consider when selecting corn hybrids for specific farms and fields. Are you planting into highly productive soils with high nutrient holding capacity or a field with heavy clay that has lower yield potential? That’s a big consideration when growers are selecting hybrids for spring planting, says… Read More
Many farmers in 2019 will be harvesting late-planted corn that struggled to mature as combines roll through fields this fall. Much of that corn will likely be heading directly to the elevator, but there will be marketing opportunities for growers who are willing to dry and store that grain. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn… Read More
One of the big benefits of strip tilling corn is the ability to place fertilizer directly into the berm or strip for greater nutrient efficiency. But as growers rotate out of strip-tilled corn, how can they assess the overall fertility of a field where nutrient placement was concentrated in specific areas? On this edition of… Read More
Many corn growers across Ontario continue to hold their breath as the late-planted, slow-developing crop continues its march to maturity. In early September, many growers wondered whether the crop would make it, but after a stretch of good weather and an extended forecast that promises more warm days and good nighttime temperatures, the finish line… Read More
Tillering corn may not offer the picturesque vision of a picket fence crop, but it isn’t all bad. Alana Serhan, market development agronomist with PRIDE Seeds, says it’s both a positive and a negative to see tillering. “Typically when you have the presence of tillers it means there’s a lot of nutrients available – a… Read More
Testing for DON in Ontario’s 2018 corn crop was an incredibly frustrating process for growers. With gibberella ear rot infecting a wide swath of corn in the province, many growers were exasperated when samples from the same load of corn taken from a field would show wide variation in DON levels — sometimes from 3… Read More
There is great variability in corn on the prairies this year, with a dry start in many areas, then a noticeable lack of heat units later in the season. But, in the south, near Bow Island, irrigated corn is looking good. In this Corn School, Dan Foster of Pride Seeds joins RealAgriculture’s Kara Oosterhuis in… Read More
When it comes to corn production, is 2019 a year to forget or a year to remember? For RealAgriculture’s Peter Johnson, it’s a year to learn. On this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School we catch up with Johnson at Diagnostic Days at Ridgetown College, University of Guelph, where our resident agronomist is busy digging up… Read More
Part of the attraction of strip till corn is the ability to cultivate strips in the fall and place fertilizer. It makes for less work in the spring when the field work window is compressed. Those fall strips in heavier soil also help warm the planting zone. But what about fertility — how does corn… Read More
One of the big questions surrounding the Ontario corn crop of 2019 is whether plant roots can push through tough planting conditions and continue to feed the plant throughout the growing season. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson takes a look at the challenges root systems faced in one of… Read More
Starter fertilizer can give a corn crop some early-season punch, but if you’re not careful with application rates those new plants could get knocked out by fertilizer burn. Banding fertilizer in a 2-by-2 band beside the seed promotes early growth and vigour but too much nutrient too close to the seed can injure roots and… Read More
Western bean cutworm (WBC) moths typically hit peak flight this week in Ontario — but not this year. Cold, wet spring conditions across the province not only delayed crop planting and development but also put the squeeze on the mating and flight patterns of the yield-robbing pest. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Ontario… Read More
Difficult planting conditions across Ontario this spring are set to test growers yet again as corn fungicide application timing approaches. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Ridgetown College, University of Guelph professor Dave Hooker explains that growers looking to control gibberella ear rot can expect a 50 per cent reduction in DON when… Read More
Challenging Ontario planting conditions may follow the corn crop through the entire season and cause 2019 harvest disease headaches for growers. That’s the message Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’s plant pathologist Albert Tenuta shared with growers attending a Huron Tractor combine clinic last week at company headquarters at Exeter, Ont. With corn… Read More