2021 was a big year for corn yield in Ontario. Although not official, the average yield is expected to check in at just over 200 bu/ac — a new record. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, we take a closer look at where this yield is coming from with Purdue University agronomy professor Dr…. Read More
With high fertilizer prices heading into 2022, corn growers can’t afford to over-apply nutrients. But they also can’t risk losing money by shorting the crop of its fertility needs. On the season-ending episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School for 2021, University of Guelph associate professor Dr. David Hooker returns to comment on this conundrum and share… Read More
It’s November and Ontario corn growers continue to push through a harvest that will likely smash the provincial yield record. But there’s also lots of talk about the 2022 season, especially when it comes to fertilizer prices and what impact the cost of nutrients will have on growing corn when the calendar turns to next… Read More
Splitting nitrogen in a corn crop can increase profitability and benefit the environment, but to be successful on both counts growers need to keep a sharp eye on the weather. That’s the conclusion drawn by University of Guelph researchers Tasmia Kabir, Aaron Delaporte, Joshua Nasielski, and Alfons Weersink after looking at 19 years of weather data… Read More
How does strip tillage impact a corn plant’s ability to access and take up nutrients? On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Ben Rosser, corn lead at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, looks at fertility research plots that compare how corn performs in both conventional tillage and spring strip tillage systems. In… Read More
A lack of late-season nitrogen and denitrification has been a concern this year, which is causing less than optimal growth in corn crops in parts of Ontario. Matt Chapple, market agronomist at PRIDE Seeds, has been getting plenty of calls this growing season about the issue, and in this Corn School episode, Bernard Tobin joins… Read More
When it comes to strip tilling, is it better to plant corn into fall strips or spring strips? Ben Rosser, corn lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has been working on this question for a while now, and in this Corn School episode, Bernard Tobin catches up with him in… Read More
What if corn, like soybeans, could fix its own nitrogen? It’s a question agronomist Dale Cowan and his team at AGRIS Co-operative are tackling this summer as they test a biological product that promises to help corn plants fix nitrogen, when applied directly on the seed, in pop-up fertilizer, and through foliar application between the… Read More
With help from precision technology, corn growers are fully capable of conducting well-designed, logistically simple field trials that can help improve yield and profitability. When it comes to on-farm research, “that’s the beauty of today versus 30 or 40 years ago when I started in this business,” says Purdue University corn expert Bob Nielsen. On… Read More
Corn rootworm, manure, and soybeans — farmers don’t often hear those three words in the same sentence but we’ve come to expect the unexpected in 2020. With growing resistance to corn rootworm traits in Ontario, many farmers who typically plant continuous corn will look to control the pest by expanding rotations to include soybeans. But… Read More
Corn fields across Ontario are full of variable plant development and that should be a concern for growers, says University of Guelph crop researcher Dr. David Hooker. Fields are littered with areas of yield-compromising backward and slow-to-develop plants. Hooker believes corn variability is even more apparent this year due to significant weather challenges; with cold… Read More
With June arriving this week, corn is rushing ahead and growing rapidly. Now’s the time for growers to get out and scout fields to identify planting issues, determine yield potential and start fine-tuning your management plan, says Kinburn, Ont., agronomist Paul Sullivan. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Sullivan notes that stand assessment and… Read More
Does timing matter in strip till? Will corn planted into fall-made strips out-yield spring strips? That’s just one of many questions corn growers are asking as strip tillage gains popularity as a reduced tillage option that delivers the benefits of conventional tillage, says Ben Rosser, corn lead for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
When it comes to corn fertility and higher yield, nitrogen is the star of the corn production show. But Carleton Place, Ont., farmer Mark Foster and agronomist Paul Sullivan feel it’s time potash received its share of the spotlight. At the SouthWest Agricultural Conference earlier this month, the pair shared how they have unleashed the… 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