Ontario set a new record for average winter wheat yield this year at 99.7 bu/ac. And as winter finally settles in on the province, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson says conditions are ripe for the fall-planted crop to break more records in 2023. But Mother Nature will have a lot to say about that… Read More
Category: Wheat School – East
Is it safe for winter wheat growers to tank mix a herbicide, fungicide, and plant growth regulator in a spring application? It’s a question Syngenta Canada agronomist Marijke Vanderlaan says she’s hearing more often from wheat growers as they look to make spring more efficient and actively manage the crop. And it’s likely a question… Read More
Planting winter wheat research plots at C&M Seeds near Palmerston, Ont. proved challenging during the difficult 2021 fall conditions. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School Peter Johnson and C&M research agronomist Mike Holzworth tour the plots and share what the challenging conditions revealed about winter wheat planting dates. The research plots were planted… Read More
Work continues on training computer algorithms to unlock the potential of green-on-green spot spraying systems to identify and target the weeds found on Canadian farm fields. The goal of green-on-green spraying systems is to detect and apply herbicide to weeds that are growing within a green crop. Where green-on-brown spot spraying systems used for burnoff… Read More
How can growers set themselves up for high yields when planting winter wheat this fall? Typically, the conversation revolves around planting early, phosphorus, weed control, and planting depth, but RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says growers need to add a new management consideration to the conversation — heads per square foot. On this episode of the… Read More
As tillering winter wheat moves into stem elongation it’s time to assess the lodging potential of the crop and determine whether a plant growth regulator (PGR) should be applied. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Syngenta agronomic service representative Marijka Vanderlaan offers tips on identifying plant growth stages and how plant growth can be… Read More
A difficult fall, with too much rain, late planting and reduced acres, made for a tough Ontario wheat crop heading into winter. As we move into late March, the crop is looking good and RealAgriculture’s resident wheat guru Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is enthusiastic about prospects for the crop. On this latest Wheat School episode, Johnson notes… Read More
Attention to detail and some help from Mother Nature earned Simcoe, Ont., grower first place in the 2021 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) overall yield category. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Van Netten speaks with agronomist Peter Johnson and shares how he grew 152.8 bu/ac to earn the Gold award in the pilot year for the Great Lakes… Read More
Fine-tuning nitrogen and managing lodging are two key strategies that helped earn London, Ont., wheat grower Jeff Cook a third place finish in the 2021 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) overall yield category. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Cook speaks with agronomist Peter Johnson and shares how he grew 148.6 bu/ac to earn the bronze… Read More
How could precision planting technology impact Ontario winter wheat yields? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs cereals specialist Joanna Follings and RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson are back with a final report on precision planting trials Follings conducted on her home farm at Ayr, Ont. RealAgriculture first visited the site in September 202o when… Read More
How late can you plant winter wheat and still get an amazing plant stand? As agronomist Peter Johnson discovers on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, even wheat planted in mid-November can deliver a top crop. Earlier this summer he visited with C&M Seeds research agronomist Mike Holzworth at the company’s variety testing site. Johnson… Read More
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are an excellent tool for controlling the height of a wheat crop, and they also impact stem strength, especially for a crop under high management. “Lodging is caused by high nitrogen rates, or excessive nitrogen, and also high seeding rates,” says Mike Holzworth, research agronomist with C&M Seeds. In this Wheat… Read More
Grain growers are reporting that bluegrass is becoming a growing weedy issue in many Ontario field crops. There are three types of weedy bluegrass species that are being found: annual bluegrass, rough-stalk bluegrass, and Canada bluegrass. As Mike Cowbrough, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist explains in this Wheat School episode,… Read More
Recent weather events in parts of Ontario have really flattened some wheat crops. There’s an awesome crop out there, but harvesting it will now be much more difficult. In this episode of the Wheat School, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson talks about combine set-ups, the possibility of applying a pre-harvest burndown, and is later joined by… Read More
Should growers sell their wheat straw after 2021 harvest? That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson has been asked often in recent weeks. With fertilizer prices up 125 per cent and straw prices hovering around three cents per pound, many growers say they would rather blow the straw back on the field, take the nutrient credit… Read More