As corn and soybean planters roll on in Ontario, first-cut forage is nearing optimum harvest timing. The question many dairy producers will wrestle with in the days ahead is whether to continue planting corn and soys or park the planter and harvest forage. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs forage specialist Christine O’Reilly… 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
Planting corn into a cultivated strip provides many soil health and management benefits, but dealing with residue from the previous crop can prove challenging. In this video report from 2021 Ontario Diagnostic Days, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist Ben Rosser and Anderson Agronomy Services agronomist Chad Anderson share what they’re learning from… Read More
As we work through the final week of October, many Ontario farmers are feeling the stress of a very wet weather cycle impeding soybean and early corn harvest. Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson knows it can be tough to be patient right now, so be sure to reach out to those around you and check in to… Read More
Soybean harvest is well underway, and farmers are pushing to get soybeans out of fields in order to get their next crops in the ground. That push could depend a lot on variety maturity dates and planting dates and in this Soybean School episode, Bernard Tobin joins Horst Bohner, OMAFRA soybean specialist, to discuss how… Read More
Whether undercutting or direct harvesting edible beans, a pre-harvest application of a desiccant can allow for a quicker harvest, while protecting yield and quality. Proper desiccation timing is critical for maximizing the crop’s potential, explains Calem Alexander, field marketer with Hensall Co-op, in this Edible Bean School episode focused on setting the crop up for… 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
Weed control in organic soybeans and edible beans can prove challenging for growers who only have inter-row cultivation and scuffling in their weed management toolbox. On this episode of The Sharp Edge, we learn how organic grower Phil Oegema and his family, who operate Oegema Grains Ltd. near St.Thomas, Ont., have put a charge into… Read More
As swath timing and harvest approach, it’s time to pay close attention to pre-harvest intervals. “PHI or pre-harvest interval is a really important concept to understand, and it’s actually a really easy concept to use,” says Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, in this episode of Canola School. “The labels are… Read More
It’s hot and it’s excessively dry. Every year we seem to have this conversation about fire safety at harvest, but I think this year especially, it’s crucial that we are having the discussion. I am no expert at this topic, however, a recent grass fire half a mile from my house — that got lucky… Read More
Wet, humid weather across Ontario this summer has required many soybean growers to apply two fungicide applications to help control white mould. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta discusses best practices to help manage the yield-robbing disease, including canopy construction. Tenuta points… Read More
Harvest weather and the forecast have not been kind to Ontario’s wheat growers, and calls are coming in from several counties looking for advice on what to do with a stranded wheat crop. Joanna Follings, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, says that a few oddities are showing up… 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
John Deere is celebrating 75 years of manufacturing and selling combines with new updates for its 2022 model year S Series combines. Key updates include Automation Activation 4.0 with Generation 4 Machine Sync and AutoPath; new LED lighting packages — the same lights offered on the larger X Series combines; and a factory-installed, flat-tooth comb… Read More
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