Crop tours earlier this growing season predicted record corn yields in Ontario, and yield monitors and truck traffic confirm the rumour. Across much of the province, farmers are reporting solid to record-breaking yields — even Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is having to split-weigh his research plots! Commercial growers are harvesting huge volumes of grain and… Read More
Category: Corn
With nitrogen prices continuing to soar, many farmers are looking for ways to manage the cost of fertilizer as well as meet crop demands for the key nutrient in 2022. This week, Corteva Agriscience Canada put a new option on the table for farmers to consider with the launch of Utrisha N, the company’s first nutrient efficiency… Read More
Protecting your corn crop from disease throughout the growing season can be a challenge. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta and University of Guelph associate professor Dave Hooker team up to offer tips on how to select a fungicide and stage the… Read More
Whether or not you’re farming healthy soils depends on many things, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs soil specialist Anne Verhallen. When asked what makes a healthy soil, Verhallen says that growers need to think first about the qualities of their soil, including properties such as soil texture — are you farming… Read More
The numbers are rolling in — from fantastic corn yields, to unbelievable rain amounts in some areas of Ontario. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson asks for feedback on a few things, including what some of your favourite Wheat Pete sayings are, if you prefer rain in inches or millimetres (or either,… Read More
How does corn crop emergence after planting play into ear and cob development, and eventually yield? Earlier in the growing season, Sara Meidlinger, market development agronomist at PRIDE Seeds, set up some flag tests that measured emergence in 1/1000th of an acre, in seven hybrid variety strips. In this Corn School episode, Meidlinger goes over the results… Read More
Throughout corn harvest, much attention is paid to test weight as the crop works through the combine, into the bin, and off to market. But does test weight really matter? On this episode of The Sharp Edge, Maizex Seeds agronomist Greg Stewart explains why he believes growers would be better rewarded if they focused on… 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
It’s time for the season finale of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. On this live broadcast, University of Guelph professors Dave Hooker and Francois Tardif join host Shaun Haney to talk three hot topics that are sure to grab growers’… Read More
To butcher a phrase, not all wheat that turns yellow is lost. Reports of yellow wheat in areas of Ontario has many farmers asking what they can do about it, and the answer — very little — is one of the few downers in this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. But don’t worry! It’s not… Read More
Tar spot is taking a bite out of yields in some Ontario corn fields but there is hope that growers will have effective tools to manage the leaf disease. Characterized by tar-like speckling on the upper surface of corn leaves, the fungal pathogen has been delivering yield hits ranging from 20 to 60 bushels per… Read More
Goooood day. In this episode of the Wheat Pete’s Word, your host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson gives updates on all things ag related in Ontario, and beyond. Also in this week’s episode, Johnson has advice for scouting for fall armyworm in winter canola, when to harvest beans, corn stability, and much more. Listen on! Have… Read More
It’s time for Day 7 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Wheat and soybean fungicide tips, tar spot control in corn, manganese deficiency, plant growth regulators and double crop soybeans are all featured in this episode. We’ll kick it off with Ontario… Read More
Trees tend to generate an emotional response from most cash croppers — some growers love them, others hate them. The joy or angst typically stems from the impact the large, expansive perennial plants have on growing crops. On this episode of Corn School, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson looks back at the research of Dr. Charles Baldwin who… Read More
Corn rootworm can be a major yield-robber and this year more than most, it’s on everyone’s minds. Amanda Craven, agronomist at PRIDE Seeds is joined by Bernard Tobin for this Corn School episode to talk resistance management, how rotation helps, and how corn rootworm affects yield. “What we’re seeing this year, in our corn-on-corn fields,… Read More