Grains this week were a bit boring as rain landing in most growing areas across North America and even Australia prompted a few estimate increases despite the lingering threat of an El Niño. Friday did bring some action as a lower U.S. dollar and some strong U.S. export sales helped pull the complex higher for… Read More
Category: Corn
By Terry Daynard. This blog post first appeared on Terry’s blog, here. You can contact Terry via Twitter at @TerryDaynard. The recent decision by the Government of Ontario to critically restrict usage of neonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybean growers, despite limited scientific support, has been a real eye opener for Ontario farmers. This… Read More
Does a hailed out crop absolutely need a fungicide pass? Not necessarily, says Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture agronomist and host of Wheat Pete’s Word. It’s a crummy thing to have to discuss, but wicked weather earlier this week means that several fields are ragged and torn. Why isn’t a fungicide always needed? Listen below to find… Read More
We’re moving into prime white mould season — mid-summer and into August. While conditions were very favourable for disease development through June (wet and cool), mid-to-late July’s heat and dry conditions could have slowed progress of the disease. While you won’t be able to gauge infection levels in soybeans without scouting (hint: go do that… Read More
Can you hear that? That’s the sound of corn growing fast. In fact, parts of Ontario are on track to break heat records this week. What does this mean for the corn and soybean crop yields? That depends. Peter Johnson kicks off this week’s Word with a full report on corn pollination pitfalls — could… Read More
It’s a great problem to have, but gains of an average four to five bushels per acre per year is possible with today’s corn crop if modern genetics are managed properly. Of course, “managed properly” is too general — if Ontario’s average corn yield per acre is set to surpass the 200 bushel mark in… Read More
Wheat harvest is underway in southern parts of Ontario, with yields ranging anywhere from an ugly-and-diseased 40 bushels an acre to 110 bushels in areas south of London, as Real Agriculture agronomist Peter Johnson shares leading off his update this week. What’s there to be learned from all the fusarium in wheat this year? It’s that… Read More
What does every farmer want out of a crop? Yield and profitability. From variety selection, to fertilizer rates, and crop protection products, farmers are always looking for new ways to stack the deck in their favour. Of course, the best laid plans can be thwarted by a cold, wet spring, or dry weather and drought…. Read More
DuPont Pioneer held a grand opening for the company’s new corn hybrid research centre near Lethbridge, Alberta on Wednesday. The 22,500 sq. foot facility is part of the company’s larger five-year, $35 million investment in research and development in Western Canada. As DuPont Pioneer Canada president Bryce Eger explains in the video below, the company… Read More
The hay crop, white mould, norther corn leaf blight, and nitrogen management tools are all high on farmers’ radars this week as we head into the first full week of July. To kick off this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture agronomist, has a word of caution about the hay crop. Wet ground is… Read More
We’re approaching a critical stage for corn — tasseling — and weather conditions in some areas are conducive to high disease development. Recently in the Corn School, we’ve talked prioritizing fields for a fungicide application and where and how to scout for leaf disease in corn, but did you know that there’s another factor at… Read More
Following frost and challenging weather conditions, it’s not uncommon to find wide staging variability in Ontario corn fields this year. Uneven development will complicate timing of fungicide and insecticide applications, notes Dale Cowan, senior agronomist with AGRIS Cooperative, in this installment of the Corn School. “You have to get an idea of what percentage of the… Read More
Several factors converge to increase the threat of diseases on a corn crop, from the history of a disease in the field, to the amount of residue, to the weather. Unfortunately, several corn diseases are carried by wind and can end up in your field whether you practice good rotation practices or not. Related: How… Read More
(We’re a day early with this week’s Word, because, hey, it’s Canada Day and our audio editor’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Rhett!) If you’re sick and tired of rain and wet conditions, you’re not alone — Ontario has recorded its wettest June in over one hundred years. Which means, with apologies to Western Canada facing a… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario today announced it has commenced legal proceedings against the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. “Late last week, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) filed a request to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to provide an interpretation of the neonicotinoid treated seed regulations,” says Mark Brock, chair of Grain Farmers… Read More