Due to a poor harvest in 2019, producers on the Prairies faced a lot of challenges. Then, with an extended spring in some parts for 2020, many acres went left unseeded. But there’s still hope to get a crop in, such as winter wheat, it will just take a bit of planning. “The first step… Read More
The wheat is coming off, and the number of drills out in Ontario fields planting cover crops is astonishing. There are clouds of dust everywhere — from a twenty-foot drill seeding oats, to a floater broadcasting cover crop seed with the fertilizer, Ontario farmers are adopting cover crops in a big way. Many think every… Read More
There are 54 grading factors for wheat included in the grain grading guide provided by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), but many may be surprised to learn that falling number isn’t one of them. It may not be a grading factor, but falling number is used as a world standard in the grain and flour… Read More
By many accounts, if the sun shines and the creek don’t rise, there’s a monster spring wheat crop coming in the west. But don’t just take our word for it; mounting evidence from several sources points to a rather large spring wheat supply building in Western Canada. Jon Driedger, senior market analyst with LeftField Commodity… Read More
There comes a time when the questions, comments, and follow ups become so numerous, you’ve simply got to dive in and start handing out answers. For this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is taking the “Farmer Rapid Fire” approach and answering as many listener questions as possible in 16 short minutes. In this… Read More
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a big concern for wheat growers each season, but some years, like 2020, the risk is incredibly high for a huge portion of the Prairies. The provincial FHB risk maps were lit up red and yellow for much of the growing season until about now. For many, early August may… Read More
Grow great wheat! It’s a catchy slogan, sure, but HOW do you grow great wheat? In this episode of the Wheat School, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is fired up about the synergistic relationship between wheat inputs. “As we add all these fungicides, we add more nitrogen, we add these plant growth regulators, how does that… Read More
There are well over 100 species of grasshoppers across Canada, but there are four that like cereal crops in particular. Of those four, certain species can dominate a certain region. All of them can make short work of a crop in no time, left unchecked. John Gavloski, provincial entomologist for Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development,… Read More
“It is hot!” says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson in this episode of the Wheat School. And that heat is taking a bite out of wheat yields. Wheat is a cool season crop and does not like heat, so when temperatures start to climb yield can be impacted. The most critical stage is at filling. It… Read More
Ashburton, New Zealand farmer Eric Watson has set a Guinness World Record for wheat yield — a second time. Finishing up at 258.8 bushels per acre, the feed wheat paddock produced 17.398 tonnes per hectare in a region that averages about 12 tonnes/hectare. Watson’s farm grew a record 16.791 tonnes per hectare wheat crop in… Read More
If you remember farming in 1988, this year may seem a little similar, at least for Ontario. That year, the drought broke in mid-July with a torrential downpour — are we in for something like that soon? Well, we won’t know for sure for a few days yet, but this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word does… Read More
Wheat stem sawfly can cause a lot of damage to a wheat yield, and there aren’t a lot of options to control it. Enter: Bracon sephi, an orange wasp that is less than a quarter inch long. The way that this small wasp attacks wheat stem sawfly sounds like something out of science fiction, but… Read More
The questions about wheat harvest are starting to roll in. How do I time a pre-harvest application on my wheat crop? The answer for that question is easy: it’s all about the peduncle! (Check below for a few videos on timing a pre-harvest application correctly). Really, though, the bigger question right now for Ontario farmers… Read More
For this special Canada Day edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson has got answers to your timely agronomic questions. The good news is there are no alerts this week, but that doesn’t mean you can let the throttle off scouting — there are insect pests creeping in and populations can grow very quickly!… Read More
Wheat midge damage occurs regularly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and southern British Columbia. This year in particular it will be important to scout for midge because the ideal conditions — delayed seeding and high moisture — create a high risk situation says Scott Meers, of Mayland Consulting in this episode of Wheat School. The upside… Read More