Last week’s intense heat and humidity across much of Ontario had significant impacts on several crops, some of them good, some of them not so good. Heat-loving crops, such as corn, had a rip-roaring week, blasting through leaf stages, however any spring cereals in the flowering stage or crops with poor root growth suffered in… Read More
Category: Wheat
Grasshoppers, both pest species and not, thrive in dry conditions. When back to back (to back) years end up in a dry cycle, grasshopper populations can explode and wipe out a crop. One year of higher moisture isn’t likely to undue that lifecycle bump, so farmers in Saskatchewan and Alberta need to stay vigilant on… Read More
Ontario winter wheat growers are crossing their fingers and holding their breath as a potential record crop heads into its final weeks of grain fill and approaches harvest. RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says a key yield indicator he’s been watching is the number of seeds at each spikelet. He notes that growers have been sharing… Read More
Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan popularized the phrase “trust, but verify” in the context of the Cold War, but similar logic applies in the active battle against increasingly-prevalent glyphosate-resistant kochia.It’s a safe assumption to trust that kochia is glyphosate-resistant in much of Western Canada, but there’s still value in verifying, says Ian Epp, agronomy specialist for… Read More
It’s stroke awareness week! Peter Johnson starts off this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word by talking about both volunteering and the importance of catching strokes early. Medical procedures can now reverse almost all of the negative impacts of a stroke if they can be treated within the first four to six hours. Remember the acronym… Read More
It’s a long one! Peter Johnson has lots to say on this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. It starts with road safety. Be careful out there, especially when turning with traffic behind you. Planting is finishing up for many in Ontario, but some growers just can’t seem to catch a break and miss the rain;… Read More
A plant growth regulator (PGR) can play a key role in helping growers manage the impact of lodging in spring and winter wheat crops. But growers have plenty of management decisions to consider to effectively use a PGR to reduce lodging, increase harvestability and protect and increase grain yield. Reducing lodging starts with selecting a… Read More
There are lots of good things happening as heads emerge in Ontario winter wheat fields. There’s plenty of potential but final yield will likely be determined by how the crop deals with the many stresses it could encounter between now and harvest.What role could biostimulants play in managing those stresses? Could this burgeoning category of… Read More
The Manitoba Crop Alliance is now four years old, and the amalgamation of five producer groups is moving on from getting itself up and running to charting big things for its next strategic plan. The organization that represents spring and winter wheat, flax, sunflower and barley growers in Manitoba has a focused vision for the… Read More
Fast-moving, highly destructive stripe rust is popping up in winter wheat fields across Ontario. RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says the disease is a significant threat to the crop and can cause up to 50 per cent yield loss if not managed properly. He stresses that timely fungicide applications are crucial for controlling the disease. In… Read More