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
Stacked traits are quite common in corn and increasingly more common in soybean as well, but the concept is still quite new for the balance of Western Canada’s crop mix. Managing with stacked traits adds significant flexibility, says Bayer Crop Science trait and trait launch manager, Andrew Chisholm, and making the most of that added… 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
Sometimes it’s not what happens this year that really gets you, it’s what happened a year or more before. That’s at least part of the answer to one farmer’s problem discussed in this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. From silage removal and slugs, to confusing discussions on test weights, and on to making that… Read More
Believe it or not, there hasn’t been an updated survey on wireworm species across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba since 1943. That all changes now that a research team has taken on the task. Ted Labun, seedcare technical lead for Western Canada at Syngenta Canada, explains in this Wheat School episode why the survey needed to be… 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
It’s time to get pushy with your corn crop, Ontario! Wet fall weather is testing farmers’ patience and the standability of the Ontario corn crop. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson encourages farmers to check on stalk integrity and prioritize fields with less than stellar stalk strength. Also this week, there are… Read More
North America’s most notorious weed has been found in Manitoba. DNA testing has confirmed the discovery of a pair of Palmer amaranth plants in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, which surrounds Carman. “We knew it was just a matter of time before we see something. These weeds are moving quite rapidly, and unfortunately, we did… Read More
The warnings about tar spot that started several years ago were, unfortunately, bang on. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson shares some scouting stories from several counties where tar spot has been found in corn, and what farmers will likely have to plan for in 2022. Also in this episode,… Read More
Farmers and agronomists across Ontario are struggling with a few pest and agronomic challenges right now. From decreased corn stalk integrity, to western bean cutworm, and on to lodged or early death in beans, a relatively good year is still throwing some curve balls. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined… Read More
Have you checked your corn cobs lately? On this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson laments the state of some corn in the Ottawa Valley that is quite heavily infested with western bean cutworm. What happens with WBC and corn? Why, gibberella and DON production, of course. It’s all bad! Johnson also… Read More
September first marks the beginning of meteorological fall, but that doesn’t mean that summer is over. The growing season is still chugging along, and this week’s agronomy update even includes an insect outbreak alert (just when you thought it was safe to put the sprayer away!). In this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter… Read More
It’s evolving into a rather odd year for pre-harvest weed control in parts of Western Canada as a return of some moisture has meant sprouting swaths, and monster weeds. In Ontario, an accelerated season means plenty of farmers are making the dry-down decision on edible beans this week. From pre-harvest weed control, to swapping to… Read More
Using clubroot resistant genetics and lengthening rotations are highly recommended practices for managing clubroot on the Prairies. But is there more farmers could do? “Ninety per cent of those clubroot spores can die with a two-year break, so one in three rotation, that’s really critical, if you have a shorter rotation than that, and you’re… Read More