Ontario grain farmers dealing with high DON (vomitoxin) levels in their corn crop can now apply for funding to cover DON testing. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) has announced a new intake for cost-share opportunities to support DON testing under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The initiative will support producers whose corn crop or corn products… Read More
This week’s edition of Wheat Pete’s Word tackles tough questions and comments from the Maritimes, the United States, and across Ontario. In case you missed it, the east has called time-of-death on the potato harvest with a full 10% of the crop abandoned. There’s no shortage of concern for next year’s wheat crop, too, and… Read More
Thousands of acres of Ontario corn will have to be destroyed this fall due to high DON levels. A big challenge growers face when destroying those acres now and into winter is ensuring volunteer corn doesn’t make a mess of next year’s soybean crop. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, our resident agronomist Peter… Read More
The Ontario and federal governments have announced steps to help farmers experiencing revenue loss because of high levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) in their corn crops. While the largest portion of Ontario’s corn crop remains unaffected, the government partners say this support will help ease the impact for effected farmers. It will also assist the entire grain… Read More
While corn yields are quite good across much of Ontario, the level of DON — a mycotoxin produced by gibberella infection — in some of the tonnage coming off fields is just too high to easily market the grain. There’s been much frustration over testing procedures at the elevator, questions on crop insurance, and conflicting… Read More
Ontario’s agriculture minister is asking the province’s corn growers who have high vomitoxin levels in their crop to focus efforts on harvesting their good corn first. Late last week, Minister Ernie Hardeman called together industry stakeholders to look for solutions and creative ideas to help manage escalating mycotoxin levels in the crop that has turned harvest… Read More
Harvest weather has not been kind, but some great yields make up for it at least a little for many Ontario farmers. We’ve also got some good news on wheat acres, too. It can’t all be good, of course, and this fall weather has left many fields rutted and compacted. What to do about tillage?… Read More
By Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture agronomist Many producers can’t wait to put the 2018 corn crop behind them. Despite big yields — even record yields for some growers — mycotoxin levels in the crop has turned harvest into a nightmare. And that’s not to mention the constant downpours and totally saturated fields that will likely make… Read More
Let’s start this week’s Word on a super positive note — Peter Johnson is a grandpa for the sixth time! Host Johnson takes that wonderful piece of news as inspiration for this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word and tries to keep it upbeat and positive (meaning, yes, he talks corn, but mostly not, OK?) From winter… Read More
By Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture agronomist The DON quick test is driving everybody nuts. Farmers are getting results of 12 ppm at this elevator, but the same load tests 5 ppm at another elevator. Then, you send a load to an end user, get rejected the first time at 10 ppm, get right back in line… Read More
By Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture agronomist It has been one TOUGH harvest. Constant showers, have led to very wet condition, and now record levels of deoxynivalenol (DON, produced by gibberella) in the corn crop has stress running high in the countryside. Coffee shop rumours abound. The urgent questions though, are: Do I harvest this corn at… Read More
“Brutal” is just one word being used to describe some of the corn coming off in Ontario. While yields are good, a perfect storm of disease-inducing conditions at and following pollination has left a chunk of the 2018 corn crop riddled with myctoxins, most notably vomitoxin. “There is still lots of good corn in Ontario,”… Read More
When you don’t have something nice to say you’re supposed to say nothing at all, but if you’ve ever met Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson you already know that’s not his style. Besides, the Ontario corn crop is such a mess there’s no way to NOT talk about it. This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word isn’t all… Read More
Agronomist Peter Johnson has been visiting cornfields and elevators to get a handle on the extent of vomitoxin levels in the Ontario corn crop. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Johnson discusses Ontario’s recent Grain Corn Ear Mould and Vomitoxin (DON) Survey, and notes that some samples coming off the combine have tested as… Read More
EDITOR’S NOTE This situation is evolving daily — please contact Agricorp directly for the latest parameters on dealing with high-ppm corn. ** Agricorp is keeping a close eye on vomitoxin levels in Ontario’s corn crop and telling growers not to destroy any crop at this time. The provincial risk management program provider has indicated it… Read More