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
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
Wheat should be moving off the field and into the bin by now, but the ’15 wheat crop just seems to be grinding through maturity and not finishing up. As @WheatPete explains in this week’s edition of the Word, this complicates things on a few fronts, as grain fill is likely to be improved (yay!),… 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 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
What a storm that was on Monday night! An incredible light show, tornado warnings, wind and so much rain made for a rather raucous start to the week. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but cut hay and cash crops in the area didn’t need yet another deluge. Excess water is where we’ll start with… Read More
Knee-high on the 15th of June doesn’t have the same ring to it, but at least some Ontario corn growers report that they’ve got it. Unfortunately, that advanced corn is growing right next to ugly, short, ragged corn and that’s got farmers asking — is the yield potential still there? That’s where we start this… Read More
We should know better than to be surprised by the weather, but wow, some areas of the province have gone from too dry to rain, rain, rain. In some areas, reports of up to six inches of rain is causing ponding, flooding, and is delaying first planting, let alone replanting. And so, we can think… Read More
The rain came, but was it in time? For those crops that escaped frost damage, this last week’s weather has been well worth the wait. For those anticipating new corn and soybean growth, however, the last week has led to more disappointments than expected. What’s going on? Peter Johnson kicks off this week’s Word with… Read More
There’s no shortage of heartache or questions stemming from last week’s extreme frost event across much of Ontario’s growing region. Temps dropped as low as -8 degrees C, if you can believe it, and it wasn’t just corn and soybean crops hit hard by the cold weather — tender fruit, horticulture and vegetable crops have… Read More
The 2015 planting season is moving right into spraying season, as this week’s update from Wheat Pete includes discussion about early weed control in dry conditions, critical weed-free periods for corn and soybeans, and manganese deficient wheat. Whether it’s lamb’s quarters, pigweed, ragweed or foxtail, “you name it, it’s out there coming gangbusters,” says Peter Johnson. And… Read More
What a week! The planting is going fast and furious, and farmers are getting itchy for rain. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, hosted by Peter Johnson, we tackle why a dry spring is a-OK and why not to worry too much about rain just yet. What’s more concerning is the downright cool weather forecast… Read More
We’re into the first week of May, and the challenges facing farmers this year couldn’t be any more different than last year, even if we planned it. Speaking of polar opposite, let’s kick off this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word with a look at the tale of two wheat crops — those that look GREAT, and… Read More
We’re about to flip the calendar to May, and, perhaps surprisingly, soil moisture is becoming a bit of an issue for those rolling in the fields, says Peter Johnson, in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. What can you do about soil that’s drying out too quickly? Well, you’re doing to have to adjust planting depth… Read More
Did you know it’s Soil Conservation Week? Here we are just one day after Earth Day, and in that spirit Peter Johnson kicks off this week’s crop update with a challenge for farmers. When’s the last time you sat at the kitchen table and talked about your farm’s biggest asset, the soil? Johnson says if… Read More