Ontario corn planting isn’t finished, but it’s probably done. With more rain sweeping across the province – and pushing total spring accumulation to record levels in many areas – it’s unlikely that farmers will be planting corn when things dry out, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) corn lead Ben Rosser…. Read more »
Category: Weather
Canola School: Options for seeding canola in wet conditions
For some farmers in some southern parts of Western Canada, seeding is starting to wrap up. But others are still have the challenge of getting last year’s crop off, all while trying to get this year’s crop in the ground. In this Canola School episode, we talk to Brittany Hennig, agronomy specialist for the Canola Council of… Read more »
Wheat School: Nitrogen stays put in cold, wet conditions
It’s been cold and it’s been raining… and raining. Does your wheat crop need more nitrogen? The answer is no, according to agronomist Peter Johnson. In this edition of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Johnson says despite the weather growers who have already applied 120 to 130 pounds of nitrogen to fields should be in good shape…. Read more »
Wheat School: Action item prioritizing in a difficult spring
Wet soil, cold nights, weeds, disease, and nitrogen needs are all converging at once – what’s a wheat grower to do? As Ontario’s cold, soggy spring continues, deciding what to do next with the winter wheat crop can be a challenge, especially as the need to plant corn and soybeans becomes more pressing. In this… Read more »
Hot and dry? AccuWeather meteorologist explains Canadian summer forecast
It’s hard to imagine drought being a problem in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan that still haven’t finished last year’s harvest due to wet conditions, but weather forecaster AccuWeather suggests conditions could turn quickly this summer. As Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist and Canadian weather specialist for the Pennsylvania-based weather company, explains in the interview below, they’re… Read more »
Wheat-ing out the noise — This Week in the Grain Markets
Grain markets saw a wild ride to start the month of May as the week started out with big concerns about weather before cooler heads prevailed and bullish gains made earlier in the week were reined in. Oats were the big winner, up 8% since last Friday on the futures board on planting delays. Canola… Read more »
Soybean School: It’s only May — late planting is a month away
Horst Bohner estimates there are only several hundred acres of soybeans planted in Ontario and he’s OK with that. As rain continues to saturate soils across the province, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist is reminding growers that it’s early for planting soybeans. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School,… Read more »
Corn School: How does delayed planting impact yield?
How much corn yield potential are you losing as the rain continues to fall across Ontario? As of May 5, you haven’t lost anything yet, but yield potential does start to diminish around May 10, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) corn specialist Ben Rosser. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn… Read more »
Wheat School: Weedy Wheat Requires Swift Action
Weeds are thriving in Ontario winter wheat fields and in many cases are beyond the size for optimum weed control. In this episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School, Deb Campbell from Agronomy Advantage explains that winter annuals are seven to 10 days ahead of normal and that means growers will have to shift their mindset… Read more »
Wheat School: Splitting Nitrogen Makes You Smarter
Will you be splitting your wheat nitrogen application this spring? Agronomist Peter Johnson thinks you should. In this episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School, Johnson reviews the split N strategy and why growers should take a hard look at making it part of their management plan. “First of all, it simply buys you insurance against… Read more »
Pump up Organic Matter — Feed Your Soil Like a Cow
How important is organic matter and how can you add more to your soil? Soil organic matter is farming’s Holy Grail and every farmer should want more, says Peter Johnson, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist. In this video, Johnson shares some simple strategies on how farmers can pump up organic matter levels to hold more water and… Read more »
What’s in Store for Ontario’s Spring Weather: Drew Lerner
With the calendar flipping to 2017, Ontario growers begin to pay a little closer attention to the spring weather forecasts. There is still time but January is the time when the spring itch can start. In 2016, growers were reminded that average rainfall is not as important as timely rain as growers pushed yields above… Read more »
Western Canadian Farmers Keep Fingers Crossed on Open Spring — Drew Lerner
The 2016 harvest seems difficult to forget but it’s time to forget and focus on the spring that lies ahead. It’s bitterly cold across the west this week so it’s hard to think about spring weather, but for anyone that has crop left out in the field you are definitely hoping for an open, dry… Read more »
Soybean School: What We Learned in 2016
Growing soybeans in Ontario in 2016 was a real nail biter. Even Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner admits to being pretty nervous as the soybean crop struggled through a dry July. Many farmers were lucky when rains arrived in August, but a good portion of the province –… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Nov. 30: Winter Learning, Thick Wheat Stands & Clover, & Performance Trials
If your wheat stand looks more like a golf green than a cereal crop, should you still put down clover early in the spring? And why the push for longer season varieties? Yes, it’s time for Wheat Pete’s Word here at RealAgriculture, and Peter Johnson has a fact-ion (see what we did there?) packed podcast… Read more »