It’s possible Ontario could set a new wheat record for 2021, and that’s saying something, as reports are that many fields are yielding smaller than average seeds. Also this week on Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles if corn will yield double cobs, why you need to be out scouting the soybean canopy, and… Read More
A few key things are lining up for the corn crop — but they are not necessarily all good. The western bean cutworm flight and pollination are lining up nearly perfectly, and that means an increased risk of gibberella ear rot infection. For this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson discusses another hit… Read More
Soybean aphid numbers are building quickly in several fields in Ontario, and farmers have already had to book an insecticide pass to get ahead of the pest. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson says reports have come in from the Milverton area and Eastern Ontario with aphids at or above threshold. It… Read More
Some Ontario edible bean and soybean fields are being hard hit by root rots, causing large patches of dead, dying, or highly stressed plants. The recent hard rains in some areas of the province have favoured root rot infection. Depressions or areas of high compaction or poor drainage tend to show the worst symptoms. Poor… Read More
Wheat harvest is 10 days earlier for many Ontario wheat growers, and that opens a window of opportunity to plant double crop soybeans. But that window will close quickly. When it comes to double cropping success, there are plenty of best management practices to consider. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist… Read More
Lodged crops, flooded crops, and burning crops — there’s no shortage of crops under stress this week in Canada. Of course, there are also some tall, fast-growing corn crops, and in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is covering the top agronomy questions of the week. From available nitrogen causing some issues to… Read More
Should growers sell their wheat straw after 2021 harvest? That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson has been asked often in recent weeks. With fertilizer prices up 125 per cent and straw prices hovering around three cents per pound, many growers say they would rather blow the straw back on the field, take the nutrient credit… Read More
Wheat in Ontario is in grain fill, and that means scouting for cereal leaf beetle. There’s also been plenty of rain in certain parched parts of the west, but it’s too much and way too late to save the crop. In this week’s edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson discusses some insect alerts,… Read More
Water, and access to clean water, is likely to define the next generation of agricultural inputs. Even if the Prairies return to a more average rainfall pattern in the short term, water scarcity is becoming more of an issue in several geographies and jurisdictions. Water isn’t just required for plant growth, of course; it’s required… Read More
Last week’s insect alert of weevil hitting second-year alfalfa fields has now been expanded to include the potato leafhopper and more acres. Leafhopper can be especially hard on newly-seeded alfalfa, even if it is a resistant variety. The resistant trait is not expressed in the first growing season, explains Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture…. Read More
Several reports of poor regrowth on second- or later-year alfalfa in the Niagara and other Ontario regions seems to be caused by one culprit: alfalfa weevil. Agronomists are reporting scouting fields that have already reached threshold for the pest (see photos below). Because of early season heat, some established fields of alfalfa were cut relatively… Read More
Huge areas of Ontario saw frost over the weekend, in some cases as low as -7 degrees C. The full impact of the lighter frost in other areas is still being assessed, but there are replants already happening on plenty of soybean acres. Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson talks about that this week, and… Read More
Two, and in some cases, three nights of frost in Ontario has hit the soybean crop quite hard. In some eastern counties, re-planting is already underway. The corn crop did not escape unscathed either, though some agronomists and farmers are more hopeful that many corn acres will recover. Paul Hermans, area agronomist for Corteva, covers… Read More
With T3 fungicide application timing approaching to control fusarium in Ontario’s wheat crop, many growers are wondering whether to spray or not to spray. With the hot, dry Ontario weather pushing into late May, there’s little or no disease in the crop and disease levels could decline further if moisture continues to be scarce. For… Read More
With the corn crop pretty much planted in Ontario, growers are pushing to finish soybeans as increasingly hot, dry weather depletes soil moisture. With only small, isolated rain events forecast for the week ahead, growers are wondering how deep they should plant seed for their remaining soybean acres. With many already planting at the 2″… Read More