Corn yields in Ontario have been increasing 2 bu/ac, or one per cent per, year over the past 40 years. Where is that yield increase coming from? University of Guelph associate professor David Hooker says genetics (65 per cent) and agronomy (35 per cent) are the key contributors to bigger corn crops. Corn breeders can… Read More
Tag: Dr. Dave Hooker
It appears in 2022 that Ontario growers have little to worry about when it comes to corn ear moulds such as gibberella contributing to elevated levels of mycotoxins in the corn crop. In late October, the annual Ontario corn ear mould and deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin survey found 98 percent of samples tested low — less… Read More
Yield is built from the soil up, so root development and healthy growing conditions down below are key to top yields. For this edition of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Dr. Mario Tenuta, of the University of Manitoba, and Dr. Dave Hooker, of the University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus, to discuss… Read More
Crop residue is a real conundrum: not enough, and soil is vulnerable to wind and water erosion; too much, and the next crop suffers. Corn residue in particular can cause some real headaches for the subsequent soybean crop. To talk about why that is, and how to manage it, we go to experts Horst Bohner… Read More
After a week off for Victoria Day (and host Lyndsey Smith busy caring for lambs), we’re back! This episode of The Agronomists — brought to you by the Pest & Predators podcast, RealAg Radio, and ADAMA Canada — features Dr. Dave Hooker, associate professor at the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, and Laura Schmidt, production specialist with… Read More
The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are going virtual! The organizing committees of these three highly successful in-field education and learning events are again partnering with crop researchers and extension, along with support from RealAgriculture and a host of sponsors in 2020. We would like to thank the… Read More
With extreme cold temperatures continuing across Ontario, when should growers resume planting soybeans? Planting came to a halt late last week as Ontario finds itself in the grip of extended cold daytime and nighttime temperatures. Snow covered parts of the province during the weekend and into Monday. And there’s more to come — some areas… Read More
Add wheat to your crop rotation and it will increase corn and soybean yields, put more money in your pocket, improve soil health, and make your soil more resilient. That’s a big, bold statement but University of Guelph-Ridgetown professor Dave Hooker can prove it. All the data comes from a 25 year long-term tillage and… Read More
Everything old is new again. That’s certainly the case when it comes to interseeding cover crops into corn. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Corn School, University of Guelph-Ridgetown College researcher David Hooker unearths some historic evidence of Ontario farmers’ and researchers’ fascination with cover crops and their efforts to interseed them in growing cornfields…. Read More
It’s a great problem to have, but gains of an average four to five bushels per acre per year is possible with today’s corn crop if modern genetics are managed properly. Of course, “managed properly” is too general — if Ontario’s average corn yield per acre is set to surpass the 200 bushel mark in… Read More
There’s no two ways about it — huge swaths of Ontario’s growing region is now excessively wet. And not, “Hey, that was a heavy rainstorm!” wet, but soaked-right-through-for-the-third-time wet. With all this water, farmers are understandably nervous about what impact wet soil and standing water may have on the yield of the corn and soybean… Read More
What’s the number one question you ask of yourself or your agronomist as you plan your corn crop? It’s likely, “What’s the right rate of nitrogen for this field?” It’s the golden question, as Dr. Dave Hooker, of the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, says, and the answer can be as low as zero or as high… Read More
Do you manage your corn crop differently, based on whether or not you’ll be using a fungicide or topped-up nitrogen rates? That may end up being a new recommendation, as research is beginning to offer clues on how each input works with the other — sometimes providing not just additive benefits, but synergistic ones (think:… Read More
When a growing season doesn’t go exactly as hoped — a late spring, a cool summer, too much rain — corn growers get understandably nervous. Corn is a C4 plant — it can tolerate hot weather and needs rather warm weather to grow, set yield and mature. As much of Ontario deals with “weird and whacky”… Read More
What is the yield response of a soybean crop to a fungicide application? (wait for it…) It depends. If you’re not content with that answer, don’t worry — neither are researchers. While there are several factors that work in to the decision to spray, questions surrounding the efficacy and the response of that application can… Read More