New technology built on 30 years of Ontario- and Quebec-specific corn data is producing some surprising nitrogen top-dress recommendations for Ontario’s corn crop. The prescription? Some dry areas of the province with a 220 bushel corn yield target are receiving total N recommendations of just 100 pounds per acre. Yes, really. Is this even possible?… Read More
Put two great corn minds together and you come up with seven corn management concepts to help you boost yields in 2017. University of Guelph professor Dr. David Hooker and Maizex agronomist Greg Stewart shared the results of their brainstorm with growers attending the recent Southwest Agricultural Conference, held at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown… Read More
Duane Paton is considered one of the founding fathers of deep ripping in Ontario. The Mount Elgin based farmer purchased his first deep ripper – a Case IH ecolo-tiger 730B – back in 1998 and still uses the same unit today. In the latest instalment of our Tillage Talk video series Real Agriculture agronomist Peter… Read More
In this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, examines everything from erosion and weird wheat to cover crop management and insect pests. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-844-540-2014, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected] Highlights: There are huge amounts of erosion in high tillage zones in Ontario. “We simply have to… Read More
Ontario corn and soybean growers and agronomists are upset about comments made by the provincial agriculture minister in Question Period this week regarding the government’s new rules limiting the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments. Two seed company agronomists say Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal misconstrued their words after Leal was asked by Tory agriculture critic Toby Barrett to explain… 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
Do you plan on taking a nitrate-nitrogen soil samples this spring, before planting? The test for nitrate-nitrogen levels can provide key information in how much fertilizer should be applied for a growing corn crop. And, making that decision gets easier and easier. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a handy table with… Read More
Many producers are looking to strip-tillage as an intermediary between conventional and no-till farming systems. Like any tillage system, strip-till doesn’t come without its challenges. In areas with changes in terrain, it can be difficult to remain in position without adjusting the GPS/auto-steer system. Till-N-Plant Offers Strip-Tillage, Fertilizer Application & Planting in One Pass Gaining Ground: Digging Deep on… Read More
In this episode of the Corn School, Bernard Tobin and OMAF Corn Lead Greg Stewart turn to a chalkboard to draw up some nitrogen strategies for the 2014 corn crop. Throughout the winter meeting season, Stewart touted a split application approach to nitrogen. He recommends growers put down 100 lb of nitrogen pre-plant and then… Read More
It’s early April and farmers are itching to get the planter out in the field. For the precious few of you in Ontario that are nearly ready to roll, have at ‘er, but for most of the corn growing region, it’s not late yet, but it’s looking like the planting window may be slightly compressed…. Read More
In part one of our top 10 list of corn production tips, Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food presented us with a 1-5 list that was fairly data-driven. This time around, with the exception of number 6, the list revolves more around exploring ideas and concepts on your farm…. Read More
What’s the best call for adding potash? How much bang for your buck do you get from seed-placed blends? Are protected N sources worth the cost? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, recently presented the top 10 corn production tips from 10 years of research and monitoring, and some… Read More
With concern over bee health and the potential impact of seed treatments that contain neonicotinoid products increasing, the seed industry is taking steps to offer farmers choices in seed treatment options for 2014. How do you decide if you need to order seed with or without an insecticide seed treatment? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with… Read More
How has the corn crop fared? Will the high levels of vomitoxin seen in wheat and barley also occur in the corn crop? Not always, says Greg Stewart, corn specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In this episode of the Corn School, Stewart discusses preliminary production estimates of the Ontario corn crop,… Read More
An early spring with warm conditions, decent moisture at planting and high-yield-potential genetics make for a best-case scenario in the face of unfavourable weather conditions. The 2012 corn crop generally started out with excellent root structure and good moisture before Mother Nature turned off the top and cranked the heat. In spite of the dry… Read More