Widespread late-May frosts across Ontario have many growers assessing soybean crops for injury and wrestling with the question of whether replanting is necessary. On this episode of the Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner is preaching patience when it comes to determining whether a replant is necessary. He… Read More
Tag: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Should growers broadcast or band fertilizer at soybean planting? That’s a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soybean specialist Horst Bohner has been hearing a lot lately. Earlier this week at a virtual Ridgetown/Simcoe agribusiness breakfast meeting, Bohner recommended growers broadcast and incorporate fertilizer at planting rather than banding. “Putting fertilizer… Read More
Over the past decade, growers have pushed soybean planting dates earlier as they pursue higher yields. Earlier planting extends the growing season, but rolling out the planter in late April also impacts several other factors that contribute to yield, says Horst Bohner, soybean specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Planting… Read More
It’s been a challenging year on many fronts, but here we are, yet again, gearing up for the new season. And that’s exciting! Rootworm, western bean cutworm, and flea beetles are just a few of the insects that are on the watch list for Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist with OMAFRA. James Tansey, entomologist with… Read More
The Government of Ontario released its provincial budget Wednesday, with a big spend on internet and broadband expansion for the province, including rural areas. The announcement of $2.8 billion for expanded broadband will bring the total that Ontario has committed to broadband expansion over $4 billion, with a commitment to connect the entire province by… Read More
It’s unsurprising that animal rights extremist groups are challenging Ontario’s Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, passed in 2020. The challenge, levelled by Animal Justice, alleges that the regulation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ guarantee of freedom of expression. The province says its bill was crafted “in a manner to protect the… Read More
Yield enhancement networks (YEN) for wheat have taken root in Canada and could play an important role in helping increase yields for the cereal crop. Many Ontario growers were first exposed to YEN in 2020 at the SouthWest Agricultural Conference (SWAC). These networks are the brainchild of the research scientists at ADAS, a UK-based independent… Read More
We cover a lot of different agronomy topics here on RealAgriculture, but one area that doesn’t get attention all the time is cover crops. Anne Verhallen, soil specialist at OMAFRA, joins Bernard Tobin to discuss her recent presentation at Ontario Agriculture Conference, and why cover crop agronomy isn’t talked about all that often. “I think… Read More
To paraphrase and slightly adapt the KISS principle, let’s keep it simple, soybeans. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, says that while there are a multitude of factors at play in achieving the top soybean yields possible, many farmers could likely make bigger gains by honing in… Read More
Corn rootworm, manure, and soybeans — farmers don’t often hear those three words in the same sentence but we’ve come to expect the unexpected in 2020. With growing resistance to corn rootworm traits in Ontario, many farmers who typically plant continuous corn will look to control the pest by expanding rotations to include soybeans. But… Read More
Scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Western University have teamed up with PlantForm Corporation to develop an edible antibody therapeutic that will protect human and animal health by preventing E.coli 0157 infection in pigs. The $150,000, two-year project is supported by OMAFRA through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative, which is fed by the five-year,… Read More
The federal government is providing immediate relief for temporary foreign workers that are stranded in Ontario. “Approximately 400 farm workers from Trinidad and Tobago who came to work in Ontario under the federal Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program, are currently unable to return home as they haven’t received COVID-19 travel exemptions from their home country,” says… Read More
When it comes to strong soybean plant establishment, growers often focus on seeding rates, seeding depth, and tillage. Those are all important management practices, but Horst Bohner emphasizes the need for growers to also set up and run their planter or drill effectively, to produce optimal plant stands that deliver top yields. On this episode… Read More
Ontario meat processors and farmers have the opportunity to apply for funding under two new program intakes of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative is an up to $4 million program that will provide up to $150,000 per project for improvements to product handling and processing equipment. It will also cover… Read More
If hay has seemed in shorter supply over the last few years, it’s because it has been. In a recent webinar series exploring grazing cover crops and annual forage, Ontario forage specialist Christine O’Reilly shared a nearly 40 year trend line of both hay production and livestock numbers for the province. Since the early 90s,… Read More