The weather continues to be all over the map, whether in Ontario or Western Canada, as RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson leads off this week’s edition of Wheat Pete’s Word. He gives a quick update on crop insurance coverage, saying there’s some good news there. There are also a number of issues to cover in corn,… Read more »
Tag: Peter Johnson
High on hybrid rye
Rye is working hard to shed its reputation for lower yields, weak agronomics and poor standability when compared to other grain crops. With the arrival of new hybrid rye varieties in Ontario, it looks like rye’s days of being relegated to cover crop status in the province are over. Quite simply, growers, seed companies, agronomists… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, July 19: White mold, rust, and a wonderful wheat crop!
A harvest update — yes, combines have started rolling in parts of Ontario — as RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson expresses his excitement for harvest in this week’s Word. There are also concerns about white mold, western bean cutworm, and aphids, to discuss. Learn about these issues, and much more, in this week’s episode of Wheat… Read more »
Wheat School: Late nitrogen pumps up protein and profits
Surging wheat markets mean there’s plenty of profit potential in high protein wheat, and Peter Johnson has some tips to help you cash in on those premiums. In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Johnson, our resident agronomist and shameless wheat promoter, shares protein management insights for growers in Western Canada and spring wheat growers… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, July 5: Leafhopper alert, disease diagnostics, and weed control woes
Insects, insects, insects! Peter Johnson is amazed by all the insects he is seeing this year. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson talks about bugs, disease diagnostics, and weed control woes. He also has some “cover crop craziness” to discuss, and much more! Check out what Wheat Pete has… Read more »
Corn School: Does wet soil need more nitrogen?
The rain keeps falling in Ontario and all the water-logged soils make it tough to get a good read on how much nitrogen is available to the province’s corn crop. In this edition of RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson discusses whether corn acres need supplemental nitrogen and how much they might need. It depends on… Read more »
Soybean School: Hail management akin to planting double-crop soybeans
When hail hits first trifoliate soybean plants in late June, should you replant? In most situations, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson would give you the ‘thumbs down’ and tell you those plants are resilient and they’ll make a comeback. But the decision really depends on the condition of the plants, says Johnson in the latest episode… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, June 28: Extreme hail, what’s happening to nitrogen, and beautiful barley(!)
What’s with all the hail and rain? In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson once again talks about the extreme weather Ontario has been facing, including the hail, and what it’ll take to recover. He expresses excitement about some beautiful barley he’s seeing, but also disappointment as he talks of… Read more »
Corn School: Can fungicides help minimize hail damage?
Ontario crops have experienced widespread hail damage in recent weeks and many growers are asking how they can minimize the yield impact. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson takes us to a field of eight-leaf corn that has been shredded by a recent hailstorm. He says at this stage, yield loss… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, June 21: Whacky weather, soybean aphids and rootless corn
What about that weather? It’s uniformly variable and mostly what we don’t want, explains RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson on this week’s Word. In 17 power-packed minutes, Peter laments the arrival of armyworm, soybean aphids and cereal leaf beetle. He also describes how you can fit the roots of 8-leaf rootless corn in your coffee cup…. Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, June 7: Hula hoops, big hay yields, & saying no to half-rate fungicides
Haying is underway (with some phenomenal yields!), soybeans are struggling, and sprayers are rolling — there’s lots of ground to cover on this week’s Word with RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson. Peter discusses the replant decision facing soybean growers, rolling timing on beans, early weed control in wheat, drift reduction agents, fungicide rates, row spacing for… Read more »
Wheat School: Counting kernels to predict yield
How much will that field yield? That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is often asked when talking with growers. In this episode of Wheat School, he reviews the formula for estimating wheat yield. Johnson says it can be difficult to peg yield because testweight is a wildcard that can be tough to eyeball and… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 31: Insects in a wet year, dandelions, and wild, wonderful wheat!
In this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, RealAg Agronomist Peter Johnson wonders why insects are such a problem already, seeing as it’s been a wet year, and that usually means the fields are full of disease, not bugs. He also dives into crop progress — what sort of advances have been made in Ontario, as… Read more »
Corn School: Cold and wet means less available nitrogen
What a difference a year makes. In 2016, Ontario’s cold and dry spring conditions produced plenty of available nitrogen for the emerging corn crop. But when you fast-forward to 2017, those cold soils are now waterlogged and the wet conditions mean there’s very little nitrogen available to the crop. The wet soil conditions have a… Read more »
Wheat School: Can you do more to control fusarium?
Are you looking to step up your fusarium control measures this spring? In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, resident agronomist Peter Johnson reviews the basics of managing fusarium in Ontario’s wheat crop and also offers some tips on how growers can elevate their control efforts. For Johnson, effective fusarium control starts with the basics:… Read more »