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 »
Tag: Peter Johnson
Wheat Pete’s Word, June 20: Wild weather, yellow corn causes, and seed size surprises
This week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word is full of alliterations and maybe, just maybe, a little serving of humble pie. We start this week talking wild weather, wheat woes and wonder, then move on to skimpy seeds and yellow ycorn (Editor’s note: Sorry, I tried). Host Peter Johnson tackles what to do or not… Read more »
Agronomy Geeks, Ep: 1 — Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson
If ever you’ve tried to communicate something you’ve learned or something you’ve experienced, you may have realized quickly that being an engaging communicator is actually quite difficult. Some are born with a talent for riveting storytelling, others work diligently to learn new ways to capture the audiences’ attention. And some, like Peter Johnson, are an… Read more »
Wheat School: Should you worry about head snag?
Hot days and warm nights have produced lots of head snag in Ontario winter wheat fields. RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson explains that a string of 30-degree days and 20-degree nights earlierthis spring promoted rapid growth in wheat fields just as the wheat crop was heading out. Those are perfect conditions for head snag. “Some of… Read more »
Wheat School: How to manage late-arriving stripe rust
Stripe rust is back again in Ontario wheat fields for the third consecutive year. The leaf disease first showed up in the province in 2016, and earlier this week Agromart agronomist Nicole Bloetjes reported 2018’s first stripe rust sighting in a field near St. Marys. Should wheat growers be concerned? What should you do? In… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 30: Skipping through growth stages, nozzle angles, and correcting deficiencies
As the calendar inches ever closer to June, host of Wheat Pete’s Word and resident agronomist, Peter Johnson, is tackling your top agronomy questions for side-dressing N, fusarium nozzle selection, and early season weed control in this week’s edition. From two strategies for planting edible beans into dry ground, to the first of the hay… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 23: Leaf burn, capillary action, and killing sow thistle
For all the talk of a late, late spring, we sure have caught up in a hurry. While there are areas hurting for moisture nearly across Canada, some regions have had near-ideal planting conditions and even a timely rain or two, post-seeding. What’s got croppers curious this week? Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete’s Word,… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 15: Magic numbers for corn, sinking forage quality, and poop-covered beetles
Spring is off to a roaring start in some areas — for some it’s the roar of a hot, dry wind (hey, Prairies!) and for others it’s the roar of nearly seven inches of rain that fell in two events over a week in southern Ontario. This mid-May edition of Wheat Pete’s Word is a… Read more »
7 habits of highly effective crop scouts
As the crop gets out of the ground, farmers across Canada look to hit the field and evaluate the start of the 2018 growing season. There are those who make great crop scouts, those who are a little more average, and some pretty poor crop scouts — what sets the great scouts apart? We asked… Read more »
Wheat School: Which is the best streamer nozzle?
What’s the best choice of streamer nozzle? It’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is asked countless times every year. Well, here’s the answer. In this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, WheatPete puts on his suit and gloves and heads to the field to show us how three-stream, five-stream and seven-stream nozzles compare. He also… Read more »
Wheat School: Check your sulphur source and rates
RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is a big proponent of pushing nitrogen rates to pump up winter wheat yields. But for higher N rates to pay, growers must ensure the crop has an adequate supply of sulphur or they risk inducing sulphur deficiency. In this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, Wheat Pete explains why growers need… Read more »
How much yield potential do we lose planting after May 1?
It’s mid-April and a huge part of Western Canada, Ontario, and the northern U.S. is digging out after a late winter blast of snow, freezing rain, and ice. As May looms large in the next 14 days, we have to ask — when should we start to panic about a late planting season? May 1st… Read more »
Wheat School: Solve your tiller problem with N, not seeding rate
Wheat tillers are nothing but a well-camouflaged weed, right? Not exactly. While excessive tillering can cause grief for fungicide timing and harvest management, one tiller can actually pull its own weight and contribute to yield. How do you best manage for one or two tillers? Say it with us now: nitrogen! If you wanted to… Read more »
The secret to reducing your corn nitrogen bill by 75 pounds an acre
Want to apply 75 fewer pounds per acre on corn ground next year, and possibly achieve a higher yield? Peter Johnson, agronomist for RealAgriculture, has the answer: apply red clover to the wheat crop now. Wait, you say, you tricked me! This isn’t a secret at all. And you’re right: frost seeding red clover in… Read more »
What it takes to grow record-setting wheat
Can we grow world-record-breaking wheat here in Ontario? The answer from most will be a resounding NO!, but don’t give in so quickly. The world record set by Eric Watson of New Zealand stands at 249.7 bu/ac. In 2016, a well-calibrated yield monitor in Ontario touched 240 bu/ac in the best area of a great… Read more »