The agronomic impacts of what has been a wild year for the Ontario growing season are beginning to accumulate, in the form of rock hard soil, fuzzy white plants, and double cobs. For this early August episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles the big question of making oat hay after wheat, if… Read More
Buckle up, it’s time for Day 2 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, forage and wheat management is the focus of this episode. We get started with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists… Read More
It’s possible Ontario could set a new wheat record for 2021, and that’s saying something, as reports are that many fields are yielding smaller than average seeds. Also this week on Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles if corn will yield double cobs, why you need to be out scouting the soybean canopy, and… Read More
A few key things are lining up for the corn crop — but they are not necessarily all good. The western bean cutworm flight and pollination are lining up nearly perfectly, and that means an increased risk of gibberella ear rot infection. For this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson discusses another hit… Read More
On this Monday edition of RealAg Radio, we’ve got lots of great agronomic content. You’ll hear: Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson on wheat harvest (in the east and unfortunately in the west), fungicide decisions, and more; Tom Wolf of Sprayers 101 and AgriMetrix on spray drift; Dr. Meghan Vankosky of AAFC Saskatoon on cabbage seedpod weevil… Read More
Soybean aphid numbers are building quickly in several fields in Ontario, and farmers have already had to book an insecticide pass to get ahead of the pest. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson says reports have come in from the Milverton area and Eastern Ontario with aphids at or above threshold. It… Read More
What’s the weirdest colour you’ve ever seen a crop turn? This week in Ontario, at least one farmer is reporting very dark straw where the wheat crop was touched by frost in late May. An agronomist also reports purple stems in another area. What the heck is happening here? Never fear, as Peter “Wheat Pete”… Read More
Ontario farmers are well into wheat harvest now, though rain is holding things up, while the west eyes an approaching harvest few are looking forward to. As we shift to thinking about harvest, it also means it’s time to think about setting up for success for next year, and that starts at the combine. Joining… Read More
Some Ontario edible bean and soybean fields are being hard hit by root rots, causing large patches of dead, dying, or highly stressed plants. The recent hard rains in some areas of the province have favoured root rot infection. Depressions or areas of high compaction or poor drainage tend to show the worst symptoms. Poor… Read More
Wheat harvest is 10 days earlier for many Ontario wheat growers, and that opens a window of opportunity to plant double crop soybeans. But that window will close quickly. When it comes to double cropping success, there are plenty of best management practices to consider. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist… Read More
Normally a week or so behind the winter barley crop, Ontario farmers are nosing into the wheat harvest a little early as the two crops are ready at about the same time. From an aphid alert on soybeans, to sneaky root rots, and potash deficiency showing up in corn, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has the… Read More
Recent weather events in parts of Ontario have really flattened some wheat crops. There’s an awesome crop out there, but harvesting it will now be much more difficult. In this episode of the Wheat School, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson talks about combine set-ups, the possibility of applying a pre-harvest burndown, and is later joined by… Read More
Lodged crops, flooded crops, and burning crops — there’s no shortage of crops under stress this week in Canada. Of course, there are also some tall, fast-growing corn crops, and in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is covering the top agronomy questions of the week. From available nitrogen causing some issues to… Read More
We’ve got a jam-packed Agronomic Monday for you today. On today’s episode of RealAg Radio, you’ll hear from: Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy extension specialist with Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, on heat stress and pests in wheat; Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson on shoulder-high corn, wild weather in Ontario, and drowned edible bean crops; and, Jaeda Hoppe,… Read More
The weather continues to deliver some real disappointment but also hope for farmers across Canada. In Ontario, a late May frost was bad enough, but mid-week saw night time temps dip low enough again to hurt crop on muck soils. Other areas hard up for moisture got perhaps too much rain all at once. For… Read More