Soybeans can handle slightly colder temps than corn, but their exposed growing point means that frost damage can be far deadlier and permanent. That seems to be the case across much of Ontario, as farmers head to the fields to assess the full fallout of Saturday morning’s hard frost. In this Soybean School episode, PRIDE… Read More
We’re 72 hours out from the late May frost that occurred across much of Ontario, and farmers are busy scouting corn fields for damage. Thankfully, most farmers and crop scouts are already seeing green signs of re-growth — a welcome sight — but reports are trickling in of badly damaged areas within fields. Why did… Read More
Is your planter ready to roll? Corn planting season will soon be here for growers in Ontario and Western Canada. While it’s been a cool spring in Ontario, an early melt in Western Canada meant some fields were dry enough to plant several weeks ago. However, the date on the calendar and the temperature reading on the soil… Read More
Soil conditions in the heart of the soybean growing area on the eastern prairies have been dry this spring, leading to questions about planting deeper than normal to ensure the seed has access to moisture. This Soybean School West episode takes us to the middle of a windy field near Portage, Man., where Dieter Schwarz of Pride… Read More
With corn planting season around the corner, the annual routine of getting planting units ready for a new growing season is well underway. The planter setup and calibration process should account for the size of corn seed going through the planter, notes Dieter Schwarz of Pride Seeds in this latest Corn School episode. “Look at that bag of… Read More
“When the land is dry, it’s no longer about planning, it’s about execution — it’s our Super Bowl.” That’s a quote from Pride Seeds’ Ken Currah, who caught up with Bernard Tobin for the above Corn School. Currah and Tobin, sheltered from the rain, discussed the importance of preparing for seeding, and having a plan… Read More
In the cattle industry, interest in new corn varieties stems from a desire to increase efficiency and production, whether utilized as a grain source, ensiled or left standing for winter grazing. Ensiled, corn offers high energy, a key to high milk production. And, although much of a silage’s quality is determined by in-field management, harvest… Read More
With reports of the first corn fields being harvested in Manitoba, producers will soon find out the extent to which early frost and Goss’s Wilt reduced yields. Both frost and Goss’s cause premature drydown of the leaves, explains Dieter Schwarz, market development agronomist with Pride Seeds, in this Corn School episode. “Once you’ve lost your green and… Read More
With corn harvest around the corner, the “push test” can help growers assess plant health and whether lodging will be a problem. As part of this episode of the Corn School, Dieter Schwarz, market develop agronomist for Western Canada with Pride Seeds, discusses the importance of plant health right through the dry-down process. Stalk integrity is critical… Read More
The Ontario corn crop’s “slow stagger to maturity” wasn’t helped any last night by an early frost. Lows of -2 degrees C and colder were reported across a large swath of eastern Ontario this morning, though official temps and final area impacted by the frost has yet to be released. (See map below from Weather… Read More
The Real Agriculture team took in the sights and sounds of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show this week at Woodstock, Ontario, and if there was one thing in on the minds of farmers it was the approaching harvest season. There’s more than a little concern about the maturity of the corn and soybean crop, and significant disease… Read More
In this episode of the Corn School, PRIDE Seeds’ market development agronomist Ken Currah takes a look at corn development stages, starting with tasselling and moving through development, to help growers evaluate maturity and yield potential. By tracking hybrids from pollination to the black layer stage, Currah shows how growers can assess each hybrid’s adaptability… Read More
After a cool July that felt more like September, much of Ontario’s corn crop will need a steamy August to make maturity. In this episode of the Corn School, Pride Market Agronomist Ken Currah explains that Ontario’s corn crop is about halfway to maturity and late-planted corn could be flirting with killing frost if Mother… Read More
Growing a bumper crop of corn requires a big meal of plant nutrients. But if you’re going to feed a hulk of a plant, you’ve got to make sure you protect it too. Fungicides may not always be warranted, but if the yield potential is there and conditions are right for disease development, a fungicide… Read More
If you’ve been drooling over the neighbour’s corn field and wondering how they managed to get such a nice looking crop, wonder no more! As Aaron Stevanus, market agronomist with PRIDE Seeds, shows us in this Corn School episode, the wins of this spring are a combination of timing, patience, homework and, yes, luck. From… Read More