Ontario is dotted with fields of "wimpy wheat." That's what RealAgriculture agronomist, Peter Johnson is calling late-emerging, thin, spindly winter wheat that lacks vigour and did not tiller. In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Johnson explains these plants are simply suffering from cold injury after a rugged Ontario fall and an equally tumultuous spring... Read More
Category: Crops
Many fields in Western Canada are starting to see the emergence of canola cotyledons, making it prime time to start scouting, and assessing stand establishment. In this Canola School, Autumn Barnes, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says her favourite trick for assessing stand establishment is to use her bright yellow hula hoop.... Read More
Frustration is brewing among farmers as changes to the Advanced Payment Program (APP) have yet to happen. The increase to $1 million cap from the previous $400,000 was announced more than three weeks ago. Scott Keller, farmer from New Norway, Alta., took to Twitter on Wednesday calling on the federal government to do something about... Read More
By Sean Mitchell and Dr. Alfons Weersink As wet planting conditions persist across Ontario, many growers have switching on their mind: should they switch to shorter-season corn hybrids or even leave corn in the bag and plant soybeans? From an economic perspective, the best choice is likely to switch to shorter-season corn with lower heat... Read More
If you grow winter wheat in Ontario, chances are wet weather chased you out of the field this spring before you applied nitrogen. That's what happened to RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. In this episode of the Wheat School, our resident agronomist compares wheat that received early spring nitrogen to another part of the field where... Read More
Late May means two things in Ontario: black flies and hybrid corn heat unit swaps. While the week's forecast is nothing to write home about, the market wants more corn acres. If you are sticking with corn, and you should, when do you decide to trim back on heat units? The key in capitalizing on... Read More
American President Donald Trump has authorized the department of agriculture to provide up to US$16 billion in assistance program payouts to American farmers. The announcement comes after President Trump directed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to create a relief strategy to support its farmers for the long-run as the country continues a trade war with China.... Read More
The cereal leaf beetle is a relatively new pest of cereals in Alberta, first spotted in 2005. And, if you are Dr. Haley Catton, research scientist in cereal crop entomology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, you'll describe these creatures as a "beautiful, small, jewel-like beetle." Those doing the scouting might not be so enamoured by... Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario are creating a tool to forecast the risk of high concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) in corn crops. The project is being funded by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The tool will be designed to help farmers make early, informed decisions about corn crop risks... Read More
It's a weather market this week, according to Wendy White, manager of grain marketing for Viterra's central region, and there has been a lot of volatility. But, that can be a good thing, if you know how to market your grain. "You've been living under a rock if you haven't heard corn planting (in the... Read More