Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas and all the best in the new year.

January brings days and days of agronomy meetings for me, so check back in a few weeks to see what's new in Ontario Ag for 2013.

Thank you!

 

I just wanted to tip my hat (or have Bree do it) to all of you that have ordered seed with Van Roessel Farms for the 2013 season.  I look forward to growing with you next year!

Yellow Wheat

I am sure you have noticed that there are quite a few wheat fields (and rye as well) that have yellow patches or streaks in them.  There are a few different reasons why we are seeing this now.

-Manganese Deficient - Some of the early planted fields are showing manganese deficiency in soils that are prone to it, mainly muck.  Since the plant is near dormancy, there is no use going in with any foliar fertilizer now.  However, take note of the patches and keep an eye on them in the spring.  If symptoms reoccur in the spring, a good time to apply the foliar fertilizer is with your herbicide/fungicide application.

-Compaction - Due to the very wet and cold October that we had, the wheat seedlings have run out of seed nutrient reserves and root growth is very slow.  Compacted areas in the field are further impacting root growth and are showing a broad mix nutrient deficiencies.  This is very evident on manured fields as you can see tire track yellow streaks at regular intervals across the field.  Most areas will recover with a few warm rains in the spring.  Again, it is good to note the areas and check in the spring to determine if there was winter kill.

Wet Corn

A local weather report shows that in the month of October, we had 5 days without rainfall.  If it wasn't so cool out there I would think that climate change was going to result in a tropical rain forest around here.

In August and September, I know that most of us expected to be combining dry corn this fall.  What a surprise to find the corn still quite wet.  In the warm, dryer weather of September it is possible for the grain to dry a point a day.  Average drydown rates are about .4-.8% a day for October.  This year with continued wet weather we were looking at .3% or less a day. Historically, drydown in November is usually so low it is unmeasurable.

So it seems that the blame this year lies with mother nature, however there are other factors that effect grain drydown.  Maybe not so much in 2012, but important to remember when choosing hybrids for next year.

One factor that effect drydown is the timing of physiological maturity.  Two hybrids that differ by one day of relative maturity with usually differ by 1/2 point of moisture if planted on the same day.

And finally, hybrid characteristics effect drydown.  The number, thickness and tightness of the husk leaves effect the rate that moisture leaves the cob.  As well, the rate the husk leaves die effect the moisture leaving the cob.  We saw this on drought stricken fields this year.  Expecting the 50-100bus/ac crop to be dry it was actually quite wet as the stalk and husk leaves had not naturally senesced from the need to fill the grain.  The ear angle and thickness of the kernel pericarp (skin) also effects the drydown rate. 

Look for grain dry down ratings in your Pioneer seed catalogue.  You will see Hybrids like 38M58, P9910XR and P0216AM all have average to above average grain drydown.

On a side note, for the most part the corn that is still out there handled Sandy's wind and rain quite well.  I have seen a few patches in fields that have gone down but nothing like the devastation that I envisioned as I listened to the wind howl Monday night.

Blessed

I think all those in the Seaforth-Mitchell area can say we are blessed this year.  First we were surprised by the soybean yields and now we are seeing some AMAZING corn yields.  Some people in the area have grown their best corn ever this year.  None of us would have seen that coming in July - I know I pegged the crop at 150-180bus/ac.  You don't have to go far to get into those numbers or worse.  In some areas, the average response to corn yield is "I didn't know the yield monitor could go that low".

So, the question is - how do we repeat the big yields next year?  Basically, we can break the yield down into three parts 1) Agronomics 2)Genetics 3)Weather.

1)Agronomics - Yes, we are doing a better job in soil preparation, seed and fertilizer placement, and weed control.  This year, the big advantages were even emergence, tillage that conserved soil moisture, and late weed control as when the rain came so did the weeds. 

2)Genetics - Can I say that a newer corn hybrid will always yield better than an older variety?  No, but I can say that the newer products are much more specific to certain field conditions and when the right product is on the right acre it will out perform the older ones.

3)Weather - The big one.  There is no doubt, if you got the timely rain you are ahead of the pack.  The question is do you gamble and plant all your acres to a 3100HU drought tolerant Hybrid in 2013?  Notice the word gamble.  We have no clue if we will have a repeat performance of 2012 next year. 

Are we in a trend of increasing Heat Units?  I think so.  By growing all 2700 HU corn and soys, I do believe you are giving up yield.  On the safe side, pushing at least 2900HU on some acres should work out.

So in the end, what do we plan on for next year?  We pick hybrids and varieties by field, and spread out risk with different maturities.  The right product for the right acre.

There are quite a few plots off, and lots more to go.  Be sure to check out  https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/ca to see the plots that have been uploaded.  For our area, P9855HR has handled the drought well, P9910XR is showing great and P0216AM-R is leading the pack.  Keep and eye out for the new earlier hybrids P9329HR and P9411HR as well.

The View from Here

This was a conversation I had the other day with my eight year old son Cole:

Cole - Mom, when I get older I want to do what you do.

Me -  That's great, why? (thinking that this is wonderful and his answer will be that he wants to be involved in agriculture, find better ways to grow more food, and take pride in what he is doing)

Cole - It looks like fun.  You get to tour around on a four wheeler, ride in combines and talk on an iphone.

Me - yep, that about sums it up.

A quick look wouldn't hurt

I've been popping in and out of a few corn fields this week, and there has been some chatter in the country side about odd things happening in the field. A few things:

Cobs on the Ground: yes in some areas there is some cobs dropping. It is not as much variety specific as it is area specific. It seems to be much more prevalent in areas that were very drought stressed. If you are seeing some, as a rule of thumb on a 150bus crop at 30,000 pop with 200 cobs/ac on the ground would be a loss of a bushel of corn.

Another aspect of cob drop is weak shanks. Due to the draught and cannibalization, the shanks were weakened and the cobs prematurely dropped down. This pinched the shank and cut off the nutrient flow to the kernels. This could result in lower test weight.

Weak stalks: Some early samples of silage are coming back low on fibre. This correlates to the weak stalks that I am seeing in the fields. Since the plant was under stress it cannibalized the fibre in the stalk to feed the cob. Some very stressed fields are starting to break down. It would be a good idea to go thru your fields and do the push test to evaluate which fields should be harvested first.

Mould: yes there is mould showing up on the cobs. Since the crop was under stress, the mould is taking advantage of it. The good news is that not all mould raises VOM levels. OMAFRA took 171 samples from across Ontario and only 6 showed VOM over 2ppm and none over 3ppm. 23 were between 1/2 and 2ppm. The full report can be found here: http://fieldcropnews.com/2012/10/2012-grain-corn-ear-mould-and-vomitoxin-survey/corndonlevels_20121001_2/

If you are concerned about VOM please let me know and I can arrange to have your corn tested.

If you have any concerns about your corn fields, please let me know.

And finally - It's early into the area corn harvest but so far we are seeing respectable corn yields!!!!
There are area fields of P0216 that were lucky to get a good rain in early July running over 220bus/ac.  Even fields that may have not received as much moisture are looking ok with yields over  180bus/ac. 

Stayin' Green, Poppin' Pods and Droppin' Ears

This past week I traveled North, into the heart of the drought.  When I took a look around, I was surprised to see that while from the road the soys looked ready there were very few combines rolling.  The drought stunted corn still looked quite green.  The edibles were very slowly maturing.

I would have thought that since it had been so dry, the crops would have matured early and harvest would be in full swing.

I have to thank fellow Pioneer rep Russ Barker for helping me figure this one out.  In dry areas, the grain is maturing but the plant is not.  To rapidly dry down the plant, we need large "sinks" of grain to pull the carbohydrates out of the leaves and stems.  A plant that aborted half it's pods or with half the kernels not pollinated, will slowly die but it takes much longer than an average crop.

Another sight I have seen this week is pod shatter in soy beans.  In most places that soys were dry and spider mite infected, the pods are weak and are shattering once dry.  Approx 4 beans per square foot is a bushel lost.  Weigh your options when considering shatter vs green stems. 

Along with the shatter in soys, another aspect of the drought is ear drop in corn.  This year in some areas the shank of the ear was weakened due to the drought and the ear dropped.  Since the shaft was kinked, the flow of carbohydrates to the kernels was cut off and the ear matured early.  These cobs have loose, small kernels and will probably have a lighter test weight.  Watch that these cobs don't start to drop completely off the stalk as the fall progresses.  2 kernels of corn per square foot or 100 average sized cobs per acre equals a bushel of corn.  Check on the cobs and prioritize your fields for harvest.

Picking My Battles

With the wheat coming of so early this year and the drought breaking late July, conditions have resulting in some very challenging weed situations in the wheat stubble fields. 

 

Two weeks after harvest, with a bit of rain to get it going, Perennial Sow Thistle had started to bloom but the volunteer wheat was not all up yet.  Regardless of the early date, since the best time to go after the Sow Thistle is bud stage, I hit it with a few different mixes the first week of August.  One plot received Glyphosate and Banvel, another plot got Glyphosate, Estraprop and AMS.  Between the two, so far I can't see any differences in control.  I would estimate 85% control of the Sow Thistle, but we will see how it looks in the spring. 

 

Now my problem is this:

 

The field has greened up again with volunteer wheat.  Yes, now I will have to focus on tillage to control it before next years corn and possibly make a preplant pass of straight glyphosate in the spring but I had to choose my battles to win the war.  Since the timing was right for the sow thistle, I got reasonable control at the time and had I waited to let the wheat come up the sow thistle would have gone to seed and I'd be fighting more of it next year.

 

 

 

 

2013 Seed

There is lots of talk out in the country side about the seed supply for 2013. 

There are rumours of some picked seed corn fields in the midwest coming in at 30 bus/ac.  A thirty bus corn crop compared to a 150 bus corn crop have very different seed sizes.  In the drought stressed field, you end up with a lot of large rounds, and a lot of cull seeds so you may be down to 15 usable bus/ac.

Now for the good news - well over half of Pioneer's North American seed production is irrigated.  Seed fields in southwest Ontario are variable but over all caught more rain than we did here.  Pioneer is also ramping up winter production in South America to maintain supply.

So for most hybrids, supply will be ok.  Of course there are going to be a few hybrids that due to the location the seed is produced, parental lines or seed size, there may be lower supply available.  If there is a variety that you really want for next year, my advice would be to speak for it early.  Keep in touch with your Pioneer rep.

What now?

It rained, the temps have cooled down and the spider mites are still moving around on the crops.  Although the crops look a little healthier from their reprieve, and the mites look a little slower, I was still a little nervous about the numbers I was seeing.  However, Peter Johnston has assured Ontario through Twitter that the Spider Mite threat for Ontario is over as long as the moisture and cool weather stays (the 14 day shows it will).  If it does get hot and dry again and your soys have not reached R6 yet (at least one out of the top 4 pods has beans filling the pod), I would get back out there and take a look.

Enough of Spider Mites, now on to the next bug - it is 2012 you know.

There are a few Green Stink Bugs being found in area soy bean fields.  Below is a picture of the nymph.  The bugs pierce the pod and feed on the juices of the bean.  As a result, the beans can become shriveled and deformed.  Also the pierce injury is a pathway for disease to infect the seed. Control could be warranted in IP soys if there is 1 stink bug found per foot of row in 30" or  .2 bugs per sweep in narrow rowed or solid seeded soys.  This threshold is to the end of R6.



Another bug being found in some area dry bean fields is Western Bean Cutworm.  Since the peak flight of the moths was after the corn tasseled, they may have laid their eggs in dry bean fields instead.  Once the eggs hatch the larva will start to feed on the pods and eventually make a home in a rolled up leaf.  No one at OMAFRA or any of the dry bean growing state extension offices have come up with a reliable way to scout for the bug and thresholds.  It's a gut reaction on this one whether or not you spray.  The one good thing about 2012 is that the trap counts during the peak moth flight across Ontario were considerably less than last year.

Below is a picture of Western Bean Cutworm Larval feeding on Dry Beans.


Good luck with this round of bugs.  If we get a swarm Locust next, I'm packing my bags and am out of here!

I think I had better get new glasses....

Below is what I have been looking at for three weeks now.  Out standing in a field, looking at a white sheet of paper in the bright sunshine.  Squinting to see what is moving around on it. 

Spider Mites seem to be everywhere this year.  In the soys, corn and edibles too.  Nothing is more fun than walking through a corn field and realizing that the leaves that are hitting your face are covered in mites.

Anyways, enough of my complaining.  As I type this, we have had a good 8 hours of rain and it looks like we should be in for another day or so of it with cooler temps.  So what does this mean to the mite population?  Below are a few links to articles that I found today. 

http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/Management/pdfs/A3890.pdf

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/field506.html

http://www.soybeans.umn.edu/crop/insects/spider_mites.htm

The Cole's notes version:  While this weather we are getting may give us some fungi help, scout your fields again on Monday. 

What the Drought is Teaching Me

I'm pretty sure that in the next 10 to 20 years, 2012 is going to come up in a lot of agricultural conversations. 

I was alive in 1988, I just wasn't scouting fields then (and I'm not going to tell you how old I was).  So this extreme dry weather is a little new to me.  A few things that I have learned so far this summer:

1) Watching the radar is like watching a pot to boil.  It was perhaps not a good idea for me to get a smart phone this year as when there is some rain on the map, I am checking the radar every ten minutes.

2) Spider mites will feed on any crop, not just soy beans.  I have found them in Kidney Beans this year and have been told that they can be found in corn too.  I have also learned a scouting tip this year, the first place that you will see spider mites entering the field is beside mowed ditches.  I knew that there was a good reason why I wasn't cutting the ditches this year (other than it's been too brutally hot to do it).

3) Nitrates can accumulate in not only silage corn but also some weeds like Pigweed and Lambsquarters.  Please everyone who is filling silo this year, be careful if you are chopping stressed corn.  It is a safe be to say that nitrates will be in the plant for 7-10 days after a rainfall event on stressed corn.  That is not to say that after 10 days you can ignore it, please be cautious of silo gas!

4) To check for pollination before the corn in blistered (10 days after pollination) , do the shake test.  carefully peel back the husk and gently shake the cob.  If the silks are loose, they have been pollinated.  If they are still attached, they have not yet been pollinated.  The pollen does not have to fall directly on the end of the silk, there are some openings along the silk that it can get in.  This is important as this year, some of the silks are getting singed on the ends by the hot weather.

5) Another one on silks.  Long silks are not actually a good thing.  Once pollinated, the silk will stop growing.  If it is not pollinated, the silk will keep growing, trying to find pollen.

6) Aphids do not like high temperatures.  We have all been bracing ourselves for the invasion of the soybean aphids but so far it is all calm on that front.  Why?  Well the theory is that with the high temperatures that we have been having, the aphids are not able to increase their numbers.  I guess there is a silver lining to this muggy, hot cloud.

7) Soybeans are plastic.  As in, they are very flexible.  Although we have not received our good drenching yet, to the south and near KW, they have and the soys that were shutdown due to drought have started to flower again and an are producing a great top cluster of pods. 

7) Finally, the markets are more turbulent than ever.  As I write this blog, soybeans are down limit and corn and wheat are not so great either.  Yes the markets have been on a roll with every crop report that comes from the midwest but I really don't think that now is the time to be focused on hitting the very top of the market.  Evaluate your crop, sell carefully, be happy with your price, and don't let this boat sail by as you wait for the bigger one that may not show up.

Here's hoping that by the time I write my next blog entry we all get that million dollar rain we are in so much need of.

2012: The Year of The Bug

It's starting to look like the predictions for an increase in insect activity due to the mild winter are correct. 

Army Worm

I think I can say on behalf of all in the area ag industry ENOUGH WITH THE ARMY WORM! 

Winter wheat fields have matured to a safe stage to withstand feeding.  Actually, the worms have left most fields as the leaves are not pallatable.  The only reason to keep an eye on the field is if there is still a very large population of worms present and head clipping is happening but it is very rare.

Still keep an eye on spring grains, pastures, and corn fields for Army Worm.  In most cases in the area, the only damage to corn fields were the outside rounds close to hay fields and wheat fields with high worm populations. 

Aphids

There are scattered reports through Ontario that Aphids are being found on Soy Beans.  Numbers I have heard are up to 25 per plant.  Threshold is 250 per plant and INCREASING.  With aphids, it is important to keep an eye on how the benificial insects are handling the population.  If you spray too early for the aphids, you will wipe the benificial population out and the aphids will quickly ramp up again without the competion from the benificials.  This year, there were already quite a few benficials in the wheat that will hopefully move on to the soybeans.

Leaf Hoppers

It's been a few years since Leaf Hoppers have beem a big problem in the area.  With Cruiser Max seed treatment, leaf hoppers are kept at bay for 5-6 weeks after planting edibles.  By then, hopefully the plants are big enough to withstand some feeding.  Populations are higher this year, so keep an eye on any untreated seed fields and fields that are just at that 5-6 week mark.

Western Bean Cutworm

The first moth was captured a few weeks ago near Alymer.  You can keep an eye on the weekly trap maps here : http://www.cornpest.ca/index.cfm/wbc-trap-network/weekly-maps-of-wbc-trap-catches/southern-ontario/

Well, I hope that is all but am sure it won't be.  I won't rule out spider mites if this weather stays hot and dry. And don't forget about the odd Bean Leaf Beetle and Stink bug!  OMAFRA's bug Blog can be found here : http://fieldcropnews.com/category/bautebugblog/

A little over due (sorry)

Wow, it has been a busy last few weeks! Sorry I haven't updated more. I'll get to some findings in the field but first I wanted to prove to you that I have been working, not laying on a beach somewhere.

As you can see, you don't have to go too far to find some very dry fields. I have also learned that sunscreen loves dust.

This ones just for fun, never thought I would get such a funny tan line in my hands but I guess having your hand curled around the handle bars over a few acres will do this.

So as you saw, I have been out in the fields.

Lots of checking on army worm. Fields in the area are just on the cusp of being mature enough to handle the damage. Also watch your days till harvest interval if you are spraying. Keep an eye on corn, spring grains and pastures adjacent to hay fields and heavily infected wheat fields as the worms are marching.

You may have noticed some yellowish,burnt soybean fields in the last week, especially on the overlaps. The picture below doesn't show much of the burning but the cotyledons are quite speckled.  With the much needed rain, soil applied chemicals have temporarily overwhelmed the soybean plant. Most of the time the plant will grow out of it. Expect more yellow soy fields in the next week or so as rescue post chemicals are being applied and will give a burn. I call these sprays "vacation sprays" because you should go on a vacation for two weeks and then look at the field again. The burn does not usually do harm, in some cases it is thought that it gives the soys a yield bump as it kick starts the plants reproductive growth.

And finally, will the corn be waist high by the first of July? Is it out of the question this year? I don't think so in some fields. With maximum light interception by the longest day of the year and a nice deep root system from the dry spring, things are looking good for the fall!

If it's not one thing, it's another....

Looks like the Army Worms are here a little early.  At the moment, they are being found anywhere it seems from Highway 8 south.  We'll see where they march to.

I would advise you to get out and scout your wheat fields as soon as possible.  First look for feeding on the leaves.  Big bites out of the leaves are a sign that there is army worms in the field.

The best time to scout for the worms is at dusk, when they more up the plant to feed.  On a bright sunny day, the army worms will be curled up on the ground, under some trash.  On an overcast day, grab a handful of plants at the top and shake the stems, see what falls down to the ground. 

Threshold is reached when there are more than 5 army worms per square foot or 19" of row.  Most of the army worms that I saw today were very small, under 1 cm long.  It is important that if your field is over threshold that you apply an insecticide now because as these guys grow, they are going to continue to eat!  Insecticides that work include Matador, Sevin and Lannate.  Talk to your retail for more info on them.  High water volume, high pressure and medium droplets are important for best coverage.

You can see below, fields are getting applications of insecticides now.  This was outside Exeter today.

Bent out of Shape

Finally, a good rain! We were all hoping for it but it has caused some problems too.

Below is a picture I took today. This field received about two inches of rain in the last week and experienced the winds on Friday. Due to a combination of rapid growth from the much needed rain and strong winds at the start of elongation, some plants have a good twist or bend to them. The new leaves are also a lighter shade of green, a result of the plant growing so fast.

It seems a little varietal specific. In the past when I have seen this, the corn usually grows out of it in a few days. Keep an eye on your field and let me know if it doesn't straighten out.

Dusty Days

Here's a little of what I saw this week:

1) Dust effects on post chemical applications, mainly glyphosate. With all this dry weather, the dust is playing havoc with weed control. Glyphosate is very sensitive to dust. You can see the effect in the picture below, the sprayed rounded the corner throwing up dust behind the wheels and the glyphosate was deactivated before it could get on the weeds.

2) Another effect of the dry weather is the control of Lambsquarters. The dryness had hardened off the weed, and lots of calcium and magnesium deposits have formed on the top side of the leaves, making sprays like glyphosate roll right off. Mike Cowbrough with OMAFRA has done some work on it, you can find more at this link: http://beready.caseih.com/available-land/lambsquarters-research-yields-unusual-results/.  What may give you a better chance of control when using glyphosate on these Lambsquarters is to increase your water volume, apply after a rain when the plant is actively growing and apply in the early morning before the heat of the day.

3) Here's a bonus to the addition of Broadstrike RC to Boundary applications.  Not only are you getting increased control but it does a nice job on Horse Tail too.  It won't kill it out completely but will hold it back for the beans to get ahead of it.

4)  There are reports of some different bugs being found in area wheat fields including: Cereal Leaf Beetle, Aphids and Army Worm.  Below is a picture of some aphids I found.  They were the only ones that I found in the field, but it would be a good idea to scout your wheat for insects this year with the weather that we are having.  Here is some info from OMAFRA to help: http://fieldcropnews.com/2012/05/wbc-trapps-grubs-and-more-is-this-really-may/

So that's what a wheat flower looks like...

The next week is going to be a very busy time for area wheat growers.  Although the tap has been turned off for most of the last two months, it looks like Mother Nature is going to share the rain with us just when we don't want it.  Warm, humid days with the odd thunderstorm are just the type of weather than Fusarium Head Blight loves.  Even without the moisture, some fields are in need of a fungicide application for Stripe Rust control.

Below is the staging guide for Prosaro from Bayer.  You want to spray when the majority of the heads begin to show small yellow flowers in the middle of the head.  If the flowers have turned grey and falling to the ground, you are too late.  Check you fields daily as the wheat can move quickly with the warmth and chance of moisture we are to get.

Frosty

There was a light frost over night Wednesday night and I saw a little damage in the fields yesterday.  Most corn plants had some yellow/brown leaf tips but a few showed the typical watersoaked, dark leave damage from a frost.  No worries though, a corn plant's growing point is below the ground until the fourth leaf.

Last night the temperature got down to 2C.  For best weed control, I would try to have 24 hours over 5C.  It looks like we will be having that this weekend!

A Farmer's Work is Never Done.

It's May 16th. The corn is up, the soys are in the ground, the wheat herbicide is down. Edibles will go soon, then what? You might actually be able to take week off! Not quite.

There are reports of wheat in the Chatham Kent area receiving their fusarium control. Below is a pic of the most advanced wheat I could find in the area. It is almost in the boot stage and with the warm weather forecasted for the weekend, it will be in head next week and due for some Caramba or Prosaro. Either or, the choice is yours. Efficacy is the same for both, price and programs will make the difference. More importantly are the nozzles you are using. Front and back facing is a must for good head coverage. Anything else for nozzles and you are wasting your money.

The other thing to keep you busy are some early weed escapes.  We are in a pocket of some drier ground than most of Ontario.  With the dry weather, soil applied chemistry has not been activated in all fields.  Even with a setup residual application on RR corn,  you need to be keeping and eye out for annuals that will need control before the corn gets to 6-8 leaf.

Hello Beautiful

Every morning on my drive to work there are more fields of corn out of the ground than the morning before.

So far, the fields that I have been in look good for population. I am hearing some reports that corn planted the first week of April is needing some replants. Not sure of acres effected though.

No fields of soys up yet but this morning I checked a field planted Thursday May 3. The knuckle was 1/4" below the surface. They'll be popping out of the ground in a day or two.

The wheat is jumping with the temps and moisture that we are getting. Some fields are pushing the flag out. There is a little bit of powdery mildew found on the lower leaves and stems so keep an eye on your fields. Weed control is just wrapping up.

Last night, with a few hour window of dry-ish dirt, we got my Pioneer corn plot in. I'm excited to see how the plot does on our no-till ground. As we were putting it in, Wylie and his wife came out to see us. These guys have no fear!

Opportunity Knocks

Time to take advantage of an opportunity. Since the wheat growth has stalled this spring, the sow thistle is emerging with the annuals. In the pic below you'll see a nice array of weeds that are prime for some control. If you have heavy sow thistle in a field, think about using some Peak (Peak only, not Peak plus) in the tank.  Talk to your retail for tank mix options. It won't kill the sow thistle completely but it will hold it back. If the field is really heavy, consider a pre harvest on the wheat as well.

Tangled

Found a few of these little guys today. It reminded me of a wheat field I saw a few years ago. It was early July, the wheat was golden and was covered in vetch that was in full bloom. A beautiful combination of gold, green and purple - would have made a nice post card pic. However, not sure if the guy in the combine thought so. I'm sure he had a few choice words.

Trophy is the herbicide of choice to go after vetch in wheat. A word of caution though, speaking with the NuFarm rep today I found out that Trophy needs at least a min temp of 8C 24 hours before and after to have good control on vetch. A min temp of even 5C could decrease control by 25%.

Caution: Worms at Work

Now, because the wheat fields I was in today were so clean they were boring - I started to notice how much work the worms have been doing this spring. Check out this pic.

These piles of residue are called worm middens. Under each pile is a worm hole. Middens are used for protection of the night crawler and as a food source.

Middens can tell us a lot about the health of your soil. The more worm activity the better. The average moldboard plowed field has about 13 middens/sq m while a no till field has about 75 middens/sq m.

Next time your out standing in your field take a look and see if your worms are at work.

Still got your dirt?

Wow, was it ever windy on Monday! My eyes are still stinging from all the dust in the air. I was told out by Zurich, there was hesitation to send the school buses home as visibility was so bad. I was thankful that my own fields are notill, we kept our dirt and maybe even gained some.

So today I am trying something new. I have a new phone and am trying to blog directly from it. Sorry if the format looks a little off, I need to play with it a little.

Here's a pic of some April 9th planted corn. Looking pretty good. Soil temperatures have been fairly constant over 50F and there is moisture there as the field got about 2/10's on the weekend.

I was also in a field of September planted wheat today. It's at growth stage 31 ( first node) and very thick. There is very little disease pressure, I only found some septoria on the dead winter leaves. Weed pressure in this field is low but come next week, it will be time to start scouting your wheat fields for herbicide and fungicide application. There are a few cool nights forecasted until the middle of next week and then it will be time to get over the wheat. To avoid damage, I try to avoid any applications 2-3 days
before and after a <5C night.

One other note. If you are still in need of any corn seed, please let me know as soon as possible. I have a good supply of top 2800HU+ seed and some seed available that is less than 2800HU.

It's Go Time!

Optimum corn planting time for the highest yields is in the later part of April. We are nearly there and the local conditions are excellent.

Reason number one: Anything above 50F is perfect. An old farmer's tale is that it is safe to plant corn when you can sit bare bottomed on the soil. I wasn't about to do that and was defiantly not going to post a pic of that so I took my thermometer to the field.


Reason number two: The trees are all budding out now. Yes, some got frosted off a few weeks ago but now everything is breaking dormancy.


Reason number three: The ground is working up perfectly. For the winter we had, I am shocked at how well the ground is working.

Reason number four: The long term forecast only has a small dip towards 0C early next week and then it is an upward trend from there.

Good Luck and Safe Planting!

Brrrrr

I have to apologize for my absence on here. My Dad had some health problems and was day by day for the last little while. His is on the mend now, the stubborn Dutch farmer in him got him through. He has a long recovery ahead but hopefully all will be well by the summer so he can get back on the golf course.

Quite a bit has happened in the last few weeks. Most notable is a few very COLD nights. The beautiful green wheat and alfalfa has taken a hit but should recover. Below is a pic of the worst I have seen. It was on muck and it had about 3 tillers. It had N applied before the frost. You can see in the pic that all the leaves are burnt off but there is still life in the stem. When sliced open, the growing point is light green-white. It may look tough for a while but should come thru.



I was out in my alfalfa last night. I have to admit, I was worried the last few days about it as it turned a pasty yellow and lied right down. Yesterday, it started to recover and stand back up. The stems are still green and new leaves are growing. I still expect first cut to be on track if the weather cooperates between now and then.

As for the corn, keep it in the bag a little longer please! Ontario's seed supply of corn is very tight and if we have to replant acres of corn, you may be stuck with no seed and a field unsuitable for much else due to N and residual chemicals.

What I saw in the fields on the first day of spring.

I spent the day out on the four wheeler soil sampling. I'd be lying if I said I didn't plan this for today when I saw that it was going to be 24C. What a beautiful day and I am only slightly sun burnt.

The first field I went to was mostly muck. Still quite wet in spots so I had to be careful where I drove. I was amazed to see the amount of Lambsquarters that had emerged on the warm dark muck soil. The chickweed was flowering already, the fleabane and dandelions looked like winter hadn't touched them.

The second and third fields were mostly clay loam. Only a scattering of annuals at the cotyledon stage but enough sow thistle to be worried about. The sow thistle as well looked like winter never slowed it down. These fields were drying off nicely and the dust was flying as I drove over them.

My concern after seeing the amount of weeds emerged is that we had better keep an eye on any fields that will not be planted till late May or June. Not a good idea to let the weeds get too big before burning them off. However, if the sow thistle is growing now, a couple of L of glyphosate might do a good job setting it back for the year.

I apologize for no pics of what I saw today. Soon I'm going to be toting a smartphone along with me and I will truly be blogging while outstanding in a field.

N on wheat

Wow this weather is amazing! The wheat is loving it. I took a stroll thru a few fields the other day and overall, the wheat looks really good.

There has been a lot of chatter in the paper and online about N on wheat. Here's my Cole's notes version:

-Frost application on dormant wheat. A study out of the US shows no response to the N applied at this time and increase risk of leaching.

-Split application with 30-40lb N applied early on growing wheat with the rest followed later in April. For tillered, well established wheat OMAFRA trials have shown no yield response. For non tillered wheat, there is about a 4 bus yield response.

-Rates. Take a look at how thick your stand is and the lodging score for the variety you have planted. If your stand is well tillered and has a low lodging score, use caution when selecting your rate.

-Sulphur. We are still receiving about 10lb/ac of Sulphur from the atmosphere. Wheat needs about 15lbs, so if you want to experiment with some sulphur in the blend don't go over 5lb/ac.

Now get out there and enjoy this weather!

Set for Snow...

Last night while watching TV, there were quite a few tornado warnings for Michigan streaming at the bottom of the screen. After last summer's F3 in nearby Goderich, nervous me went to the Exeter radar page and had a look, and then freaked. There's a lot of purple in it! I watched it moving across the screen for a few minutes, debating whether or not to wake the kids up at 11pm to head for the basement. What to do, what to do? There were no warnings issued for the area yet, was Environment Canada missing something?

And then I saw it - Precip: Snow.


http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html?id=WSO

I believe I warned you all about this previously on my blog about useful websites. At this time of year, the radar is still switched to snow so any precipitation coming down as rain shows up much heavier than it really is. Good thing I took my own advice (insert sarcasm here).

Ontario Weather Lore

I once worked with a a true "bushman". This older gentleman could tell you what the weather was going to be for the next six months by when a certain bird returned from the south, the colouring of a caterpillars back or the stars in the sky. Sadly, this man is no longer with us and I regret not learning more from him. Here is a few tidbits that I have picked up over the years - no guarantee of accuracy though!

Ring around the moon - Some nights, you may notice a faint ring around the moon. Count the stars visible in the ring, that is how many days till rain or snow. If there are no stars visible, you'll see rain in the next 24 hours. I find that this one is actually quite accurate. The ring has to do with the moisture in the air.

The underside of a leaf - If a tree's leaves are flipping over in the wind and showing their undersides, rain is coming soon.

Low flying swallows - If the barn swallows are flying low and fast, there is a storm coming. The change in air pressure is pushing the the flying insects down towards the ground and the swallows are feasting on them.

High clouds - The higher the clouds, the better the weather for the next day or so.

Pasture animals - If it starts to rain and the pasture animals stay out in it, the rain will be a long one. If they head for cover, the rain will be short.

The morning dew - a heavy dew in the morning predicts clear weather while the lack of dew predicts rain that day.

Winter and animals - There is lots of lore about the thickness of different animals coats and the severity of the coming winter. Not sure if I can vouch for any of that lore. I do find the best indicator of spring is when the horses and cows start to shed, spring is here for good.

Of course the return of the robin and the tundra swans to this area is a pretty good indicator of spring, but we've all seen them freezing their tails off in an April snowstorm too!

If you have any other interesting weather lore, please share!

Winter Wheat Stand Assessment

Have you checked out the 14 day forecast? Not a flake in sight and temperatures are showing a very upward trend.

So first things first. Once the snow is gone and the field dries a little, it's time to take a good look at your wheat.

-take a walk over the field with your trowel. Dig up a few plants here and there and look at the roots and crown. Are the roots clinging to the dirt? Are the roots a whitish colour? When the crown is cut open, is it whitish green? If the roots and crown are brown in colour... you might have a problem. If time allows, bring a few shovel fulls of wheat inside and watch for growth over the next 5 to 7 days.

-now take a stand count. Not just a plant count but a HEALTHY plant count. Those ones with brown roots, heaved out of the soil or dead crowns should not count. Average your stand counts over the entire field.

-compare your counts to OMAFRA's Stand assessment chart found at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croppest/2007/01cpo07a5.htm
Even with 7 healthy plants per foot of row, you can still expect a yield potential of 68 to 81 bus/ac depending on planting time.

-If the field is marginal, give it some time if you can. A warm rain and a week of warm weather can make a huge difference. If the field would be going into corn anyways, try applying 30 or 40lb of N to see if it will help. Fields with few tillers can benefit from an early split ap of N to get things growing and promote some early spring tillering. Of course, N application should wait till the fields are fit and the plants have started to grow again so that they can actually use the Nitrogen.

-For a second opinion, ask you seed rep or crop insurance agent to have a look.

Random Thoughts by Joanna Wallace

Not quite as humorous as the old SNL bits but good enough for a stormy Feb 29th.

*Other than planter settings, seed size does not really effect yield. Yes, if your planter is throwing out a lot of doubles or skips, you yield will be impacted but if everything is working perfectly with a small round or a large flat, there is no difference. Theoretically, a larger seed may provide extra starch reserves for a seedling in wet cool weather, or a smaller seed may germinate faster than a larger seed in dry weather due to a thinner seed coat but there has never been any consecutive studies with a statistical yield difference to prove it.

*I can't tell you how many times I have heard "but it's a leap year you know" when referring to the upcoming growing season. OK, so 1992 was a leap year too, but 2009 and 2011 weren't so maybe we'll luck out with this one.

*How early is too early to get things started in the field? The next time the fields are bare, it's a great time to get some clover down on the wheat or to try frost seeding spring grains if the field is fit. Hold off on Nitrogen on the wheat starts to green up and can actually use it. As for corn, the risk of frost damaging corn planted after April 15th is relatively low compared to the potential yield increase for planting full season hybrids early. Soys can be planted anytime after the 20th of April if the conditions are right.

*Did you know that if you compare applications of 5000gal/ac of Hog finisher manure in Aug compared to Nov; there is 53lb/ac more of N available for the following years corn crop? At $0.70/lb N that is a $37/ac savings in fertilizer if you can hold off on the application till the late fall. Try out your manure numbers on the Ontario manure calculator at www.gocorn.net.

*We cleaned up our act too much! With all the clean air initiatives, we are no longer seeing sulphur being deposited on our fields by acid rain. It used to be that we saw up to 30lb/ac a year deposited, now we are lucky to get 10lb/ac. Under the wet conditions of last year, sulphur deficiency was showing in the wheat crop. This year, there will be lots of experimenting with mixing ammonium sulphate with urea, and ammonium thiosulphate with their 28%. Watch for results this fall.

Enough randomness, Jack Handy would be proud.

Starter Considerations

Let's face it, we in Ontario are in a bind. With the higher fertilizer prices and bigger yeilds over the last few years we are on average taking more P&K out of our soils than we are putting back in. If you did any soil sampling last fall, you may have had a shock when you looked at the results. Province wide, 31% of soil tests are critical for P and 49% are critical for K. We've spent the savings, now it's time to start making some deposits again.

So how do we do that in an economical way? With less fields having an available source of livestock manure, it is expected that we will see a decline in values and a shift to the sufficiancy fertilizer program rather than the build and maintain program of past years. The problem is, to simply broadcast sufficiancy amounts of P&K on critical level soils, you are probably not going to see an economic response. A starter fertilizer needs to be placed for the seedling to use it, and K included if levels are low. The remainder of the fertilizer needed can be broadcasted.

In the last few years, Greg Stewart has done a fair bit of research on critical testing soils (>12 PPM P and >120 PPM K). You can google his research online, but to sum it up - at P&K soil test levels, a granular P&K blend of something like 5-20-20 at 200lb/ac in a 2x2 band is going to give you the biggest yield increase. Followed by 75lb/ac Map only or 5 gal 6-24-6.

Take it a step further and start considering pH and Zinc levels. If your pH is high, the addition of Zinc Sulphate into your dry starter will lower the pH in the band. By lowering the pH, the phosphorous will become more available to the seedling and the micronutrient Zinc will be more available in the band than broadcast. You can also add Zinc to your 6-24-6, however, make sure it is compatible prior to mixing. Also, liquid zinc is more expensive than the dry.

It's Feb 27th - who knows, we could be planting corn in a month and you'll need to have your starter ready! Stranger things have happened.

A First for Everything

So today was a first for me. It is the first time that I have scouted fields in February. Normally, we have about 3 feet of snow on the ground and I don't even think about going out there until at least the end of March. However, there's no snow to be found, the frost made it easy to walk over the fields and I needed to see if it is worth it to spread clover on the November planted wheat.

I started at the worst looking field and meandered my way to the best. Here is what I saw:



November 5th soft red wheat no tilled into soy stubble. Not bad, it's there. Did not find any tillers but they could still come with this weather. The only heaving was found in very wet areas. You'll notice in the picture below that not only the wheat heaved but so did what was left of the soy bean plant. The stubble will heave first as it's roots are dead and brittle but it is a good indicator to slow down and look at the wheat when you see this happening in the field.



Onto the next field: November 4th soft red wheat into a pulled bean field that was cultivated first and seeded a day later.



Wow! What a difference the cultivation made - one day to dry out and warm up the soil. Although there are no tillers yet, this field is looking good!

Next field: October 12 soft white wheat no tilled into pulled bean stubble. No major problems here other than the odd wet spot with a little bit of heaving.



And finally, here is it is. September 18th soft white wheat, notilled into pulled bean stubble. A rarity for this part of the province for sure.



I wish that there was more of these fields around here! No heaving found even in the very wet spots. The root system of the seedling is strong and big enough to keep it in the ground.

Anyways, it is February so what am I going to do with my findings? The first field is scheduled to get red clover will probably get it in the next few weeks if the ground stays bare. I think that all the wheat will continue to improve as long as we don't get a soaking rain and then a stretch of very cold weather. I've also got a good idea of what fields are good candidates for a split application of N but won't be doing anything on that for a bit yet. For those of you out there that are thinking of applying N on the wheat now - DON"T DO IT YET!. The wheat is only going to use the N if it is growing and we are not there yet, not even close.

Now I'm going to go put my feet on the heater and drink something hot, I'm glad that scouting doesn't happen every February 'cause it's cold out there!

The New Pub 75

If you haven't had the chance to pick up a copy of OMAFRA's Guide to Weed Control - Pub 75, you should make the time.

Mike Cowbrough and his crew have done a great job revamping Pub 75 to bring more relevant and important information. Some of the changes are:

1) Right off the start, the new Chapter One examines rotational solutions to problem perennial weeds. Weeds include alfalfa, bindweed, Canada thistle, perennial sow thistle, horse nettle and yellow nut sedge. The chapter breaks down a corn-soys-wheat rotation to provide the best known solutions with chemical control in conventional and glyphosate resistant systems.

2) Throughout the guide you will find QR codes that you can scan with your smart phone to link you to more relevant information such as videos concerning spray drift.

3) In the weeds controlled charts for the different crops you will find some weeds marked with an "R". This is to indicate that populations of this weed exist in Ontario that are resistant to the chemical listed and may not be controlled by that option.

4) Chapter 18 should be renamed the "REVENGE" chapter. This chapter provides updated information on chemical control options for invasive, nuisance weeds in non cropped areas. Time to take out that Poison Ivy!

5) An electronic version is available to download for free onto your PC or tablet at:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub75/Pub75-2012-2013-EN.pdf

6) A new feature is the listing of the salt type on the different glyphosates available in Ontario. This can be helpful when looking at off label tank mixes and could save you from having to clean out your sprayer when things go wrong.

A word on tank mixes: Last year, the PMRA relaxed it's regulations on tank mixes. No longer does the tank mix need to be listed on the label. As long as all chemicals in the tank mix are approved by the PMRA to be applied to the crop in the same way (example: post emergent soybeans) it is ok to apply by the PMRA's standards. Now that does not always mean that these chemicals are ok to mix together. By mixing them together or out of a certain order you might be taking a rather large chance of plugging up your screens or ending up with a big ball of jelly in your tank. Always check your off label tank mix with your local chem rep before trying it!

Enough said - Download Pub 75 or pick up a copy at your local OMAFRA office today!

Did you know?

It's winter, which means it's time to review the research that was completed over the last season. Every year, Pioneer not only tests new emerging hybrids and varieties, but also does research on agronomic practices. Here's a few facts I gleaned from Pioneer's 2011 Agronomy Research Summary.

1) For 8 years now, Pioneer has used it's proprietary wind machine "Boreas" in field to evaluate corn hybrid responses to high winds. This 20 ton machine can produce winds up to 100 Mile/hour.



2)Newer Hybrids can take higher populations. Here is a chart of a study comparing hybrids back to 1930 to today's with different populations. You can see that the newer the hybrid, the better it can take the stress of population (higher disease, competition for water and sunlight, stalk strength).



As we move forward with new hybrids, it is important to take a second look at how population effects yields.

3)This is not new research, however it is a chart that you should think about every once in a while. Below, the chart outlines how pH effects availability of nutrients.



One step further is to keep in mind how the concentration of one nutrient can effect the availability of others.



It's only January, there's lots more for me to learn this winter!

Kochia Resistance found in Western Canada

Unfortunately, this is the kind of news that we had better get used to hearing. The big surprise, as you will read in the article below is that the resistance did not develop in a Roundup Ready cropping system. Rather, it developed in areas of chemical fallow. This is a prime example of how resistance to glyphosate could have been avoided by using multiple modes of action. What really bothers me about this case is that in fallow, there are no in-crop restrictions - any registered chemical could have been used. This is a straight forward case of taking the easy way out with the cheapest chemical available.

Glyphosate-resistant kochia found in the West
by D. Larraine Andrews
Weed scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have confirmed the first case of a glyphosate-resistant weed in Western Canada.
The conclusions are based on samples of kochia from three fields from three different producers in Southern Alberta.
Dr. Robert Blackshaw, a researcher with AAFC in Lethbridge, says the samples were collected from chemical fallow fields displaying reduced kochia control despite multiple applications. Generic glyphosates are commonly used as many as three times a season for weed control.
Blackshaw notes that resistance in Roundup Ready corn and soybeans has been known in the United States for several years, but these cases do not appear to have developed in a Roundup Ready cropping system.
He says, in the past, the message was often that Roundup Ready crops were contributing to the problem of resistance, but this example shows it is also happening in other situations where no Roundup Ready crops are involved.
AAFC says it will continue research in the area in 2012, in addition to ongoing collaboration with the University of Alberta and Monsanto to find specific solutions to address the problem of glyphosate-resistant kochia.
In conjunction with AAFC and the university, Monsanto has also developed an online weed resistance risk assessment tool for Western Canadian farmers. The tool can be found at www.weedtool.com. Through a series of questions, the tool helps producers assess their risk of developing glyphosate-resistant weeds and provides strategies to manage those risks.
Blackshaw says it is not a total surprise that the resistance has been found in Western Canada. He admits it is a concern, but believes the problem should be manageable with good management practices, although they may come at an increased cost.
Glyphosate resistance has been found in southwestern Ontario in two weed species – giant ragweed in 2009 and Canada fleabane in 2011. Glyphosate-resistant kochia has also been confirmed in Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska, while investigations continue in North and South Dakota and Montana.

What Does This Weather Mean?

It's January 19th. there is about 3 inches of snow blowing around out there and it's probably going to rain again in the next week. The temperature has fluctuated between +10C to -25C, with no consistency. So what does this mean for our growing season next year?

Bugs