Edible beans occupy that curious class of cropping interest. They’re not a conventional, rotational crop like corn, wheat or soybeans. They’re grown in multiple classes and they tend to require a higher level of management. Three Ontario edible bean growers offered insights into their agronomic practices, including plant populations, fertility and some weed management parameters […] Read more
Managing edible beans
Three growers share their challenges and management strategies
Phytophthora root rot still a concern
It’s been eclipsed, but it’s still a challenge to growers in Ontario
Phytophthora root rot was major concern to growers in the province 25 to 30 years ago, when Roundup Ready soybeans were just emerging on the marketplace, Bt corn was in its infancy, and GPS-based yield monitors were available primarily as after-purchase combine enhancements. Why it matters: Agronomists noted there were hot spots in the province […] Read more
Drone spraying unlikely for the foreseeable future
The regulations and spray dynamics are more complex and unforgiving
Precision agriculture simplified many on-farm practices and procedures, particularly in the past five years with the rush to automate tractors, planters and weed management systems. Those are two-dimensional applications, and although things can go awry, complicating a grower’s plans, adding that third dimension –into the air –can result in something catastrophic. Why it matters: Despite […] Read more
The ripple effects from China’s declaration of self-sufficiency
The country’s decision to limit soybeans in feed rations could be challenging
China has long relied on imported food and feed ingredients for its livestock herds and poultry flocks, but there are signs that could change. A Jan. 3 Feed & Grain article detailed a Chinese policy pledge to reduce soybeans in feed rations. According to the report, soybean meal usage for January to November of 2023 […] Read more
Waterhemp is the new “oh-no” weed
Ontario biotypes are resistant to up to five different herbicide groups
It’s no longer a matter of ‘if’ waterhemp comes to your farm, it’s ‘when.’ Those were the words of Richard Anderson, a business representative with BASF, speaking last month at the Southwest Agricultural Conference at University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. It was probably the most pertinent take-home message from a panel discussion on tackling waterhemp, […] Read more
Soybean production heading north
A combination of climate and enhanced genetics makes it possible
A silver lining to climate change is that a warming trend would favour a northern migration for crop production. That could spell everything from more acres of corn in the West to the development of more diverse crop rotations in Ontario’s Northern Clay Belt, the Thunder Bay region and possibly the Fort Frances/Rainy River area. […] Read more
Taking a soil deep dive
Soil interactions affect much of plant health so a remedial course can help
Understanding the relationship between nutrient uptake, plant availability and the impacts on yield are a constant research project and growers are in the best position to benefit. John Lauzon provided his insights on the subject during January’s Southwest Agricultural Conference at University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.In his session, Level 2 Nutrient Interactions, he discussed nutrient […] Read more
The debate over ‘forever chemicals’
Much of the issue revolves around detection versus toxicity
The term “forever chemicals” to describe poly/perfluorinated akyl substances (PFAS) does more to alarm than inform. That’s the contention of Dr. Scott Mabury, which he provided during the Southwest Agricultural Conference at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus earlier this month. Why it matters: PFAS chemicals have generated debate and discussion ranging from demands for […] Read more
Making row crops work with perennial cover crops
Learnings from an Ontario grower’s five years of on-farm research
Laurent “Woody” Van Arkel likes to push the boundaries of conventional thinking and strives to understand more about soil and crop interactions. Van Arkel, who farms near Dresden, has finished a five-year, on-farm research project as a participant in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Living Lab Ontario initiative in which he integrated perennial cover crops […] Read more
By the numbers – corn rootworm in 2023
Populations were lower but intensity in some regions was higher
Concerns about corn rootworm have increased in the past two years as numbers continue to rise across the province, particularly in areas where corn is a feed source for livestock. Two years ago, Tracey Baute, field crops entomologist with the Ontario agriculture department, noted that resistance to Bt Cry proteins had become an issue, where […] Read more
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