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Tag Archives alfalfa — page 2

Crops, News

Corn N status and forage crop bugs

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for June 9

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Corn Nitrogen Status Nitrogen mineralization is favoured by warm soil temperatures with adequate soil moisture and aeration. Excess moisture can slow mineralization or increase the potential for losses through denitrification (especially under warm conditions) or leaching. Spring of 2021 progressed similar to 2020. Sunshine and little rainfall resulted in great soil conditions through April and […] Read more
Second crop ryegrass is cut.
Crops

Producers like flexibility of grass-based forage options

Weather, rootworm resistance are reasons to consider alternative crops

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While most Ontario dairy producers are watching alfalfa stands and the weather forecast to determine the ideal date for first cutting, several others are eyeing different crops – mainly fall-planted grasses or small grains – as their first 2021 opportunity to add to forage feedstocks. Throughout the growing season, depending on rainfall and the degree […] Read more
Leaf necrosis (browning) observed after a few days where the night-time temperatures reached 0°C or lower. This picture was taken in a herbicide trial where necrosis was more severe when an overlap rate of certain herbicides were applied. Historically, this injury has not resulted in yield reductions when occurring at growth stage 30 or less.
Crops, News

Spring update for cereal crops and oilseeds

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for April 29

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Winter wheat Winter wheat acreage is up by 8 per cent compared to the 2020 growing season (Statistics Canada). In general, the winter wheat crop looks very good throughout the province. Cold weather caused some temporary leaf necrosis (leaf tip burn) in a few fields. This leaf burn is sometimes made worse when a herbicide […] Read more
It’s important to look at the big picture when dealing with a quality and yield issue with forages before jumping to a fungicide for improvements.
Crops

Fungicides not always an answer in alfalfa

Spraying could make sense when conditions are right for fungal disease

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Farmers must weigh many factors before applying fungicides to alfalfa, said Christine O’Reilly, forage and grazing specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Why it matters: Farmers have found that there have been advantages to using fungicides in corn and with approved options, are now looking at alfalfa. O’Reilly says the […] Read more
VIDEO: First cut hay in full swing, be sure to replenish field nutrients
Crops, News

VIDEO: First cut hay in full swing, be sure to replenish field nutrients

Field Talk with Deb Campbell

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In this edition of Field Talk, Farmtario reporter Jennifer Glenney speaks with Deb Campbell, owner of Agronomy Advantage Inc., about first cut hay. “Yes it’s about yield, yes it’s about quality, but in the big picture it’s also about reaching productivity out of these hay fields and getting hopefully a solid three years of productivity […] Read more
Large square bales wait for pickup during a previous hay season.
Crops, News

Hay market tight, but concerns with COVID-19-related demand

Significant market opportunities available in Canada and the U.S.

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Demand for Ontario-grown hay remains strong in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but longer-term effects are more difficult to judge. “It’s not anything near what other people have had to deal with,” said Ontario Hay and Forage Cooperative chair Fritz Trauttmansdorff of the COVID-19 repercussions for hay growers. He suggested lower-than-average 2019 […] Read more
Yield, quality and stand persistence are the most important things about forage, an agronomist says.
Crops

A good forage stand requires agronomic base

Keys to success include planting at right time, proper seed bed, seed placement, quality seed and weed control

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Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers seeking to build a strong forage stand need to use proper crop rotations, fertility and water development, a forage agronomist told a recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference in Moncton, N.B. Peter Ballerstedt, with the seed company Barenbrug USA, said producers must pay attention to agronomy and make amendments before […] Read more
Standing corn west of Giroux, Man. on Oct. 21, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)
Crops

Manitoba beef sector faces tight feed situation

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MarketsFarm — An early snowstorm may have been the last straw for Manitoba livestock producers looking to put up feed ahead of winter. While the foot or more of heavy snow that blanketed much of the province over the Thanksgiving weekend has melted, saturated fields continue to limit corn silage harvests and hay cutting. “Feed […] Read more
Low lignin content allows for a larger cutting window.
Crops

Genetically modified alfalfas find their place

Feed quality, harvest window and seed establishment are benefits

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Glyphosate-resistant alfalfa is being planted across about 10,000 acres in Ontario, giving farmers the option to better establish and clean up alfalfa fields, while preserving the valuable legume. HarvXtra alfalfa with Roundup Ready technology, a newer alfalfa found in the eastern Canadian market, also provides low lignin content for improved digestibility along with the Roundup […] Read more
University of Guelph associate professor John Lauzon explains the sulphur cycle in the soil and atmosphere during a session at the annual FarmSmart.
Crops

Looking for answers on sulphur

OMAFRA is looking for co-operators to further knowledge on sulphur needs in corn and soybeans

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For years, Ontario agronomists have pointed to changes in air pollution from U.S. industries as the reason for the rise of sulphur deficiency in north-of-the-border crops. Why it matters: Back in 1990, southern Ontario was at the heart of a widespread “dark red” patch of high sulphur deposition, but by 2015, not just the dark […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast