Mild winter temperatures in Ontario have resulted in a healthy looking winter wheat crop but stripe rust poses a risk.. Why it matters: Last spring, many winter wheat acres were lost to a harsh winter and wet spring, so a solid wheat production year will be welcome. Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with OMAFRA, says farmers […] Read more
Tag Archives OMAFRA — page 8
Mild winter temperatures were kind to winter wheat
Wheat survivability is high, but disease will pose a risk, especially stripe rust
Line Fences Act to move to OMAFRA
When the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced that it would be scrapping the Line Fences Act in November, it had some in rural Ontario scratching their heads. The Act, which has little application in towns and cities, had helped keep the peace by providing a method of solving fencing disputes between rural properties […] Read more
Soil manager app helps with test interpretation
The app gives another option for understanding soil tests
A new soil test app will give farmers an easy way to get quick interpretation of their soil test results. The app, found at soiltestmanager.ca was launched at the recent Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association annual meeting in London. Jake Munro, OMAFRA’s soil management specialist for field crops, says that the app brings together […] Read more
Editorial: Convoluted solution is no solution
Tomato growers and processors need a clear solution to the marketing purgatory into which they’ve been plunged over the past couple of years. However, the province’s recent proposals fail to provide the needed stability. I’ve written numerous similar pieces over the past couple of years as the province tries to break the collective bargaining power […] Read more
Benchmarketing projects aim to improve available farm data
Canadian and global numbers can help compare Ontario to other jurisdictions
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs is engaged in two benchmarking initiatives which aim to improve the quality of information comparing Ontario farms. Why it matters: Benchmarking can be an important tool to help farmers gauge costs and evaluate management practices. The new OMAFRA program involves working with the Ontario Farm Income […] Read more
Will electric tractors ever dethrone diesel?
There is plenty of space for electric power in smaller, lower-torque jobs
Despite exponential increases in the technology’s effectiveness — and widespread use in other industries — battery power and charging challenges continue to limit the scalability of electrically-driven farm equipment. That doesn’t mean diesel will always reign supreme, though. According to three Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) technology experts, electric motors have […] Read more
Zone sampling for soil tests allows for more detail, accuracy
Vague soil sampling results can provide misleading information
Sampling soil by zone is more efficient and accurate than using grids or bulk sampling methods, an agronomist with Clark Agri Services says. Bulk samples, having one sample for the whole field, are the simplest, yet not the most accurate when comparing to more detailed sample methods. Vague soil sample results can provide inaccurate information. […] Read more
Pest lessons learned in the 2019 Ontario crop year
Ontario Field Crop Report for the week of September 23
We all agree that this has been one of the most challenging cropping years in Ontario, but there were some pest lessons learned from the experience. Effect of delayed planting Delayed planting can reduce the risk of some early season pests. Pests like bean leaf beetle (BLB) move into the earliest emerging fields first. With […] Read more
Western bean cutworm laying low so far
Western bean cutworms haven’t been a major issue this year but their full impact is still unknown
Will western bean cutworm (WBC) be to 2019 what DON was to 2018? According to the evidence thus far, probably not. In fact, WBC appears sparser than expected. That said, Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist and WBC expert with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, says several factors have combined to make […] Read more
Ontario launches Excellence in Agriculture program
Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has announced that the Excellence in Agriculture program is open for applications and now includes a new category to recognize outstanding young farmers. The Excellence in Agriculture program recognizes agri-food innovations and advancements that demonstrate leadership, product development or technology advancement that will benefit the […] Read more
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