WESTERN ONTARIO: Crop Report
CORN
• Corn planting is largely complete on light- and medium-textured soils, while heavier clay soils remain unplanted due to wet conditions.
• Delayed planting triggered some switching of hybrids to shorter maturities as planting extended to June.
• Emerged corn ranged from VE to V3. Overall, the plant stands reported were strong with relatively even emergence.
SOYBEANS
• Planting progress 50 to 80 % complete.
• Early planted soybeans emerged with good stands, and no significant frost damage reported.
• Farmers are reminded to properly identify the herbicide tolerance traits of their soybean fields and maintain accurate records to prevent herbicide misapplication. Proper weed control planning is especially important for IP soybean production, as postemergence options are limited or ineffective to control troublesome weed biotypes like multiple-herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane.
WINTER WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS
• The most advanced fields of winter wheat are at head emergence with many fields following close behind at flag leaf.
• Fusarium head blight risk is currently moderate to high so a T3 fungicide application should be considered.
• Once 75% of wheat heads on the main stem reach GS59 (head emergence complete) this is known as “day 0”. The optimum fungicide application timing is shortly after this on “day 2”. Day 2 is the beginning of pollination when anthers are visible on the middle of the wheat head. This timing is critical because this is when the peak number of florets are open and susceptible to infection. If temperatures are warm during this period it could result in the wheat crop moving quickly through these growth stages so it will be important to track the staging of your wheat crop as it approaches heading (GS59).
• A strobilurin fungicide should not be applied once wheat has reached the boot stage. Low levels of wheat streak mosaic virus have been confirmed. Cereal aphids and cereal leaf beetle are also being found in fields. Fields should continue to be monitored to determine if control is warranted
• The earliest seeded spring cereals are approaching stem elongation while others are just emerging. The most advanced fields will receive herbicide and plant growth regulator applications as weather conditions allow.
FORAGES
• Forage crops progressed rapidly with warmer temperatures. Rye and triticale harvest was underway with yields generally better than expected. Alfalfa harvest started in Oxford County.
