Ontario in early May has seen colder temperatures and more snow than is expected mid-spring, and the subzero lows have many producers concerned about planting schedules and crops that are already in the ground, including cereal crop producers.
Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has created a resource with information on cereal resilience in cold temperatures as determined by growth stage, temperatures at which damage will occur and tips for checking plants for damage.
The more advanced the growth stage of a crop, the more likely it is to be damaged by low temperatures, so be sure to check the most developed crop fields first. As well, rye and triticale are slightly more cold-tolerant than wheat, which is in turn slightly more cold-resistant than spring cereals like barley and oat.
For the full article, visit the OMAFRA Field Crop News website.
