News Environment
OMAFRA: Potential effects of wildfire smoke on crops

Smoke from northern Ontario and Quebec wildfires was prevalent across Ontario for several weeks in June and early July. While a smoky haze was often visible during these weeks, the heaviest days carried a campfire-like smell and reportedly even reduced visibility in parts of Northern and Eastern Ontario.

A common question this year has been “What is the impact of wildfire smoke on field crops?” Given the random and infrequent nature of these smoke events, research is limited and it’s difficult to conduct controlled experiments to measure impacts directly.

In absence of research, one approach is to look at characteristics of smoke events (e.g., smoke levels, crop stages affected) to estimate what the effects of wildfire smoke on crops may be, both positive and negative. |READ MORE