Tar spot was first confirmed in Ontario last September, and has already spread to six counties as of mid-July, according to the OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) Field Crop Team. The warm, humid conditions of this summer are ideal for tar spot development, and that combined with the ease of transmission and ability to overwinter in Ontario conditions make it likely that tar spot will spread further. The good news is that incidence and severity are low so far, and likely not to have yield impacts in most cases.
Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is causing trouble in Ontario soybean crops due to early development in the southwest. While there isn’t much to be done about the disease at this point, producers should compare soybean varieties on their farm or in neighbouring fields to determine which varieties are likely to hold up against SDS in subsequent years. |READ MORE
