News Seeding/Planting Agronomy
Ontario crop progressing well despite late start

Crop progress is varied across Ontario, with early planted crops faring well except for some signs of heat stress and late planted crops showing signs of plant stress, particularly on heavier soils, according to the latest crop report from Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Other highlights from the latest crop report include:

• Early planted corn reached “knee-high by the first of July,” but the rest of the province varies in crop stages from 12 leaf to a couple acres still being planted. Corn stands planted in less than ideal conditions continue to show plant stress and particularly on heavier soils.
• A few acres of soybeans were replanted this past week due to seed corn maggot or poor emergence due to soil crusting, but overall soybean stands look good and are changing to a darker green as the nodules kick-in.
• Pre-emergent herbicides have been doing an excellent job this year resulting from adequate activating rainfall.
• Fusarium is starting to show up in winter wheat fields across Ontario. With the wet weather, the risk for Fusarium head blight is high so growers should continue to scout even if fields have been sprayed with T3 fungicides already.
• May planted canola is in mid-bloom, and many fields have had a fungicide applied or will shortly. Early June planted canola is now bolting, and even though swede midge made an appearance, many crops will be getting through bolting without an insecticide application.
• Some white and edible beans are still being planted, with reports of white beans having poor emergence and emerging ” bald headed”, without cotyledons.

Read the latest crop report from OMAFRA’s field crop team.