How can you build soil organic matter? How long does it take and what’s the impact on yield? University of Guelph researcher Laura Van Eerd and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soil management specialist Anne Verhallen tackle these questions in this 2021 Ontario Diagnostic Days video report. The researchers visit Van Eerd’s… Read More
Soybean harvest in Ontario is wrapping up as growers roll through a 2021 crop that won’t break any records but will deliver solid yields. The province’s corn crop, however, appears poised to smash the average per-acre yield and be one for the record books. As combines continue to soldier on through November, growers are turning… Read More
Tremendous rains in Ontario this year, with more on the way, have resulted in “wet feet” for some soybean fields. When wet conditions persist, the soybean crop will start to struggle. To explain the science behind wet feet, Dr. Dave Hooker, field crop agronomist and associate professor at University of Guelph, joins Bernard Tobin for… Read More
The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester will again go virtual in 2021. The organizing committees of these three highly successful in-field education and learning events are again partnering with crop researchers and extension, along with support from RealAgriculture and a host of sponsors to bring you a series… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) will contribute $200,000 to the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus for its new Crop Research and Innovation Centre. The Crop Research and Innovation Centre will be a key resource for future research innovations in crop production, management, sustainability, and more, says GFO. “Our farmer-members have always recognized the importance of… Read More
What does it take to be a soil champion? If you’re Laura Van Eerd, professor at University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus, it means being curious about soil biology and crop production and constantly fascinated about what we have yet to learn about nutrient cycles, microbes, and more. Van Eerd considers herself lucky to be able… Read More
What type of return on investment do farmers realize when they make a long-term commitment to planting cover crops on their farm? That question can be tough to answer. In many cases, the payback can’t be calculated using only dollars and cents; better soil heath, the benefits of increased water-holding capacity, and a soil’s ability… Read More
Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp was first identified in Ontario in 2014. Since that time the weed, which hails from the pigweed family, has spread across the province with confirmed sightings in 14 counties in 2019. To make matters more troubling, waterhemp resistance continues to grow beyond glyphosate, and now includes multiple resistance to Group 2, 5, 9… Read More
Selecting the right hybrids can make or break the profitability of a corn crop. There are a multitude of factors that combine to produce high-yielding, profitable harvests, but if growers make the wrong hybrid choices they’ll need some luck and good fortune to produce a successful crop, says University of Guelph associate professor Dr. David… Read More
The Ontario government, through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), and the University of Guelph will spend $6.5 million to build a new Field Crop Services building on the Ridgetown campus. The new build will house agronomy research services and modernize the field crops research operations on campus, while also reducing operating costs. Ridgetown… Read More
Corn fields across Ontario are full of variable plant development and that should be a concern for growers, says University of Guelph crop researcher Dr. David Hooker. Fields are littered with areas of yield-compromising backward and slow-to-develop plants. Hooker believes corn variability is even more apparent this year due to significant weather challenges; with cold… Read More
The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are going virtual! The organizing committees of these three highly successful in-field education and learning events are again partnering with crop researchers and extension, along with support from RealAgriculture and a host of sponsors in 2020. We would like to thank the… Read More
Add wheat to your crop rotation and it will increase corn and soybean yields, put more money in your pocket, improve soil health, and make your soil more resilient. That’s a big, bold statement but University of Guelph-Ridgetown professor Dave Hooker can prove it. All the data comes from a 25 year long-term tillage and… Read More
Difficult planting conditions across Ontario this spring are set to test growers yet again as corn fungicide application timing approaches. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Ridgetown College, University of Guelph professor Dave Hooker explains that growers looking to control gibberella ear rot can expect a 50 per cent reduction in DON when… Read More
Herbicide resistant weeds are spreading across counties, the country, and the continent. Weed seeds are hitching a ride on wind and water and being transported by everything from machinery and migrating geese to ducks and earthworms. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Resistance Management School, we’re joined by University of Guelph Ridgetown campus weed researcher, Dave… Read More
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