Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine is the flagship publication of Grain Farmers of Ontario and a source of information for our province’s grain farmers.

Cropside: Rain makes grain

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

IN 2012, MANY producers were surprised how much corn was produced with modest rainfall. Truly big yields, however, came from the extra timely water if you were fortunate enough to get it. •

PHOTO 1: Leaf rolling on wilted corn was common place; significant yield depression sets in when the the corn plant does not recover overnight.

GRAPH 1: Soil water that is available to the plant is a function of both field capacity (total water held) and wilting point (water held too tightly for plants to extract). Figure from P. Kramer, 1983.