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

Grain Farmers of Ontario

February 2021

In this issue:

GrainTALK for February 2021

AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS

February 2021 - FROM THE CHAIR Markus Haerle has served the maximum three-year term as chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Board of Directors. Watch our interview with Markus Haerle about his time as chair: www.youtube.com/user/grainfarmersontario. A new…
A lasting impact

TWO UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH RESEARCHERS RETIRE

February 2021 - WITH NEARLY SIX decades of combined experience in crop science research at the University of Guelph, two prominent faculty members have recently announced their retirements. Dr. Bill Deen and Dr. Art Schaafsma formally retired from…
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Important work

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

February 2021 - RESEARCH HAS LONG been a standing pillar of our organization. Recently, through our new strategic plan development process, we had the opportunity to re-examine how we add value for our farmer-members — including our research…
Insect resistance management

WESTERN BEAN CUTWORM

February 2021 - WESTERN BEAN CUTWORM (WBC) was first identified in Ontario in 2008 and has quickly become one of the most challenging pest issues encountered by farmers growing corn in Ontario. Recently, WBC has undergone a range…
Legume cover crops

HAIRY VETCH SHOWS PROMISE

February 2021 - A LEGUME THAT has had a bad reputation as a weed for decades may make the best cover crop, according to research conducted at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre. “Hairy vetch…
National recognition at Guelph

RESEARCHING THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

February 2021 - CROP BY-PRODUCTS or co-products — wheat straw, Miscanthus fibre, distillers’ grains and corn stalks, among them — are still considered waste in many circles. But University of Guelph School of Engineering professor Dr. Manju Misra…
Weed resistance management

WATERHEMP, CANADA FLEABANE, AND EMERGING ISSUES

February 2021 - MANAGING WEEDS IN Ontario farm fields is becoming more of a challenge due to herbicide resistance. Research is being conducted to find viable solutions. SEEDS BY THE MILLIONS A new waterhemp seed count helps explain…
Genomics research

CHANGING FIELD CROP RESEARCH

February 2021 - THE LAST FIVE years have been nothing short of spectacular in the progress genomics has made for field crops in Canada,” says Dr. Francois Belzile, Université Laval professor and SoyaGen Project co-leader. That is high…
Water management

IS IRRIGATION OF GRAIN CROPS FEASIBLE?

February 2021 - Water is a precious resource. The success of farm businesses and the health of our families depend on having a clean and abundant supply. Historically, agricultural technology has allowed us to manipulate the quantity and…
Operator training tips

CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS

February 2021 - (J.M.) WHAT SHOULD FARM EMPLOYERS COVER IN A FARM EQUIPMENT TRAINING PROGRAM? (S.S.) Training equipment operators can be challenging, especially in agriculture because there are so many different types of machinery, and some that are…
Cropside: Spring management

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

February 2021 - IT MAY BE hard to believe but spring is just around the corner and that means we need to start thinking about our early spring management in winter cereals! But before we jump into spring,…
Asset or liability: soil fertility

4R NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP

February 2021 - BUSINESSES HAVE ASSETS and liabilities and a farm business is no different. While land is a primary asset to a farm business, one of the most important and underrated assets is a farm’s soil. Soil…
Managing SDS

IS SOIL DEVELOPING ITS OWN DEFENSE?

February 2021 - SOIL MICROORGANISMS FROM a long-established, continuously cropped soybean field in Essex County may hold a key for managing sudden death syndrome (SDS). SDS is a leading yield-limiting soybean disease. It’s caused by a soilborne fungus…
Phosphorus loss

FINDING CUSTOMIZABLE SOLUTIONS IN DIVERSE LANDSCAPES

February 2021 - REDUCING NUTRIENT LOSS to improve aquatic ecosystems is a big task. Doing so requires an understanding of how phosphorus (P) moves through Ontario’s soils, and how management practices could be adapted to fit our province’s…