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 2022

In this issue:

Web Special

Controlling wild oats

SPRING WHEAT AND BARLEY

February 2022 - WILD OAT IS an annual grassy weed generally associated with Western Canada. Until recently, it wasn’t even on the radar in Ontario. But as the province’s farmers adopt rotations that include spring cereals, resistance issues…
Increasing wheat yields

GREAT LAKES YIELD ENHANCEMENT NETORK

February 2022 - THE GREAT LAKES Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) is focused on improving wheat yields for Ontario farmers. The research program recently completed its inaugural season with the 2021 pilot project. The project is a collaborative effort…
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Priority investments

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

February 2022 - GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO is investing close to $2 million of your check-off fees into research during the 2022 fiscal year. That money is being leveraged through funding partners at a ratio of more than…
Today’s labour market

CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS

February 2022 - (J.M.) WHAT DOES THE CURRENT LABOUR MARKET LOOK LIKE? (I.M.) The current labour market is tightening and employees have more choices. Before COVID-19, the agriculture industry was competing with all employers. The competition for that…
Winter wheat benefits

LONG-TERM RESEARCH

February 2022 - RESEARCHERS HAVE PROVEN that adding winter wheat to a corn-soybean rotation not only increases yields, it also builds resilience against drought, helps reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer, and improves soil health. Scientists are looking…
The cover crop difference

RESEARCHING THE BENEFITS

February 2022 - WE KNOW THE benefits of planting cover crops, but what exactly are those benefits and how are they measured? Results of a five-year Ontario-based cover crop research project are rolling in and are presenting some definitive information…
Cover Crops in Ontario

February 2022 - THE ONTARIO COVER Crop Steering Committee recently set out to learn more about how and why Ontario farmers are using cover crops in their fields. The 2020 Ontario Cover Crop Feedback Report was developed with…
GrainTALK for February 2022

AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS

February 2022 - MAGAZINE UPDATE Over the past few months, we have encountered supply chain issues with the paper used to print the Ontario Grain Farmer. You will have noticed a different paper was used for the printing…
Sudden Death Syndrome

EXPANDING VARIETY OPTIONS

February 2022 - SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME (SDS) is set to follow the progress of Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), becoming a severe and consistent problem for Ontario soybean farmers in the coming decade. Researchers at the University of Guelph…
Seed development: wheat

BREEDING THE RIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

February 2022 - BREEDERS TAKE SEVERAL factors into consideration when developing a new wheat variety, such as yield, quality, standability, and disease tolerance. Each class of wheat grown has its own characteristics and management requirements. Approximately 85 per…
Winterkill in winter wheat

BETTER PREDICTIONS

February 2022 - DESPITE WINTER WHEAT’S significance to the environment and to Ontario’s grain industry, big questions remain about some of the basic mechanisms that help it survive under tough conditions. Specifically, little is known about the survival…
Black gold

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

February 2022 - MANURE HAS OFTEN been described as agriculture’s “black gold” and with rapidly increasing fertilizer prices the term has never been more accurate. And yet, surprisingly, there are many livestock producers that don’t take regular manure…
Soil health and phosphorus efficiency

MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIC AMENDMENTS

February 2022 - ORGANIC AMENDMENTS, SUCH as manure, are a double-edged sword for grain farmers. They obviously boost crop performance through providing both plant-available nutrients and adding organic matter to the soil. “However, these amendments can be a…
Improved corn establishment

THE ROLE OF HERBICIDES AND COVER CROPS

February 2022 - COVER CROPS PLAY an important role in building soil quality and productivity on Ontario farms. Yet, even though their benefits are widely known, skepticism still exists. Farmers worry about the cost of implementation and that…
A DIY crop tour

OAC STUDENTS VISIT FARMS ACROSS CANADA

February 2022 - MANY ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL College (OAC) alumni list the Midwest crop tour as a highlight of their time at the University of Guelph. When the 2021 trip was cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, current students…