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

Author: Horst Bohner

Soybean lodging

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2024 - SOYBEAN LODGING WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE YIELDS. Lodging impedes light penetration into the canopy during key growth stages, reducing a plant’s ability to produce seed. Lodging that occurs from R3 (beginning pod) to R5 (beginning seed)…
White mould control

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2023 - AN OLD SAYING goes, “A little white mould is the sign of a good crop.” This makes perfect sense because white mould flourishes under moist summer conditions. Adequate rain in July and especially August also…
Purple seed stain

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2022 - PURPLE SEED STAIN (Cercospora blight) causes a distinctive purpling of soybean seed and will result in downgrading at harvest if enough seed is discoloured (photo 1). This fungal disease is also called Cercospora leaf spot…
Soybean N deficiency

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2021 - NITROGEN (N) DEFICIENCY in soybeans caused many fields to turn yellow in late June and July. A dry spring delayed nodulation, then heavy rainfall saturated soils just as plants required large amount of N during…
Cropside: Soybean seeding depth

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2020 - THERE IS A trend in modern soybean production to plant soybeans deeper than the traditional 1.5 inches. This trend may be associated with an increased use of planters compared to seed drills. The idea may…
Cropside: BLB damage on the rise

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

November 2019 - BEAN LEAF BEETLE (BLB) damage is on the rise in some parts of Ontario. There has been a decline in the use of insecticide seed treatments on soybeans over the last few years which has…
P and K management

FINDING AN ECONOMIC AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY

December 2018 - SOIL TEST PHOSPHORUS (P) and Potassium (K) values in Ontario have been declining. Higher yields remove more nutrients and not enough fertilizer is being applied to replace the P and K being removed. Soybean yields…
Cropside: Sulphur deficiency?

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2018 - SULPHUR (S) IS an essential nutrient necessary for plant growth. It’s required for chlorophyll formation and involved in nitrogen fixation. It’s also required to make protein and is important in the formation of oil. In…
Cropside: Rolling soybeans

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2017 - FIELD ROLLING WITH a smooth land roller just after seeding is common in parts of Ontario. Rolling helps level the soil and pushes small rocks into the ground. Small yield gains are possible due to…
Cropside: Yield robbers

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2016 - TWO SPOTTED SPIDER mite damage in soybeans was widespread this summer. Spider mites proliferate quickly in hot, dry years and do the most damage on drought stressed crops. In a dry year symptoms may be…