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: Ralph Pearce

Dual-edged technology helping wheat growers

A smartphone app can monitor for FHB and estimate head counts

June 2026 - The WheatScanR app is a new technological tool to help researchers and wheat growers monitor Fusarium head blight (FHB) and estimate wheat head counts for yield predictions. In 1996, Fusarium head blight (FHB) decimated more…
Farming through change

From slower markets to global volatility, Keith Black looks back on 12 years of leadership

June 2026 - Conventional wisdom often warns against thinking too much about the past because there’s no changing it. Yet there’s a difference between living in it and fondly reflecting on where a person’s come from and what…
Short-term savings, long-term costs

Federal research cuts aim to reduce spending, but may risk billions in future farm productivity and export potential

June 2026 - As public research capacity shrinks, farmers face potential limits on future crop development, prompting calls to protect Canada’s seed innovation system and maintain competitiveness. The nature of agriculture demands two key traits of participants: optimism…
Decoding weed pressure in corn

Peter Sikkema shares insights from decades of research on weed competition, resistance, and the economics of control

April 2026 - Long-term trials show corn yield loss from weeds can swing dramatically, even in the same field. Understanding weed biology, species pressure, and emergence timing is key to managing the risk. For more than 30 years,…
Pushing the intensity on wheat production

Planting dates, growth regulators, and desiccants are all part of the picture

April 2026 - Five years of Ontario field trials reveal how nitrogen, planting date, and plant growth regulators affect lodging, yield potential, and the economics of wheat production. Measuring success in winter wheat production in Ontario has had…
Rethinking the rules

From fertilizer economics to maturity group selection, fresh data is refining best practices for soybean production

March 2026 - New Ontario trials are refining fertilizer rates, maturity group selection and sulphur use—highlighting where small management shifts can protect yield and improve returns. From optimizing fertilizers to cropping practices, there are many long-held standards for…
A new twist in the spider mite fight

Insecticide resistance grows and new species emerge

February 2026 - With hotter and drier summers, mites’ populations spread and increase, making them more visible. Growers are helping provide field samples to researchers looking at appearance and resistance patterns. Soybeans have been hammered by an increasing…
Market development always a work in progress

Building an international customer base

October 2025 - Contrary to current proclamations about protecting Canadian sovereignty, George Morris’s comment rings true, even today. Market development for Canadian agricultural commodities continues, but trade talk often revolves around breaking ties with the U.S. or China,…
Risks and rewards

Communicating about modern agriculture key to acceptance of innovation

September 2025 - Few industries have seen change to the same extent as agriculture since the mid-1990s. Advances such as Bt corn and glyphosate- tolerant crops altered the standards for crop farmers, along with yield monitors, auto-steer, and…
The future of glyphosate: cloudy or clear

Farmers in Canada are waiting for the fallout of legal battles in the U.S.

August 2025 - Most days, farming is challenged by weather conditions, cost of production issues, and market volatility. But in 2025, North American growers are watching and waiting as the future of a reliable, reasonably-priced and long-trusted tool…