Field Observations
SPRING 2026
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A cool, wet, and in some cases, snowy spring has so far delayed many field operations. Wheat Scouting whether to keep or terminate a wheat field has been ongoing in various areas. Some fields are…
Agronomy
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Decoding weed pressure in corn
Peter Sikkema shares insights from decades of research on weed competition, resistance, and the economics of control
- 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,… -
How a UK farmer grows 235-bushel winter wheat
Lincolnshire farmer Mark Stubbs produces bin-busting yields by driving soil organic matter
- Yield gains in winter wheat can be achieved by experimenting on the farm and treating wheat with as much care as more lucrative crops such as corn and soybeans. Tight row spacing, high plant populations,… -
Cover crops before corn
Studies recommend their use before corn…but select wisely
- Besides providing N benefits, researchers also found that harvesting a cover crop for forage only slightly reduces corn yield the next year. Ontario corn producers interested in cover crops’ nitrogen benefits can take heart: Research…
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Rethinking the rules
From fertilizer economics to maturity group selection, fresh data is refining best practices for soybean production
- 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… -
Dealing with corn’s most persistent pest
Keeping corn rootworm in check
- Livestock-dense counties, including Huron, Perth, Middlesex, and Oxford, are among those dealing with the heaviest corn rootworm infestation. Dr. Jocelyn Smith has a favourite insect, and it’s one Ontario corn growers love to hate. As… -
A new twist in the spider mite fight
Insecticide resistance grows and new species emerge
- 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… -
A year in review
Insights from the growing season
- Another year is coming to a close, and with it, the end of another crop season. After what seemed like a never-ending winter, with plenty of snow accumulation in many areas and water flooding and… -
How compaction happens
Impact of tires, organic matter, water infiltration, and more
- There was a lot of big iron on display in Rutherford, Ontario, on August 7, 2025. Above-ground heavy metal wasn’t the point of focus, though. It was soil, and what machines, large and small, do… -
Weed control tips
FALL MANAGEMENT
- Many farmers have witnessed the value of applying herbicides in the fall for the management of winter annual and biennial/perennial weeds (Figure 1). Often, they will see both a reduction in density and a delay…