ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 21 Radio. O’Reilly will highlight the power of crafting engaging stories that build connection and trust between farmers and the public. At the keynote on January 7, Alberta psychologist Dr. Jody Carrington will motivate listeners to recharge their batteries and reignite their passion for agriculture and everything else. If you want to attend MWAC, it’s on January 16, 2026, at the RIM Park Manulife Sportsplex in Waterloo. As always, its six sessions will feature the best experts presenting the latest insights on crop management tools that help farmers meet current and future challenges. Shortly after, on January 27, is the EOCC, held in Kemptville, with 14 sessions available throughout the day. “We’re at a new venue this year, Southgate Church,” says Laura Scott, OMAFA cropping systems specialist. “In terms of planning sessions, we always send out surveys after each event, looking for topics, suggestions, and feedback to improve upon the event. Highlight sessions at EOCC this year include ‘Record-Breaking Wheat: Learnings from the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN)’ with Joanna Follings, OMAFA cereals specialist, where growers will discover how this initiative is helping growers unlock wheat yield potential through data-driven insights, benchmarking, and collaborative learning across the region. Dr. Josh Nasielski and Lance Javier will present ‘From Stover to Stand: On Farm Lessons for No-Till Soybeans after Corn,’ with details from eastern Ontario farm trials. Another session to note will be hosted by Cornell University’s Mike Hunter, who will share findings on a new pest and disease near the U.S./Canada border. As OMAFA Field Crop Entomologist Tracey Baute explained in the August issue of Ontario Grain Farmer, corn leafhopper is native to Mexico and over the last few decades, it has travelled south to Argentina and north to the U.S.. This pest was first detected in both New York and Minnesota in late summer 2024. Baute explains that milder winters may allow them to overwinter close to Ontario. These insects might feed on corn, millet, sorghum and even wheat, though they cannot complete a lifecycle on these other grass types. What’s worse, injuries to a corn plant caused by the corn leafhopper can result in transmission of one or more of the pathogens this insect “ The Eastern Ontario Crop Conference will be held on January 27, with 14 sessions available throughout the day. continued on page 22
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