ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 12 35 Stronger Crops. Lower Stress. Higher Yields. Scan to See Real Farm Results CropBooster® RESEARCH THAT FEEDS THE SYSTEM Between production and trade lies research, the quiet work that improves every season. At the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, one of our tour stops, crop trials, soil health studies, and agronomy training connect science directly to on-farm practice. Students move between classrooms and fields. Plots are measured, sampled, and compared. It’s here that yield improvements, nutrient efficiency, and climate resilience are tested long before they reach commercial fields. BACK TO THE BEGINNING: SEED PRODUCTION The final stop brought the tour full circle, back to where the grain value chain truly begins. At Pride Seeds, participants walked through the intricate process of seed production, a level of management far beyond standard grain farming. Seed corn fields are carefully mapped, planted with male and female rows, and managed intensively. Timing is everything. Male plants must release pollen exactly when female plants are ready to receive it. Crews move through fields detasseling. Off-type plants are removed to preserve genetic purity. Fungicides are used to protect developing seed. Once pollination is complete, male rows are destroyed so resources flow into seed development. Harvest doesn’t wait for full field drying. Seed is taken at specific moisture levels and dried at the plant to preserve quality. Seed soybeans follow a similar and equally controlled path, from pedigree selection to plot management, rogueing, sampling, and strict quality checks. What stood out was how much labour, planning, and precision goes into producing the genetics that drive Ontario yields. Every hybrid planted across the province begins in fields like these. THE BIGGER PICTURE The Grains in Action tour wasn’t about visiting impressive facilities, though there were many. It was about understanding how deeply connected Ontario agriculture has become. Fertilizer arrives by ship and is blended overnight for spring planting. Grain becomes food ingredients, beverages, and exports within months. Research improves next season’s performance. Seed systems determine long-term productivity. Each step relies on the one before it. For farmers, the takeaway is simple but powerful: Ontario grain is not just grown, it moves through a living system of infrastructure, people, technology, and global markets. Quality matters. Timing matters. Sustainability increasingly matters. And behind every bushel is an entire network working to keep grains in action. Ibrahim Mohammed is Grain Farmers of Ontario’s sustainability and environmental specialist. •
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