Photo of a corn crop at V3 near Finch on June 1. Courtesy Photo
By Kelsey Banks, Agronomist
AgriNews Contributor
May and part of June could be summarized in one word – dry. Luckily, most of Eastern Ontario received rain early-to mid-June and the crops showed their gratitude for the rain by turning more green and further growth. Overall, here is what we are seeing in the fields as of June 15.
Corn
This year’s corn crop is really moving forward nicely! There are some signs of sun scalding on some of the plants, but otherwise the crop looks in good health. Due to the growing point in most fields being below the ground still, the earlier frost we experienced may have had some damage on the corn. A combination of the rain, heat, and humidity has pushed corn to around V7 in some areas and for the split nitrogen applicators, having Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) being applied.
Soybeans
After the frost we experienced, soybeans were a big concern for many growers. The growing point on soybeans is above ground and was possibly exposed during the frost, causing damage or killed off the soybeans if the frost was in that area. For some, this required replanting some of their soybean crops depending on the level of damage or killed off area.
Cereals
Many growers are quite pleased with their cereals, both winter and spring, this year. Plant growth regulators (PGR’s) were applied at correct timing for most fields where they were planned to be applied. Winter wheat harvest is estimated to be approximately two weeks ahead compared to average years. Overall, the cereal crops look generally healthy.
For more information, please contact your agronomist.
