KEMPTVILLE – The 21st edition of the Eastern Ontario Crop Conference was held at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville on Feb. 11. The conference is a cooperative effort between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Eastern Ontario Crop Advisory Committee. This is the premiere field crop conference in eastern Ontario.
The program was designed to provide growers and agribusiness personnel with the latest in-depth crop management information. More than 300 participants came to partake in a conference program that covered all areas related to crops, such as the Ontario commodity situation, insect resistance, cover crops, drainage, soil fertility and carbon farming. Attendees could select up to eight sessions from more than 20 presented concurrently throughout the day. Certified Crop Advisor credits were available for most sessions.
About 20 exhibitors also presented their services and products at the event.
On the subject of water management, Peter Johnson from Real Agriculture emphasized how drainage can enhance production. Agricultural drainage refers to a system by which water is drained on or in the soil to enhance agricultural production of crops. “Drainage could increase significantly the crop’s productivity, i.e. 29 per cent for corn, 26 per cent for soybean, 38 per cent for winter wheat, 33 per cent for spring wheat, and 21 per cent for white beans. Also, drainage improves the drought resistance,” he noted.
More information about the conference and its program is available at https://eocc.eastontcropconference.ca.
