MarketsFarm — Rains were timely in helping with crop establishment, according to the latest report from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). As some spring planting remained to be completed, amounts of precipitation ranged from 12 to 55 millimetres.
While herbicide applications on cereals continued in southern Ontario, planting in the northwest was hampered by wet conditions similar to those on the eastern Prairies.
The sowing of dry beans pressed on in Ontario, with the emergence of some earlier seeded beans such as the Adzuki variety. Meanwhile, cranberry beans remain to be planted, traditionally being one of the last to go into the ground. That said, the amount of acres devoted to dry beans in the province is thought to be the lowest in five years.
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Soybeans ranged from still being planted in some regions of the province to growth at the second trifoliate stage, according to OMAFRA. There have been reports of thinner than expected growth, with emergence impeded by soil crusting and cooler than normal nighttime temperatures.
The report said corn growth is generally healthy and is at the V2 to V5 stages. There has been some purpling of leaves, which is thought to be related to genetics. However, if such were to continue past the six-leaf stage that could indicate a phosphorous deficiency.
The cutting of forages was underway this past week, with somewhat disappointing yields where more winter damage occurred. The report noted some fields were repurposed to silage corn or soybeans depending on feed inventories.
As for pests, the cereal leaf beetle has not been spotted in high numbers this spring, while wireworm, seedcorn maggot and black cutworm sightings are low. In terms of diseases there are cases of powdery mildew in cereals.
