One agronomist says farmers have returned their seed and switched to soybeans
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Some farmers in Ontario are still struggling to get their corn planted.
OMAFRA’s May 25 Field Crop Report estimated that only 25 per cent of Niagara’s corn had been planted due to heavy clay soils remaining unfit.
The situation in parts of Haldimand and Niagara has improved lately – but only slightly, according to one agronomist.
“Surprisingly now, it’s not our heavy clay soils that are wet, it’s some of our best soils we have in Dunnville and Wainfleet,” Jerry Winnicki, agronomy manager with Clark Agri Service, told Farms.com. OMAFRA’s figures “are probably around 50 per cent now but I have some people with absolutely no corn in the ground.”
Some growers have planted 50 per cent of their planned corn acres and are abandoning the other half. Others have sent their corn seed back with the intent of planting soybeans, Winnicki said, adding that some corn and soybean crops have started to emerge.
Mother Nature’s lack of cooperation across the region means some farmers aren’t able to manage weeds.
Jerry Winnicki
Photo: Clark Agri Service
“The weeds are pretty bad in a lot of fields,” said Winnicki. “This week the big challenge is getting fusarium spray on our wheat. The crop looks really good considering the amount of water we’ve had but we need to get it sprayed to protect it from fusarium.”
The forecast for the remainder of the week for this part of the province has temperatures ranging from 15 to 17 C. Winnicki says that’s not hot enough.
“That’s not good drying weather. Even this weekend it didn’t rain but nothing was drying. Our fields are saturated. We need some heat and some wind to dry these fields out.”
OMAFRA’s report also suggested one week remained in the corn planting season before yield potential drops below 90 per cent.
Winnicki says the yield potential could still be around 90 per cent since some growers will produce corn for livestock feed.