Ontario's crops and Ontario's farmers are beginning to suffer from a lack of rain.
"We've pretty much given up the hope we will achieve average yields this year," said OMAFRA Crops Speciallist Peter Johnson Friday, predicting reduced yields for the 2011 harvest.
Rain in sufficient amounts in the next week is critical for corn and soybeans to achieve close to average yields, Johnson continued.
"And for the wheat crop, unfortunately that ship has already sailed. We just aren't going to get there."
Ontario's weather thus far through 2011 has been more suitable for planting rice in paddies in May and nurturing stands of cactus through July. The fact the province's major crops of corn, soybeans and wheat do not enjoy the extremes of a cold, wet planting season followed by a dry growing season has meant less-than-ideal growth.
Many areas received two-and-a-half times normal rainfall amounts in May says Johnson.
"That's just way too much, so we planted late."
In part because of late, hurried planting, roots did not form ideally, exacerbating the effects of a recent three-week drought.
"That's just bad news," said Johnson, noting the ideal is consistent heat and moisture all the way through. Corn and soybeans like it around 28 degrees Celsius he continued, which it has been, there simply has not been enough precipitation to take advantage of the heat units.
On sandier soil, corn has begun the process of 'roping' by 10 a.m., a defence mechanism whereby the leaves curl in on themselves to conserve moisture, presenting a spiky appearance. Roping retards photosynthesis, meaning corn is in survival rather than growing mode.
"It's not growing the way we'd like it to grow at that point."
Johnson has also noted soybeans on sandier or dryer soils have been wilting by noon.
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