Temperatures are expected to be cooler, but the first of the 2016 Ontario corn crop is likely to start being planted this weekend.
Dale Cowan, senior agronomist, Great Lakes Grain AGRIS Co-operative & Wanstead Farmers’ Co-operative, said on Wednesday that most of the activity to date has just been ‘scratching around.’
“The guys are just nicely getting going. I know today and tomorrow. . . certainly by the weekend guys want to get a good start on it.”
Much of the province was extremely wet and cold through the first part of April, with conditions finally turning much warmer and drier around the middle of last week. Temperatures this past weekend reached into the mid-20s C range amid sunny skies. There is the chance of rain on Thursday and Friday, although the sun is expected to return on Saturday, albeit with lower temperatures.
Cowan said ground conditions are certainly improving, while soil temperatures are just around the point where planting can begin.
“We’re getting close; if (producers) can just wait another day, a little more heat in the ground and some of those areas that are marginal will dry up.”
Provided the weather holds up, Cowan said a good portion of this year’s provincial corn crop could be in the ground by the end of April. If that is the case, it would be very similar to a year ago, when most of the crop was planted by May 5, he said
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