OMAFRA releases July 20 Field Crop Report

Jul 22, 2016

Wheat harvest appears to be ahead of last year

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

OMAFRA’s Field Crop Team released its July 20 Field Crop Report, and wheat farmers in the province are getting substantial work in.

“Winter wheat harvest is in full swing throughout much of the province with some farms already finished, putting harvest 10-14 days ahead of 2015,” the report says.

The report states crop quality is good and yields are higher than expected, despite the lack of moisture.

With respect to soybeans, the Field Crop Team said there’s been no significant reports of soybean aphids, but farmers should remain diligent when scouting.

Corn, soybeans and wheat

“Regular scouting should be done from now until the R6 (full seed) stage of soybean to minimize any yield loss with this pest.”

OMAFRA says corn farmers should be aware of western bean cutworm moths.

“Moths have been laying egg masses which have now become visible in a few fields, with some approaching or above the action threshold of one egg mass per 20 corn plants.”

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.