OMAFRA releases latest Field Crop Report 3 Aug 2016

Aug 04, 2016

Report was issued August 3

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

OMAFRA’s Field Crop Team released its latest Field Crop Report on August 3. The sporadic rains across the province are helpful - but are localized.

“Areas that have received rain are obviously doing better with the rains coming at a critical point in corn pollination and helping to extend the soybean pollination,” the report reads. “In regions where rain have failed to develop or where only small amounts of rain have been received, the crops continue to struggle.”

When it comes to forages, second cut harvest is either finished or currently underway, with some farmers placing quantity before quality.

“It appears that some producers may be sacrificing quality to get volume with delayed cutting.”

Field
Getty

The Field Crop Team reminds producers that to get new growth started with any coming rains it's important to harvest the current crop, regardless of quantity.

The winter wheat harvest in Ontario is wrapping up, and yields in the southwestern part of the province have excelled. However, the same can’t be said for other parts of the province.

“Lower yields are being reported in (the) central and east regions,” the report says.

Farmers completing their spring cereal harvest are reminded that the dry conditions make fields vulnerable to fires.

“Take the time to ensure you are reducing the risk,” says the report. "The alternative can be extremely costly in terms of crop and infrastrucutre losses."

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.