Ontario farmers are making early progress with spring planting, although wet field conditions continue to limit activity in some areas of the province.
The latest field observations from Grain Farmers of Ontario, released Thursday, showed corn planting at 11% complete across the province as of Wednesday. Planting has been moving ahead where soils are fit, while manure and fertilizer applications and field preparation are also underway. Once wetter fields dry, producers are expected to make a stronger push to seed corn.
Soybean planting is also underway, with 4% of the crop planted. As with corn, producers are focusing on waiting for suitable soil conditions before moving too aggressively.
Spring cereal planting is further advanced, at 30% complete provincially, but wet weather has also slowed progress. Field activity is expected to increase quickly once ground conditions improve.
Winter wheat fields are showing a wide range of maturity, with warmer conditions in the southwest and cooler weather elsewhere slowing crop development. Some fields have received nitrogen, herbicide and T1 fungicide applications, although wet and windy conditions have made timely fieldwork challenging. Heavier clay and poorly drained fields are showing more stress, while some winter annual weed pressure is also being reported.
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