Watch For Western Bean Cutworm In Ontario Corn Fields

Jul 23, 2015

The next two to three weeks are key for scouting and managing Western Bean Cutworm for the bulk of the Ontario corn crop.

OMAFRA’s Tracey Baute points out WBC damage was more widespread in Ontario last year than in previous years.

Scouting involves inspecting 20 plants in five areas of the field, focussing on the top three-to-four upper leaves of the plant.

The WBC eggs are the size of a pin head, pearly white when first laid and shaped like a tiny cantaloupe.

Baute recommends spraying if 5 per cent of the plants have eggs or small larvae.

In other words – 5 eggs found on 100 plants inspected.

Baute also reminds growers that if spraying is needed, it should be timed to minimize bee exposure.

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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.