Wednesday, July 14, 2021

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AGRONOMY WEEKLY NEWS
This new weekly e-newsletter will be delivered to your inbox midweek. It will focus on local agronomy news in and around our Wanstead branch locations. Information you'll receive comes from our Wanstead crop sales advisors.

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Wheat
Although we initially had a good jump on wheat harvest this year (approximately 10-15% completed in our area), mother nature is calling the shots and has been holding us back with rain for a few days now. The concern over what this moisture will do to quality remains, and has some people anxious about when they will be able to get the crop off. Issues of sprouts, mildew and lodged wheat will dictate how the crop turns out, and the co-op's main priority for harvest remains on preserving wheat quality. To help farmers protect their crop, Wanstead is prepared to take wheat at 17% moisture with no drying charges until further notice, IF the quality is a grade 2. Over the next few days, if growers are able to get into their fields, they are going to have to find the balance between wheat quality with moisture. The weather conditions being this wet during wheat harvest is an unprecedented situation for many farmers. Normally at this time of year we are begging for a rain.
Soybeans
Soybeans are all over the map in terms of development and quality. The crop across Lambton County is anywhere from beginning to flower to the pods starting to merge. Variability in fields is extensive due to laying water. Plants that were under water for long periods of time are at risk of root rot as well. Additionally, this hot and wet weather is a breeding ground for foliar diseases, which is why our agronomists are really, really encouraging all of our growers to apply a fungicide on their crop -once we can get back in the fields that is. These extreme water events are creating challenges for spraying, however, due to spotty rains, we are looking at the possibility of spraying some fields tomorrow in the Wanstead region. If you are thinking about applying a fungicide, you can also add a soybooster to help combat some of the yellowing and stress the crop is dealing with.
Corn
I can safely say that corn is looking pretty great across the board. With the majority of fields ranging from chest high (around the B12 stage) to tasseling, the corn is flying though its growth stages. Due to the extreme rains, the corn is now showing some signs of damage through variable or wave-like fields as the moisture affected plants differently due to their proximity to the tile runs. Unlike typically, we are seeing taller plants on the tiles, when normally that is where the shortest plants resided. This makes it tricky to stage. The next focus for the corn crop is on fungicide. We have multiple fungicides available to suit your needs whether it be the highest VOM protection or the higher yield protection. We actually have a lift kit on our sprayer which makes it able to spray in tall fields, so just because your corn is tall, doesn't mean you can't protect it!
What are our agronomists up to?
Our agronomists are currently out staging corn and soybean fields for spraying fungicide. They are also starting to receive some signage for seed, custom application, or crop inputs, and they will be planning on getting those out in the next few weeks. If you are interested in having a sign on your crop, please reach out to your agronomist! One other thing they are really encouraging this time of year is soil sampling on wheat ground. Knowing what your ground needs will help you to spend your fertilizer money in the right places, to maximize on your future crop potentials. If you are interested in getting your fields tested, please reach out to your salesperson. 

Bradey: 519-312-7767
Jason: 519-330-9746
Darrin: 519-330-9812