October 2010
The Big Picture: A fall full of fairs
By: Claire Cowan
THE LEAVES ARE turning golden and the soybean dust is blowing; fall has arrived. For farmers, fall brings with it long hours in the combine, stress over the weather and anxious glances at the yield monitor. For non-farmers, fall starts when school starts and thoughts turn to coloured pencils and new wardrobes. For both farmers and non-farmers alike, the third season of the year brings the much anticipated fall fair. history repeatingFall fairs are a tradition in many cultures all over
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October 2010
Future of Grain
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MYCOGEN ANNOUNCES NEW brandCorn hybrids once offered from Mycogen Seeds can now be found under a new brand – Properity. According to the company, the new platform identifies their top performing silage and grain hybrids and represents 20 percent of the entire Mycogen Seeds corn lineup. “Our new Properity platform distinguishes our proven hybrids with the greatest potential for profitability for dairy herds or grain corn crop,” says Jarek Nowak, business manager for Mycogen Seeds. “We’ve
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October 2010
Research Roundup
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MORE SPOT-ON READINGS FOR SPROUTING DAMAGEJoey SabljicOntario’s typically damp fall seasons and growing conditions lead to wheat sprouting prematurely in the head before harvest. The sprouting releases enzymes called alpha amylase and proteases, which break down starch and protein in the wheat grain. This can result in a downgrading, and lower prices for farmers. Dr. Gregory Penner, President and CEO of NeoVentures Biotechnology Inc. in London, Ontario is developing a strip test that
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October 2010
In the news
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AGCARE AND OFAC EXPLORE UNIONTwo groups heavily involved in public outreach have announced they are working towards an amalgamation. AgCare (Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment) and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) currently share office space and some staff and projects. As their names imply, AgCare is focused on teaching the general public about the relationship agriculture has with the environment and OFAC focuses on farm animal care. Within the
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October 2010
Cropside: Residue management for wheat
By: Peter Johnson, Cereal Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
PETER JOHNSON, CEREAL Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairsUNEVEN RESIDUE DISTRIBUTION causes many problems in wheat planting, growth and development. Proper residue management to avoid these pitfalls is critical.wreaking havoc Increased residue levels cause wetter, cooler soil conditions, more hair pinning, thin stands, poor tiller development and uneven growth. Slower growth and development in the high residue areas results in
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October 2010
Rethinking nitrogen losses
By: Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
EVEN WITH NITROGEN (n) prices that have fallen considerably over the last two years there are good reasons to continue to fine tune your N strategies. Nitrogen costs still represent a significant portion of your total crop budget and prices will most likely see a return to higher levels. The loss of N also contributes to environmental concerns that might be as global as atmospheric warming or as local as your own water well.research in the fieldThis past summer, researchers at OMAFRA?and
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October 2010
Growing our grains markets
By: Meghan Burke, Grain Farmers of Ontario
MARKET DEVELOPMENT IS arket development is a key pillar of Grain Farmers of Ontario, focussed on providing value to farmer members through premium prices and developing new demand for Ontario grown corn, wheat, and soybeans. The market development committee of seven, including three directors and four delegates, along with additional supporting staff members, was formed in 2010. The activities of this committee center on consumer education and industry partnerships. making connectionsConsumer education
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October 2010
The wheat results are in
By: Mike Reimer, Canadian International Grains Institute
AS THE 2010 wheat harvest wraps up so does the data collection and final reporting on the Ontario Quality Scoop program. This year’s Quality Scoop consisted of 205 individual wheat samples collected from 14 different elevators and terminals throughout Ontario’s primary winter wheat growing regions. The number of samples collected from within each winter wheat class was roughly proportional to the planted acres from within each class. Approximately 75 percent of the samples collected
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October 2010
An organic approach to growing corn
By: Jeanine Moyer
PAUL CAMPBELL SAYS he’s never looked back since he switched from conventional to organic farming. Formerly a conventional farmer for twenty-five years, he now calls himself an organic corn farmer running 275 certified organic acres. FIGURE 1. PAUL CAMPBELL SHOWS OFF HIS CROP NEAR FOREST, ONTARIO.Located in Forest, Campbell began transitioning to organic one field at a time in 2000. Now, fully certified for the past four years he’s been enjoying the challenges, opportunities and
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October 2010
Strategic plan unveiled
By: Claire Cowan
“A STRATEGIC PLAN is like a roadmap,” began Grain Farmers of Ontario’s CEO at their Annual General Meeting with delegates in September. Although he acknowledged that it would be much simpler if he had GPS, it is obvious that Senft and the GFO board of directors are excited about the new plan.With less than a year since GFO was formed as the province’s largest commodity organization, the board has a clear job ahead of them. “The job,” says Senft “is to bring value to farmers through research,
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