Pictures From Crop Tour 2010

The Beginning...









Soya and White Beans @ Kevin Runnalls's...









C&M Winter Wheat Stop @ Terry Phillips'...










Forage Stop @ Darren Gray's...




Bedstraw Test Plots...




Grant Farms-->Canola...






Last Stop...

Western Bean Cutworm

Western bean cutworm found in traps in Temiskaming .These moths are showing up in traps alongside corn feilds in the past week. We have caught 16 the week of July 11-19 and will see eggs hatching in one week, after the larvae start feeding on tassel and then move to cobs to do damage if infestation are high.

PICTURES FROM WEED CROP CARAVAN--TEMISKAMING DISTRICT

Pictures of Crop Camera-- pre set-up

North Eastern Soil and Crop

North Eastern Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Assocation has put together a website!!!

Check it out at www.neosia.wordpress.com

You can look at back issued articles of Breaking Ground. Keep in mind, the articles posted are exclusive to NEOSCIA and Northern Ontario. NO CROP TALK found here!

Enjoy:)

Cold Affects on Soybeans--> from Sean Cochrane

Soil Temperatures at Planting Impact Soybean Yield?

Author: Horst Bohner - Soybean Specialist/OMAFRA

Creation Date: 05 September 2003

Last Reviewed:09 October 2003



Seed Imbibition

Soybean seeds are extremely vulnerable to cold soil temperatures especially during the first 6 to 24 hours after planting. Before seeds can begin to germinate they must take in water. This process is called imbibition or rehydration. Seeds make the transition from a dry state in which they have been for several months or years to a metabolically active state within a short period of time. For this reason the soil temperature at planting time and for the next 24 hours is crucial and more important than the temperature following that period. After the initial hours of imbibition seeds become far less sensitive to cooler temperatures. The take home message is clear. Planting soybeans into cold soils may have a dramatic effect on emergence. Soil should be at least 10¢ª C at planting and for the following 6 to 24 hours. It is impossible to predict the exact length of time initial imbibition will take since it depends on a number of factors including soil moisture, seed moisture, seed quality, etc. It may be as short as only a few hours or up to a full day. Of course the temperature for the weeks and months following planting are critical for plant health but low temperatures at planting are one of those factors that can set the crop back right from the beginning.


What is Imbibitional Chilling Injury?


The injury demonstrated in the above pictures is called imbibitional chilling injury. If the initial water imbibed by soybean seed is too cold it disrupts membrane integrity, increases electrolyte leakage and may result in lower germination. This leakage may also result in increased pre-emergent damping off, since some pathogens use the leakage as an energy source. Cold temperatures also reduce hypocotyl elongation, which may also lower emergence.

If the seed is very dry or the seed coat is cracked soybeans are even more vulnerable to this kind of injury. A good seed coat is important during imbibition because it moderates the absorption of water and other particles in and out of the seed. When the seed coat is thin or cracked it does not regulate these functions properly, which will increase injury.
However, if seeds are placed into warm soils (for 6-24 hrs) which then become cold, no damage occurs to the seed since a large percentage of the water has already been imbibed and cell membranes have had a chance to re-hydrate normally.


Possible Yield Impact?


Research conducted by E.E. Gamble during the 1980's showed that the time of day soybeans are planted may have an impact on final plant stand and yield if soil temperatures are low during the planting season. Morning planting (while the soil was still very cold) and late evening planting resulted in reduced emergence and yield in one trial. The late evening planting had reduced yield and emergence, probably because nighttime conditions after planting were cold. In the most extreme case, when planting occurred at 8:30 a.m. at a soil temperature of 3¢ª C, a yield reduction of 790 kg/ac (11.7 bu/ac) was evident compared to planting at 11:30 a.m. when the soil was up to 10¢ª C. In another trial there was a
168 kg/ha (2.5 bu/ac) increase in yield when comparing a 4:00 p.m.
planting to an 8:00 p.m. planting if the following night was cold. In trials where soil temperatures were above 10¢ª C and remained above 10¢ª C after planting, no impact on yield was evident.

Please see the rest of the article at;
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croptalk/2003/ct_0903a7.htm

Thank you to OMAFRA and Horst Bohner for this article.

KID'S CROP CHALLENGE

ARE YOU READY???







THE OATS
The oats grow to mature at ninety to one hundred days and are harvested during this period. Every seed planted should return fifty to sixty new seeds! The new seeds are then shipped to Quaker Oats,located in Peteroborough.




















At the Quaker Plant, the oats get turned into cereal, oatmeal, chewy snack bars and other delecious products (my personal favourite, granola bites).

Temiskaming produced 9, 900 tonnes of oats in the year 2009. Northern Ontario overall produced 15, 200 tonnes of oats in the year 2009.

WHAT OATS DO FOR YOU
Oats are considered a super food because of the vast amount of nutrients oats supply to your body which promote your overall health! The nutrients found in oats are B vitamins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and minerals such as iron and calcium! Some of the overal health benefits of eating oats are a boosted immune system (keeping colds and the flu at bay), a productive digestion system (thank-you fiber), and reduces the chances of strokes, heart diseases and cancers. WOW!


THE STEPS TO THE CHALLENGE:
1. Plant three oat seeds in each cup at a three centimetre depth
2. Cover with Soil and Firm
3. Water the soil to keep the soil moist-- REMEMBER do not flood the cup-- water the soil on verily regular basis
4. Place the cup in sunlight
5. Keep track of the number of days before you begin to see the oats sprouting and the soil temperature: make sure you do this at the same time everyday
KEEP IN MIND it will take five to seven days before you will see the sprouts
6. Most imporantly, do not forget to take pictures and send them to internneoscia@ntl.sympatico.ca-- they will be posted online:)

Pictures From Trade Show

FLOOR





FORAGE AND SEED SHOW







MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE...NANA'S KETTLE CORN

LIST OF EXHIBITORS AT THE EARLTON FARM SHOW

AFP
Ag Nor
Agricorp
Alpine Plant Foods
Bayer Crop Science
Bridge Country Feeds Inc
Brownlee Equipment
C and M Seeds
Caisse Populaire
Centre Laiter Ltee
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
CIBC
College Boreal
Cook Engineering
Co-op Regionale Nip-Sud
Davies Legacy Planning Group Inc
Earlton Construction Solutions Inc
Earlton Heating
Ebert Welding
Energrow
Evergreen Liquid Plant Food Ltd
Farmers Sealded Storage
FCC
Fellowship of Christian Farmers
Floradale
Freedom 55 Finicial
G.P.S. Ontario
Gencor
Grand Valley Fortifiers
Halltech Environmental
Jersey Canada
JPL Storage
Kelln Solar
La Coop Val Nord
Labonte Seed
Leisure Farms
MaJIC
Marcrest Manufacturing
Miller Minerals
Miller Realty Group
Monsanto
Nana's Kettle Corn
National Farmers Union
Nipissing University
Nieuwland Feed & Supply Ltd
Northern Feed and Supplier
Northern Ontario Agri-Food Education
OFA
OMAFRA
Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency
OPG
Pasture Hill Supply
Penguin Power
Pick Seed
Quality Seed Ltd.
R.J. Tench Insurance Brokers
RBC Royal Bank
Riverfront Family Chiropractic
Roger Lacasse Services
Scotia Bank
Sedore Multi Fuel Stoves
Sherry's Gourmet Preserves
Sun-North Systems
TD Canada Trust
Temiskaming Cattlemen's Association
Temiskaming Crops Coalition
Temiskaming Independent Energy
Temiskaming Plowing Match
The Flour Mill
TransCanada
TriTown Automotive
UCFO
Woodmaster of Ontario
If interested in finding out more information please feel free to contact Kelly Bird at internneoscia@ntl.sympatico.ca

SEE YOU THERE!!!

OPA-- microFIT program

There has been a lot of talk about using a variety of different renewable energy sources. I am sure many of you are aware of the new '80 cent a kilowatt' that is being offered for powering into the Ontario's grid from the use of solar energy. For more details and how to set yourself with OPA, please check out the link below. Keep in mind there are other options as well, such as using manure, and wind turbines. Though, the other options are by far more expensive to set-up, they have the potential to offer a better economic turn over rate.
http://microfit.powerauthority.on.ca/

Food Freedom Day-- country-guide.ca

First and foremost, thanks Terry Philips for finding this article. Enjoy:)

"Food Freedom Day" same time this year
Staff

General farm groups across Canada have marked Feb. 12 as "Food Freedom Day" for the second year in a row.

The occasion, marked by groups including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Ontario Federation of Agriculture, denotes the date on which the "average Canadian" has grossed enough income to pay his or her individual grocery bill for an entire year.

Food Freedom Day has turned up "slightly later" than in previous years, such as Feb. 3 in 2008, "due to the effects of the recession on disposable income and an increase in the price of food," the CFA said in a release.

The calculation is a "simple comparison of Canadians' disposable income and the amount they spend on food," the group said. Setting the date involved reviewing food prices over the past 30 years at both the farm gate and retail levels.

"This research highlighted the hard work farmers do in ensuring Canadian's receive great value for their food dollar," the CFA said.

However, CFA president and Quebec farmer Laurent Pellerin said in the same release, "while the prices Canadian consumers pay for food has been steadily increasing over the past 30 years, the amount that returns to the farm gate is relatively small."

OFA president Bette Jean Crews, in a separate release, said her province's farmers "remain proud of their role in providing food under the highest food safety and environmental standards, yet still Canadian consumers enjoy one of the most affordable food supplies in the world.

"Ontario consumers can be confident that from farm gate to the table, the safety, quality and value of Ontario-grown food is second to none," Crews said Friday.

"Taking a loss"

But a representative of the National Farmers Union wondered aloud why the occasion should be considered a point of pride.

"The point is, should we be celebrating the fact that farm families are underpaid?" Alberta farmer and NFU regional co-ordinator Margo Staniforth wrote in a separate op-ed piece Friday. "It's such an accepted part of our culture that we mistakenly think of it as normal."

Furthermore, she wrote, "given the level of inequality in Canadian society and the growing number of food banks across the country, I wonder whether the average Canadian consumer is really that well off."

Food Freedom Day, she wrote, "illustrates how much farm families in Canada subsidize food production through unpaid labour, off-farm jobs and high debt loads. Farm families are taking a loss while retailers, processors and other big corporations in the food system are making profits."

Some ag groups are looking to restore "market power" to farmers, she added. "It's not that we are looking to increase the price of groceries -- we're simply trying to ensure that the farmers keep their fair share of the consumer's food dollar."

Breaking Ground-- IPM addition

Hello all!

I have noticed that the Breaking Ground--IPM addition (Fall 2009), was a very popular issue. So popular that we no longer have any issues left. I have reposted the link for the issue on the side bar.
The IPM addition features photos from the IPM, articles and so forth so CHECK IT OUT!

Growers Pesticide Courses

Once again the Growers Pesticide Safety Courses will be offered in the regions. The dates and location of the courses are;
March 11th for the district of Temiskaming (french course) in New Liskeard
March 12th for the distict of Cochrane (english course) in Porquis Jct.
March 13th for the district of Temiskaming (english course) in New Liskeard

The courses are from 8:45 am - 3:00pm. The cost is $105 and the certificate is valid for 5 years. For more information and to register please call 1-800-652-8573 or visit the web site at; http://www.opep.ca/GrowerTraining/courses.cfm

Biogas Fertilizer

New Fertilizer

Has anyone seen the product coming from the Bio-digester it looks very black like it was burnt with analysis of 5-4-2 .It will be made at the new Stormfisher biogas plant being built in London We need to see some field trials with the product