A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
THE 2012 GUELPH-WELLINGTON LOCAL FOOD MAP IS NOW AVAILABLE
Pick up your copy at your local OMAFRA office, county library branch, any tourism outlets and select businesses throughout Wellington Guelph. Pick yours up today, and localize the food on your plate. For more information, visit: www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca.
ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN
by John C. Benham
Obtaining the third edition of the EFP and updating your Action Plan will position you to take part in any program that maybe announced. Therefore, when completing the third edition of the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) or, if it has been more than five years since your current Action Plan was peer reviewed, it is recommended you attend an EFP workshop to update your Action Plan and have it deemed appropriate
REMINDER! GROWING YOUR FARM PROFITS
by John C. Benham
The next Growing Your Farm Profits two-day workshop is planned to be held Monday, Aug. 20 and Monday, Aug 27 at Everdale Farms, 5812 6th Line, Erin from 9:30am to 3pm. Lunch and refreshments will be provided at no cost to you. To sign up electronically go to: www.ontariosoilcrop.org/workshops or phone Liz at: 519-638-3268.
The Growing Your Farm Profits workshop and workbook will help workshop attendees realize the status of their farm business, areas where they are doing well and the areas where improvements would put the farm business in a better financial position.
The workshop covers, production, marketing, financial management, the structure of the business, succession planning and more detailed farm business goals. You will not be asked to provide any information that you do not know or do not wish to give.
CUTWORM ACTIVITY IN SWEET CORN AND TOMATOES – OMAFRA NewsLETTER – HORT MATTERS
As corn plants start to emerge, keep an eye out for cutworm feeding damage. Early -season cutworm injury appears as plants cut off at, or just below the soil-line. In older seedlings, the cutworms may deeply notch the base of the plants, causing them to wilt. Cutworms are often most active on sandy knolls and in areas that had significant green cover during the early spring.
Most species of cutworm do not overwinter in Ontario. In the early spring, adult moths are transported on the tradewinds from the overwintering sites.
Given the mild winter conditions of 2012, it is possible that some species of cutworm moths have overwintered in Ontario this year.
Female moths are attracted to dense, green cover to lay their eggs. Often, when they arrive in Ontario in early spring, the main source of habitat for the females are winter annual or perennial weeds and cover crops.
Egg hatch and larval feeding often coincides with planting and crop emergence.
During daylight hours, cutworms remain buried in the soil. They emerge to feed at night. As a result, registered organic pest control products are most effective if they are sprayed in the evening as the cutworms emerge from the soil to feed.
In sweet corn, the control threshold is 10% damage. Keep the crop stage and worm size in mind when making spray decisions. Sixth and Seventh in star larvae (1.5-2” long) are close to pupation and unlikely to cause additional damage to the plants.
Once corn plants reach the 4-6 leaf stage, they can sustain larger amounts of feeding without economic injury.
Early-season cutworm can also attack tomatoes. However, this spring, tomato growers should also scout their fields for variegated cutworm, a climbing cutworm. Although there is typically a small overwintering population in Ontario, damage is not usually noticed until July, when moth populations move in from more southern areas. However, with the mild winter there may have been more winter survival in Ontario (variegated cutworm overwinter as pupae) giving potential for an unusual May outbreak.
Fields that had living weeds or cover crops (egg-laying sites) until very close to transplanting could be at risk of variegated cutworm and early season cutworm feeding this spring.
There is no established threshold for climbing cutworm feeding on tomato seedlings, but the general threshold for early-season cutworm is 5% damaged plants. In this case, damage could be counted as clipped or severely defoliated plants.
COMING EVENTS
July 3 -Wellington Federation of Agriculture, monthly Board meeting, at OMAFRA Boardroom, Elora at 7:30pm. For information, contact Lisa Hern at 519-848-3774 or email: jplh@golden.net.
July 4 – Wellington Soil & Crop Summer Meeting – the Wellington County Association is sponsoring a meeting at Clovermead Farms (Bruce Whale), 7600 Wellington Rd. 8, RR #2, Alma. This on farm meeting will begin at 7pm. No pre-registration is required.
July 4 – National Farmers Union Waterloo-Wellington Local, monthly board meeting at 7:15pm at the Husky Farm Equipment, Alma. (They meet every first Wednesday of the month).
July 4 & 5 – SouthWest Crop Diagnostic Day, Univ. of Guelph, Ridgetown, 8:15am. Check the website: http://www.diagnosticdays.ca/.
July 12 – FarmSmart Expo, University of Guelph, Elora Research Station, Elora. Watch for details at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/.
July 13 – FarmSmart Expo Youth Day at the University of Guelph, Elora Research Station at 8:45am. Check the website: www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/.
July 23-27 – 4-H Conference Career Sen$e; Application Deadline: June 11, Guelph. See website for details: http://www.4-hontario.ca/youth/opportunities/conferences/default.aspx.
