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: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
FORAGE OPTIONS FOLLOWING WHEAT
– Joel Bagg – Forage Specialist/OMAFRA
With higher land costs as well as the need for more forage in some parts of Ontario, there is increasing interest in following winter wheat and other cereals with a forage crop. Not only can this approach produce some extra feed, it also provides excellent winter cover crop benefits. There are a few double-crop forage options that can provide some cheaper, good quality forage. When potential winterkill with ryegrass or winter cereals does occur, consider that little has been lost, as it provided cover crop benefits and there is still the opportunity to plant an alternate crop in that field in the spring. Summer seeding alfalfa mixtures rather than waiting until next spring can provide the benefit of a full yield next year without the usual establishment year yield loss. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and every situation is different.
The challenge is getting the wheat harvested, the volunteer wheat controlled, and the next crop seeded in a timely manner. Competition from volunteer wheat can be a significant problem. Without vernalization winter wheat will not form a stem in the fall to provide significant growth and yields are very limited. A lot of volunteer wheat can result when light grain goes through the combine, such as fusarium infection situations. One approach to reduce the problem is to do some light tillage (at least behind the combine swath) to encourage the grain to germinate. A burn down with glyphosate 7 – 10 days later will remove much of the volunteer grain. Of course this takes time, and as the calendar gets later some options are lost. Dry summer weather following seeding can delay germination and growth.
Summer Seeding Oats for Forage http://fieldcropNews.com/2013/07/summer-seeding-oats-for-forage/
- • moderate to high forage quality depending on the stage at cutting
- • adding peas to improve quality is an option
- • cut in the fall, wilting and harvest can potentially be challenging
- • follow these annuals with another crop any time next spring
Italian Ryegrass
- • potentially high to very high “dairy” forage quality
- • a cut in late fall and a cut next May can be followed by corn silage, soybeans, sorghums, etc.
- • if first-cut stand is good, an option is continue to cutting every four weeks
- • risk of winterkill should be managed
Double Cropping Winter Cereals for Extra Forage
- • fall rye or winter triticale
- • moderate to high forage quality depending on the stage at cutting next May (target flag-leaf)
- • some risk of winterkill
- • high yield potential
- • can follow with corn silage, soybeans, sorghums
Summer Seeding Alfalfa
- • full yield potential next year without usual spring seeding establishment yield loss
ON FARM FOOD SAFETY: INSTRUCTIONAL POSTERS FOR ON-FARM FOOD SAFETY
– Wayne Du, Pork Quality Assurance Program Lead, OMAFRA
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has developed a series of Good Agriculture Practices posters that are available free of charge to producers.
Attention livestock producers – we’ve now revised the original poster on Proper Animal Health Product Use and added a new one on Mixing Medicated Feed.
The posters are 8 ½ x 11” in size and available in English/Spanish or French/Spanish. They are rip- and weather-resistant making them durable enough to use in and around your farm.
The posters provide visual instructions for best practices on a variety of topics including – Hand washing, food handling, proper use of hand sanitizers, proper toilet use, food storage and packaging, vehicle inspection for food transportation, proper use of animal health products and mixing medicated feed.
Food safety practices contribute to competitive, productive and sustainable agri-food business. For more information and to see our posters, visit the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs website at www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices or call us to order your posters 1-877-424-1300.
Coming Events:
July 16 – The 2015 FarmSmart Expo at the Elora Research Station, 6182 2nd Line E., Elora from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Cost: OSCIA members $75; non-members $110 (includes 1-year membership); Walk-in Rate $110 (no membership benefit).
July 16 – 19 Listowel Fair. For more information, please contact: 519-291-2776 or website at: www.listowelfair.com
Aug. 7 – 9 Drayton Fair. For more information, please contact: 519-638-5093 or website at: www.draytonfair.com
Aug. 21 – 23 Palmerston Fair. For more information, please check the website: www.palmerstonfair.com
