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 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra.
SOFTWARE PROGRAM HELPS ONTARIO FARMERS PREVENT SOIL EROSION
The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE2) is a software program designed to help farmers estimate the potential for soil erosion under different land management and cropping practices.
The software overcomes many of the limitations of the previous USLE equation.
OMAFRA has adapted the RUSLE2 for Ontario farmers by incorporating climate, soil and management practices common to the province.
Five interactive tutorials have been created to help you use RUSLE2 for Ontario.
The easy-to-follow audio/visual guides give step-by-step instructions on using RUSLE2 to help you assess the cropping and tillage practices you use on your farm.
Find out how you can prevent soil erosion from your fields! Visit the OMAFRA website http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/rusle2/index.htm to watch the tutorials and to download RUSLE2.
Do you have questions about RUSLE2? Contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.
For more information visit: ontario.ca/ce4i.
DAME’S-ROCKET
by John C. Benham, Weed Inspector
Some people have been wondering what those patches of mauve flowers along the roadsides are.
Most people call them “some kind” of phlox. If the flowers have five-petals they likely will be phlox but if they have four-petals they are Dame’s-rocket.
They are beautiful showy flowers that were brought over from Europe as an ornamental but now has adapted to our conditions and flourished.
Dame’s-rocket is a perennial reproducing only by seed. They grow three to four-feet tall with mauve to pink to white flowers in damp soils in uncultivated areas. They flower May to August.
Since they are a member of the mustard family the seedpods are similar to the rest of the mustards, one to four-inch long slightly constricted between the seeds.
They are not on the noxious weed list.
