STAGING UPDATE
The Ontario wheat crop is progressing quite rapidly. Some wheat fields in Essex County are already in the boot stage! As you go to the North and to the East, some fields are very close to the boot stage but I would say a good majority are in the flag leaf stage. With adequate soil moisture and heat in the forecast, the wheat crop will be full steam ahead.
STRIPE RUST
There have been multiple sightings of stripe rust throughout various counties in Southwestern Ontario recently. With the hot humid weather in the forecast, the stripe rust pressure can grow exponentially. It is extremely important to look at your varieties susceptibility to stripe rust and get out in the field and scout. We do not want to have a repeat of last year.
BURN ON WHEAT
Multiple fields have some leaf tissue burn from either UAN or herbicide/fungicide applications. The last couple weeks of cool wet weather resulted in the leaf cuticle getting thin, thus increasing the risk of burn. There will likely be very little to no yield impact unless the flag leaf got damaged during applications. If the second application of UAN has not gone on yet, it should be done very shortly. Be cautious of plant staging, nozzle selection and weather during application. Hot/humid weather will cause more injury than cool and cloudy. 70% of the yield comes from the flag leaf, to minimize injury, application methods may have to change depending on plant staging. It may be wise to switch to a dry source of nitrogen and use a spinner will narrow tires.
CEREAL LEAF BEETLE
Cereal Leaf Beetle is starting to show up in a couple counties. Nicole Weber from FS Partners said that a field in Waterloo County had very high pressure of adult beetles that were chewing on the leaves between the veins causing a window panning affect. According to OMAFRA, the action threshold is one Cereal Leaf Beetle adult or larvae per stem. In other counties, Cereal Leaf Beetle remains at low pressure. It is a good management practice to be on the lookout for them while scouting.
