Wheat Pete wishes he didn’t have to talk about safety but he has to. More farmers are telling him that they’ve had draw pins stolen. Make sure you do a circle check and check the pins before moving wagons — you could save a life. Farmers also have to stay safe around grain bins. Pete… Read More
Fall conditions in Ontario are quite dry and that has some growers wondering if the wheat is OK. More farmers are also perhaps getting a little carried away with fall field work, because, well, there’s time and dry conditions to do some! To discuss what’s going on with the wheat crop, why it’s always the… Read More
Resist the urge to splurge on nitrogen, says Wheat Pete, at least this fall on wheat. But why? The answer to that is in this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. Also in this edition: double crop beans yields, foggy mornings and farm safety, pet peeves, fungicide ROI, and more! Have a question you’d like… Read More
There isn’t any one thing that creates a healthy soil. Instead, building soil health and resiliency takes a combination of plant growth, nutrient additions, and careful management. Turns out, it’s not just building organic matter that adds to this dynamic — growing high yielding crops is also key part of nutrient cycling and productive soil…. Read More
It’s nearly Thanksgiving, and plenty of farmers have lots to be thankful for, including excellent soybean yields and lovely fall weather for wheat planting. Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete’s Word, is thankful for you, dear listener, for sending in photos, questions, plot results and more, and on this week’s podcast hear some of what’s… Read More
If you’ve never seen soybeans sprouted in the pod, this is the podcast post for you! In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson has some surprising (and wooly) solutions to using oats that made it to head, plus he’s got many thoughts on phosphate applications, and he wants everyone to invest… Read More
Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has got so many agronomy answers this week, and two very important reminders. First off, check in with someone you haven’t talked to in a while, it may be a really warm memory for years to come, and, second, if you’ve ever seen a young person driving a tractor on the… Read More
A week of unseasonably hot, dry weather has crops roaring to the finish line, which has those same crops exhibiting some interesting symptoms. On this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson explains what the heck is happening to corn plants, why the combine needs to move quickly into the beans, and why… Read More
It’s time for another episode of Wheat Pete’s Word! On this episode, host Peter Johnson has a plan for letting clover grow as long as possible without sacrificing weed control, he explains why plants in the residue swath need more N, and why cereal rye is an answer to fleabane, not THE answer. Have a… Read More
It’s hurry up and wait for many anxiously planning silage harvest, edible bean burndowns, and fall fertility passes. As September gets rolling, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson encourages everyone to take a breath, call a friend to check in and use your Wheat Pete 15 for good. Got it? Good, then we move on to a… Read More
The ideal seeding window for fall seeded crops seems to creep up on even the most prepared of farmers. That might be because, for some crops, the ideal window is incredibly early — like this week, in the case of winter canola for example. That’s one hot topic in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word podcast,… Read More
There are more than a few seeding, fertilizing, and scouting questions to wade through in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word podcast, and that’s exactly how host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson likes it. Before answering the top agronomy questions, though, Johnson has two reminders for all of us on being courteous and on taking care of… Read More
Strange weeds, changing leaves, burndown options, and crop lodging are all hot topics this week on Wheat Pete’s Word. As always, host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has some Agronomy Answers to your top questions this week, plus some insights into the value of fungicide in oats and wheat this season, and why scouting edible beans… Read More
The rain clouds can’t seem to find the fields that would welcome the rain, and that’s just as true in Ontario as it is in large parts of Saskatchewan. The corn crop in Ontario is on-trend for an average finishing date, as are the soybeans, as both crops ran into poor planting conditions, says Peter… Read More
It’s time to close out July with some important reminders, a plan for trying new things, and a prompting to check for ladybugs. On this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson also has to correct his math on soil organic matter goals, but that’s OK, that’s how we learn. Listen on to hear… Read More
There are some very sad looking low spots in parts of southwestern Ontario, as excess water and water logged soils make growing difficult, especially for dry beans and soybeans. Despite the rain, a stretch of better weather in the last week did mean that plenty of wheat has been harvested, so Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson… Read More
The summer of downpours continues for Ontario as another major storm system moved across southern Ontario, leaving rivers and creeks swollen, roads closed, and crops under water. How long can crops survive submerged? That’s a common question this week and one Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson answers in the podcast. Also up for discussion:… Read More
Plenty of combines were rolling earlier this week before the wall of water that is the remnant of hurricane Beryl hit Ontario. Not only did this weather system bring sheets of rain, but it may also have brought more tar spot spores from the south. Tar spot has already been found in Ontario, says Peter… Read More
How much does lodging affect yield? It all depends on when the crop goes down. Evidence of that is showing up on Ontario yield monitors in the winter barley fields and will be coming to a wheat field near you in the coming week, says Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete’s Word. The other thing… Read More
Last week’s intense heat and humidity across much of Ontario had significant impacts on several crops, some of them good, some of them not so good. Heat-loving crops, such as corn, had a rip-roaring week, blasting through leaf stages, however any spring cereals in the flowering stage or crops with poor root growth suffered in… Read More
J Amodeo
great work and dedication put into this podcast!