36 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | August 2024 crops: the lynch fileS CROP ISSUES YOU NEED TO ADDRESS NOW For crops to do well in August & beyond, many things should get done now. By Patrick Lynch Planting was difficult this spring for most producers I know. In fact, it was the most challenging spring planting period that I’d seen – and everyone I spoke with about this has agreed. For crops to do well in August and beyond, many things should get done now. Soil testing and sampling One such thing is soil testing. I relate to you a discussion on soil testing that started at a meeting in April. What used to be OMAFRA – now split into the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and the Ministry of Rural Affairs – hosts area meetings for industry and independent crop consultants at various locations across Ontario. We discussed soil sampling at the Cobourg meeting. One question which came up was why so few farmers have their soil tested. It was said that less than 30 per cent of soils in Ontario had a current soil analysis. This is quite remarkable when, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness’s crop budget, 16 per cent or more of the cost of growing corn is for phosphorous and potassium. When you add the cost of sulphur, magnesium, zinc, boron, and lime, the total cost of these nutrients may make up to 20 per cent of the cost of growing corn. To spend that much money on an input and not know what you should be buying doesn’t make sense. Tongue in cheek, I said those in the Check your corn for rootworm and schedule the timely application of ear mould protection. Emily Croft photo
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