Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Corn growers concerned about nitrogen loss

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

It has been a challenging start to the growing season but most growers across Ontario have likely finished planting corn, says the province’s corn expert.

Greg Stewart, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn industry lead, estimated Monday that about 85 per cent of the province’s corn crop had been planted.

Farmers east of Toronto intent to get that final 30 per cent into the ground “certainly could have,” says Stewart. In areas where heavy clay soil predominates, such as in the Niagara region and Southwestern Ontario, “I’m thinking they’re still going today (Monday).”

He says farmers have been calling the province’s CropLine with some concerns about corn planted mid-May or earlier that didn’t come up very well after sitting in saturated conditions.

The level of the residual nitrogen supply for crops planted around May 9 is another frequent question: How much of the nitrogen applied around that date might have disappeared?

Stewart says he’s not concerned about the disappearance of the nitrogen supply so much in lighter soils, ranging from loam to sand, as he is in really heavy soils that sat in saturated conditions.

That’s because in Ontario, “a lot of our nitrogen gets lost from saturated conditions where it goes through denitrification and goes off as N2 gas.”

To estimate the loss, he recommends taking soil nitrate samples once the field has dried out “and try to get a feel for, Are we low, medium or high in terms of the amount of nitrate that we’re seeing in the profile?”

At least the sampling will “gives you some sort of a place to start,” he says. BF
 

Current Issue

October 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

New MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Case IH continues to expand its innovative harvest equipment lineup with the launch of the MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header, a new series designed to provide farmers with smoother, cleaner, and more efficient harvesting. Available in multiple widths — 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and even 61... Read this article online

New Holland IntelliSense Tech Elevates Crop Efficiency

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

The IntelliSense system features a forward-looking sensor mounted at the cab’s center line, allowing the sprayer to assess crop quality up to 50 feet ahead. It operates in two main modes: variable rate application and spot spraying. In variable rate mode, the system uses sunlight... Read this article online

Horror movies filmed in rural Ontario

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

As picturesque as rural Ontario and its farm settings can be, the landscape can also create the perfect backdrop to send chills down a spine. With that at top of mind and in celebration of all things spooky and horror in October, here are some horror movies filmed around rural... Read this article online

Precision Harvesting with HeadSight and TrueSight

Monday, October 13, 2025

Modern harvesting relies heavily on precision and smart technology, and new systems for head height control and steering are making sure you are not leaving bushels in the field. These innovations ensure efficient crop collection, protect equipment, and reduce operator fatigue during... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top