Farmers really digging heat wave
News
Posted By MIRIAM KING, QMI AGENCY
Posted 1 month ago
Sunny skies, temperatures into the 30s C, intermittent rain showers -- weather patterns in the summer of 2010 so far have been quite different from 2009, and local farmers are loving it.
"The corn is just starting to tassle, which is two weeks to 10 days early," said Innisfil farmer Larry Kell, of Kell Farms, which has about 7,500 acres, in Innisfil and Belleville, in corn, soy and wheat.
While the corn is doing well, the soy is beginning to show signs of stress, he says. And even the corn is at risk: while the plants are taller and ahead of previous years, the high moisture level has resulted in shallow roots -- which means that an extended drought would hurt.
"We could use rain," Kell said. "If we get rain this weekend, it's perfect."
"Corn in this country has never been this high this early," said John McCallum, a Bradford West Gwillimbury councillor who farms in Bradford West Gwillimbury and King Township. On the upland farms, "everything was planted early... We're looking at tremendous yields."
Corn isn't the only crop that's thriving on the heat and humidity.
"It's hard to work in the heat," said Holland Marsh grower, Dan Sopuch.
But his carrots, onions and celery are loving it.
"Hot and dry is preferable to cool and wet."
So far, there's been little need to irrigate. And so far, he said, no bolting to seed, which can happen if temperatures are too high, too early. "It's fantastic."
Shawn Janse, station manager at the Holland Marsh Muck Crops Research Station operated by the University of Guelph, takes a more cautious view.
"Onion plants are a little under stress but they're holding up," Janse said, and there has been some dieback of late-planted carrots. But, he said, "it's easier to put water on than take it off," and many growers in the marsh have the equipment to irrigate, if necessary.
The big concern is pests, like onion and carrot maggot flies, onion thrips, and leaf hoppers. In the heat, "insect pests are on the climb," Janse said.
The Muck Crops Research Station closely monitors pests in the fields; if numbers reach a certain level, farmers are notified by Agriphone, to take appropriate action. "We're keeping an eye on counts."
So far, things are "holding up well," he says, although "we can use a rain ... as long as it doesn't get too intense."
"As long as we get timely rains, it'd be perfect," said Kell.
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