Recent silage testing has shown that corn silage maturities are advancing quickly. Tests in Southwestern Ontario averaged 68% moisture this week. That puts us into ideal silage moisture content for harvest as early as next week. We normally expect corn to drop around 0.5% in moisture a day or around 3% a week. Note that hot,…
Category: Agronomy
Maizex Launches NEW Class of Soybean Varieties for Western Canada
Maizex Seeds has announced the launch of four new soybean varieties to be sold in Western Canada exclusively through Maizex Seeds certified dealers. Jarret Geisel (left), Maizex Seeds Territory Manager for Manitoba North & Saskatchewan, and Trent Matchett (right), grower of the Pikas R2X field pictured (August 2021). “The launch of these four new varieties represent a…
How Kernel Set Relates to Yield
The corn plants are at a very critical time right now in Western Canada. Most tassels have emerged (VT stage), and the pollination/silking process (R1 stage) has started. A corn plant drops pollen from the tassel to pollinate ear silks, and there is one silk for every kernel on a corn ear. A captured pollen…
Wildfire Smoke Affecting Corn Development
This summer has brought several challenges to farmers in western Canada—drought, hail, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke. This isn’t the first time that we have seen wildfire smoke hang in the air for extended periods of time; both 2015 and 2018 were record years for the hours of smoke recorded across Alberta. Unfortunately, 2021 might…
What’s Up in 2021 for Fungicides on Corn Silage?
Every year is different, and 2021 is no exception. With record high crop prices, an early planting window across most of Canada, and now a wet July in Eastern Canada, it has never been more favourable for a fungicide application for your corn silage crop. In our Maizex agronomy work over the last number of…
Clear as Mud: Diversity of Weed Control Platforms in Soybeans
Gone are the good ol’ days and the simplicity of glyphosate-tolerant or conventional soybeans. Today, we have numerous platforms—what does it all mean, and why should you care? Well, the simple answer is herbicide-tolerant weeds. It began back in 2010, when the first glyphosate-tolerant Canada fleabane was found in Essex County. All of a sudden,…
The Sharp Edge: Twin-row, Multi-hybrid Strip Till
On the latest episode of the Sharp Edge, Lead Agronomist Greg Stewart visits with Mike Strang to discuss his multi-pronged approach to high yields by employing several cutting-edge practices relating to tillage, planting, and soil health–all in the same field. "I put Mike in the class of a big dreamer…he's looking at strip till, cover…
Purple Corn
A few cases of purple corn have been reported this week. This phenomenon occurs when there is a combination of hot, sunny days followed by cooler nights, as we have seen in parts of Quebec and elsewhere for a few days now. The recent heat and sun have stimulated photosynthesis in corn, resulting in increased…
Tracking and Managing Nitrogen | Maizex Moving
Our Lead Agronomist Greg Stewart reviews three key phases in the growing season to assess the N status in your corn crop.
Weed Control in Corn
Along with proper seeding conditions, weed control is very important early in the season for corn to maximize yield potential. The time between the 3-leaf to 8-leaf stage is referred to in corn as the “critical weed-free period.” Corn is a weak competitor when it comes to other plants, and in order to achieve your…