Ontario may set a new record for corn yields this year because growers in every part of the province are reporting above average or bumper crops.
Greg Stewart, lead agronomist for Maizex Seeds in Ontario, said the corn harvest was approximately 25 percent complete Oct. 15. Early results are promising, and Ontario may break its average yield record of 172 bushels per acre, set in 2010.
“We’re certainly going to rival 2010 yields and probably go past them,” Stewart said. “It could absolutely be a record year for corn yields.”
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In most years, there are geographic pockets that receive too much moisture or suffer through adverse growing conditions. That’s not the case this year in Ontario.
“I don’t think there will be a county that will go below its five year average,” said Stewart, who was the provincial corn specialist before joining Maizex this year. “Our average is about 158 bushels per acre. There won’t be any spots in Ontario that come in under 158.”
Morgan Cott, Manitoba Corn Growers Association agronomist, said the story is similar in Manitoba.
The corn harvest is about 50 percent complete and yields are excellent.
“Generally very happy yields,” Cott said with a laugh.
“I don’t think there’s been any (reports) that have been disappointing. I think it’s all been above average to better than above average.”
Manitoba’s five-year average for corn yields is around 115 to 120 bu. per acre, but that includes the western half of the province. In recent years, corn growers in the Red River Valley and south-central Manitoba have generated yields of 120 to 160 bu. per acre.
Cott said a number of corn growers are getting 150 to 170 bu. per acre or higher.
“The averages are quite healthy.”
A multitude of agronomic factors contributed to the excellent corn yields. Producers planted earlier than usual this year, thanks to a dry spring in Manitoba.
“And then rains at the right time,” Cott said.
“We didn’t have super hot weather and it stayed mild at nighttime.”
Ontario conditions were also ideal for corn this growing season.
Stewart said soil moisture wasn’t too wet in May, there wasn’t intense heat or a drought in the early part of the summer and there was a spell of heat at the end of the growing season.
“We got a really favourable grain fill period, in terms of moisture and heat,” Stewart said. “Our temperatures for the last part of August were above average. It finished the crop off strong.”
robert.arnason@producer.com
