26 May Agronomy Update – May 26th
Hi everyone,
A quick note to start the week. In looking at rainfall totals from the weekend, most of the Island received 25-35 mm between Friday and today. Despite not getting a lot of rainfall Saturday and Sunday, field conditions are generally wet. Thankfully, the forecast looks promising this week to dry out fields and resume planting.
I would estimate Island-wide planting at 40-50% complete. Some folks put in big days before the rain on Friday where field conditions allowed them to plant. Fingers crossed for good planting conditions this week.
We are making good progress on getting field trials established, and we were pleased to welcome Humna Khan back from maternity leave last week. Bethany Visser is also staying on with us for the next six months, so we’ll have a strong agronomy/research team to assist producers and supervise trials this growing season. We are available to assist with sample collection (emergence issues, plant health issues, etc) or consultation on agronomy questions…feel free to reach out with any questions.
2025 Potato Scouting and IPM Clinic – June 18th in Emerald
The PEI Department of Agriculture and PEI Potato Board are hosting a Potato Scouting and IPM Clinic on Wednesday, June 18 at the Emerald Community Centre at 1910 Nodd Road. Registration will be at 8:30 AM and the workshop will go until approximately 3:00 PM.
Presentations and discussions will be on scouting for insects, weeds and diseases, identifying nutrient deficiencies, biosecurity considerations, and scouting techniques.
The workshop will be held rain or shine. If the weather is good, we will head out for a crop-scouting demonstration. If the weather is poor, we will have an indoor discussion on crop-scouting best practices.
Cost: $40 to cover lunch and refreshments. Cash to be paid at the door. Receipts will be provided; you must register in advance to attend.
Pre-registration is required. To register for the scouting clinic, call 1-866-PEI FARM (734-3276) or email pesticidetraining@gov.pe.ca by June 13. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.
Plant Diagnostic Lab Now Open:
The Plant Disease Diagnostic section of PEI Analytical Laboratories will open today (May 26th) for the 2025 season. Samples may be dropped off directly to the lab, or at PEI Access sites outside of the Charlottetown area. Please do not hesitate to contact the lab with any questions or inquiries at 902-620-3300.
Atlantic Grains Council – Yield Enhancement Network (YEN)
Registration is now open for growers who are interested in joining the Atlantic Grains Council Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). This is a great opportunity to benchmark your crop and learn what other growers are doing to optimize their cereal, soybean and corn crops. There is no cost, and limited effort required on the part of the grower. Once a field is entered in the YEN Program, it will be monitored throughout the season, and soil and grain samples will be collected at harvest. Growers are expected to obtain crop weights from the field (or provide estimates). A detailed report will be provided after the season is over, and growers will be able to participate in a wrap-up session to hear what worked and what didn’t. Eligible crops include spring wheat, winter wheat, barley, oats, soybean and grain corn. Registration will be limited to one field per crop per grower and registration deadline is July 11. If you are interested in hearing more about the YEN Program or in registering a field, contact Steve Howatt at 902-394-0645 or at steve@bremsa.ca