Wheat Pete's Word

We’re rounding out the last full week of July, and some areas of Ontario are just getting by with a few dribs and drabs of rain here and there. Still others have enjoyed plentiful moisture and will be on patrol to find signs of western bean cutworm, white mould, and aphids. For this week’s edition... Read More

When it comes to yield, is it heads per square foot that matter the most or an ideal grain fill period? This year, at least, a pretty great grain filling period is making up for fewer than ideal heads, reports Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson, so that’s something, but not something we can control — unlike... Read More

Some areas of Ontario got a much needed shot of rain this week, but several corn fields in the southern regions are rolling up and hurting for moisture at a critical time. Host Peter Johnson tackles why that matters in this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, plus he navigates the tar spot risk spectrum,... Read More

What an odd summer this has been already! Too wet in some areas, far too dry in others, a mean flip from one to the other, and too much wind. The markets have done some wild swings, too, and the host of Wheat Pete’s Word has decided to move to England! Well, OK, he’s visiting... Read More

Sometimes, it’s the weather than gets farmers excited about double cropping, other times, it’s crop prices. The 2022 growing season looked like it was shaping up for an early wheat harvest in Ontario but recent dry weather has slowed things down. This week on Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles water use in corn... Read More

The sins of the spring are expected to show up about now in the crop, but what about weather conditions last fall? This week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word fields several questions about strange observations in the field: from stressed corn, weirdly tall wheat, tire-track greeness and much more. Have a question you’d like Johnson... Read More

What’s happening this week in Canadian farm fields? Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has the latest questions and some answers. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, Pete tackles clover and hay questions, thin wheat stands, planting depth on corn and how to get that last bit of N on the wheat crop out west.... Read More

If you’re the happiest farmer in the world right now, you might be in Alberta, or maybe Ontario, as both regions got some much needed and timely rain respectively. For southern Manitoba and eastern Ontario, however, conditions are either get-the-seeder-stuck wet or make-the-wheat-pink wet. Early heat this season is pushing some insect populations higher than... Read More

It’s June 1st, do you know how many heads per square foot the tile-run wheat has? This last week has been one of scouting for the host of Wheat Pete’s Word. Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has more than a few alerts and observations for the week’s podcast. From head counts and rapidly approaching T3 timing... Read More

It’s the last Wheat Pete’s Word of May! Very quickly are the growing months going to fly by… On this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson discusses wild weather, why talking to the public matters, the importance of not beating yourself up, and so much more. Have a question you’d like Johnson to... Read More

It’s mid-May, but you almost wouldn’t know it by looking at seeding progress in Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan. Super-dry Alberta and suddenly-warm Ontario bookend the seeding and planting progress and average things out (what does average really tell us, anyway?). On this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson brings us up to... Read More

Have a question you’d like Johnson to address or some yield results to send in? Disagree with something he’s said? Leave him a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at pjohnson@realagriculture.com. Summary: Go time, y’all But go safe. Share the road, respect the farm equipment The Habs got the first... Read More

Don’t let the soil temp keep you from putting corn or beans in the ground, however, you will want to make sure the forecast isn’t calling for cold rain. That’s right, it IS May and that means that soil temperature as a guide to planting gets thrown out the window, but a cold drink of... Read More

Merry Christmas in April? Plenty of Ontario residents woke to snow this morning — does this mean planting will be delayed? Chill out, says Peter Johnson, in this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. It’s only late April, and a little snow isn’t going to cause an issue. But, the growing season is underway, so it’s... Read More

Spring is clawing its way forward for many parts of Canada, but slowly. Snow continued to fall in Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan over the Easter weekend, and even Ontario is getting a taste of a slow-to-start spring. The cold weather sure brings up some interesting questions regarding planting and seeding, nitrogen applications, weed control,... Read More

What a wild week in weather for much of the Northern Plains! The blizzard of decades is settling in on Manitoba, socking in many and closing the roads. Meanwhile in Ontario, the warm sunshine is setting up some winter wheat for nitrogen application, which brings us to some great questions for Wheat Pete’s Word. Host... Read More

If the weather cooperates in the next week or so, plenty of equipment will be rolling in Ontario. The ultra early seeding is already (or has already) happened in Western Canada, and some farmers are pretty excited to see if dormant seeding is the right call. And as we gear up for #plant22, farmers have... Read More

There are so many questions surrounding nitrogen management this spring, and for good reason. Nitrogen is darn expensive and might be hard to come by in the coming weeks. For this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson covers questions about split application N, N stabilizers, N credits and making the most of... Read More

As the snow recedes and fields begin to show up again, some farmers are itching to get going on field work — from frost seeding to early nitrogen. But, hold up. It’s way too early for N, even for forage crops, for the vast majority of Ontario right now. It’s not too early for clover... Read More

Crop nutrients are top of mind for just about everyone this week, from what the prices will be, to whether or not orders will even be fulfilled for eastern Canada, including Ontario and Quebec. For this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson talks about some of the logistical challenges of world... Read More