Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Tips To Help Make The Seed Purchase Decisions. Check Plot Results On The Farms.com Yield Data Centre.

It is that time of year to place orders for corn seed. Two questions you should ask yourself are: 1) How many hours do I spend selecting corn hybrids? 2) Who and what influence my decision? Regardless of how you answered these questions, selecting hybrids each year is one of the most important routine decisions producers make that drives profitability.


When selecting a variety, you should consider:

  • Availability and seed cost
  • Yield potential, yield stability, and maturity
  • Yield limiting factors (diseases, insects, etc.)
  • Your management practices
  • Available traits and technologies
  • Company yield data
  • Third-party hybrid performance trial results.

Your seed dealer or crop advisor should be able to help you gather most of this information including yield data from third-party hybrid performance trials to help identify top performing hybrids that match your soils, climate, pest problems, and management. If you are concerned that you will miss out on the earliest pay discounts by waiting for third-party trials results to be released, seed companies often will let you pay for a seed order without specifying the hybrid until later. Please check with your seed company on this policy.

The Farms.com Yield Data Centre has a large number of seed company test plot results and information to help with the seed purchase decisions.  http://www.yielddata.farms.com


Selecting a group of proven top-performing hybrids to plant on your farm will also help you minimize the chance that a particular environmental factor, disease, or insect may preferentially impact all of them. Your time and effort in making an informed decision on selecting hybrids will make good on its return.

Views: 69

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Fuel Tax Suspension Offers Timely Relief for Canadian Farmers Ahead of Peak Growing Season

The federal fuel tax suspension is expected to lower diesel costs for farmers at a critical time in the growing season, easing pressure on already-tight margins.

Operating farm equipment in Ontario

Operators must be at least 16 years old to drive on public roads

Draft Beef Cattle Code of Practice Released for Public Comment

The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) are pleased to announce the launch of the public comment period for the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. The public comment period allows stakeholders—including producers, consumers, and others with an interest in the welfare of beef cattle—to review the draft Code and provide input that will inform the final version, recognizing that perspectives and experiences across Canada, can differ. The draft Code and the public comment system are now accessible here. All comments must be submitted through the online system to ensure feedback is consistently reviewed. The public comment period will close on June 12, 2026. Following the close of the comment period, the Code Committee will review and consider the submitted feedback, and the final beef cattle Code of Practice will be released in 2027. A Scientific Committee report summarizing research conclusions on welfare-relate

Map: Further Improvement in Prairie Dryness, Drought in March

With the start of widespread spring seeding just around the corner, Prairie moisture conditions are continuing to improve. The latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor on Monday showed just 21% of Prairie agricultural lands impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of March. That’s down sharply from 47% at the end of February and continues a downtrend from last fall, when farmland impacted by dryness or drought hit 71% in November. Most of the Prairies experienced near to above-normal March precipitation in March, with much of region receiving between 85% and 150% of normal, with some localized areas exceeding 200% of normal due to multiple winter storms, the monitor said. However, other areas were not as lucky, including southern Alberta, which saw only about 60% of normal. In Alberta, conditions generally improved, especially across central parts of the province where abnormal dryness and moderate drought receded after widespread precipitat

U.S. Midwest Better Positioned on Fertilizer, but Rising Costs Still Squeeze

Farmers in the American Midwest entered the 2026 planting season somewhat better positioned than peers elsewhere in the U.S. to manage the recent surge in fertilizer costs, but a new survey suggests many are still feeling significant strain as volatility tied to the Middle East conflict ripples through agricultural input markets.   An American Farm Bureau Federation market intel article on Tuesday said the bureau’s Fertilizer Availability Survey - conducted from April 4 to April 11 and drawing responses from more than 5,700 farmers and ranchers - found the Midwest had the highest fertilizer pre-booking rate in the country. About 67% of Midwestern producers reported securing fertilizer earlier in the season, reflecting the region’s heavy reliance on corn and soybean rotations, where nutrient needs are large and purchases are often made well ahead of planting.   That early buying helped shield many Midwest growers from the sharpest recent price increases. Even so, nearly one in three M

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service