Wheat Pete's Word

There’s some trouble lurking in the Ontario corn crop by the name of gibberella. Farmers are also busy getting what wheat they can get in and are asking some really great questions of the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson. Also in this week’s podcast, catch a conversation about straw losses by raking, lowering... Read More

How come the corn plants are so tall this year? It’s all about early season temperatures, says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word podcast. Plus, listen on or download for later to learn about maximum nutrient impacts, root issues in disguise, cool weather impacts and more! Have a question you’d like... Read More

Are you ready for an agronomy Q&A? On this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is ready with some timing questions on #plant24, comparing this year’s weather to 1993 (why, though?) answers several questions on cover crop management, taking out a hay stand, and starting off winter wheat. Have a question you’d... Read More

Goooooood day, and welcome to this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word! On this episode of The Word, host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson asks about BIG soybeans, bad weeds, and of course, seeing as it’s the end of August — it’s agronomy, agronomy, agronomy. Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field... Read More

A less than ideal wheat harvest hasn’t dampened a lot of excitement over wheat yields in Ontario, as some great averages are trickling in. The biggest question popping up on Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson’s radar right now is how to get next year’s wheat off to the best start while beans are still standing. The... Read More

Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is back from a refreshing vacation full of family and fun, and he’s ready to share The Word once again. In this week’s episode, Johnson discusses tar spot risk, late white mould infection, aphid thresholds, and much more! Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field results... Read More

We are in for a treat this week as host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson, sends us this weekly podcast update while on vacation in Portugal. In the line up for today’s discussion: test weight vs. yield, falling number and binning wheat, stored grain pests, struggling beans, and some great discussion on cover crop... Read More

Green silks are slow to show up in some areas of Ontario — what gives? It’s early August and most of the corn should be tasseled by now, but July weather just didn’t push the crop as far ahead as is expected, explains host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. Why... Read More

July is winding down and some Ontario crops are having a sad time summer. Wheat that’s still in the field is suffering quality loss with every heavy downpour (there have been many), and edible beans and soybeans are yellowing from excess water and/or poor drainage. What can be done about this week’s challenges? Host Peter... Read More

Nothing good happens to mature wheat left in the field, and Peter Johnson is pretty thankful that some elevators are taking wheat at 17 per cent moisture to keep combines rolling. It takes a village, sometimes. For this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, Johnson also discusses compaction, rescue nitrogen on corn and beans, why... Read More

Corn growers who dodged the tar spot bullet last season are unlikely to be nearly so lucky this year, as the disease has been identified in southern Ontario and conditions are conducive to its spread. Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has that discussion on this week’s edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, plus an insect alert, an... Read More

Unfortunately, when it comes to Mother Nature, there’s no equality in the weather. Regardless, #harvest23 for winter cereals is underway in parts of Eastern Canada, and will continue through the country in the upcoming weeks. There are a few things Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson wants to hit on before everyone is in full-blown harvest mode,... Read More

Perhaps Mother Nature heard the call for rain just a little too loudly, as some areas of Ontario experienced violent storms and huge downpours over the last week. The early dry conditions did set the cereal crops back, but this moisture could make for a tidy yield improvement says host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter... Read More

It certainly isn’t every year that Wheat Pete’s Word AND the longest day of the year fall on the same day, but hey, we’ll celebrate! On this episode, host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is talking about the weather, because as we know, weather drives everything in crop production. Johnson has a quick alert to get... Read More

If some Wheat Pete’s Word is good, then more is better; or at least that’s what the listeners are saying about these somewhat-extended versions of the podcast. Host Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson isn’t known for being short on words, but lucky for all of us, he’s using a bunch of them answering your questions this... Read More

Pop quiz: do dry conditions automatically mean a dialling back of nitrogen rates on corn? This is a tricky question to answer as very dry conditions for prolonged periods can impact yield potential, but dry conditions also mean nitrogen is less available to the plant, so it’s a tough call. For the answer to why... Read More

Sluggish soys and crusted corn has many Ontario farmers wondering what the heck is going on with these crops. Well, when you look at the weather data for the month of May, the answer becomes pretty clear: this latest heatwave notwithstanding, it’s been cool to cold for much of the month! Is there anything that... Read More

What do armyworms, alfalfa weevils, physiological fleck, and wooden heads have in common? They are all a part of this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word with host Peter Johnson. Listen below, in your podcast app, or browse the quick summary listed below the podcast! And don’t forget, if you don’t have time — you... Read More

Chilly to downright cold nights have some Ontario farmers worried about alfalfa, wheat, and beans. Of course, if you look west, the heat is on and so are the wildfires, obscuring the sun for much of Alberta. For this week’s around-the-horn on agronomy updates, host of Wheat Pete’s Word Peter Johnson tackles the frost question,... Read More

On this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s World, we get a glimpse at fall seeded crops from west and east and reports of our first fields harvests! Never heard of triticale as a silage crop? This episode is for you, as host Peter Johnson shares some recent results from Ontario experiences of a new triticale... Read More