June rainfall in Ontario was marked by extreme variability with overly wet conditions in the east contrasted against a pocket of increasing dry conditions extending from the shore of Lake Huron in the southwest.
As can be seen on the map below, much of the province from about Oshawa eastward received above normal rain during the month, including a large area north of Ottawa that was particularly wet. On the other hand, a large pocket about midway between Sarnia and the Bruce Peninsula saw well below normal precipitation in June.
The dry patch is a notable anomaly, given the spring planting season was a difficult one for many producers in the southwest and the Niagara region due to wetness. In fact, provincial crop insurer Agricorp extended the planting deadlines for both corn and soybeans for that reason.
The latest field observations from the Grain Farmers of Ontario (June 27) noted a high degree of variability in this year’s corn crop, ranging from V1 to V9. However, the crop was generally knee-high well before the first of July, with some fields already waist high. Soybean fields were reported staging from emergence up to beginning bloom. However, the report said some soybean planting is still occurring in areas that struggled to plant earlier this year, and some replants are also occurring.
Meanwhile, the winter wheat harvest is expected to begin gearing up in the coming days in the deep southwest.
