HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 98, 1998-03-18, Page 29Spring crop
The maple syrup crop got off to a quick start this year with mild temperatures in February.
March was going to tell the tale for winter wheat as well as for maple syrup OMAFRA crop
specialists said.
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY; MARCH 18, 1998. PAGE A-9.
Agriculture '98
What will El Nino mean for Huron?
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Like a magnetic charmer who
weaves his way through a group of
people creating harmony or dishar-
mony at whim, the presence of El
Nino has had an unsettling effect
on recent weather patterns.
With the United States experi-
encing increased storm activity and
precipitation in the south-west and
late winter tornadoes in Florida, the
north-west and western Canada
have enjoyed a mild winter. The
eastern side of the country has not
been so fortunate, with debilitating
ice storms and floods wreaking
havoc.
In the Great Lakes region, how-
ever, the effects are less significant.
According to information from the
Canadian Climate Centre, depend-
ing on the position of the mid-con-
MVCA hosts course
:ONTINUED FROM A-8
Wheat Producers' Marketing
Board.
The second course, "Renewable
Energy on the Farm", was
developed in conjunction with the
Ecological Farmers' Association of
Dntario. Learn how to evaluate
;urrent energy usage on a farm and
dentify opportunities to save
-noney and energy through
;onservation and renewable energy
sources.
This course will be held at the
vlaitland Valley Conservation
kuthority office in Wroxeter on
7riday, April 3 and Saturday, April
I from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with
Pony McQuail facilitating.
Participants are asked to bring
heir own lunch.
The registration price includes
he training manual and the book,
he Canadian Renewable Energy
3uide.
For further information about
hese courses, contact the OATI
2o-ordinator, Alison Lobb (519)
82-7167. To register, call the
:linton OMAFRA office at (519)
82-3428 or 1-800-265-5170.
tinental trough of El Nino, the
Great Lakes and the downstream
regions could have experienced a
significantly colder winter rather
than the milder one which has been
enjoyed.
That it has been one of the most
agreeable winters in history is obvi-
ous, but will its effects, if any, be
positive on the Huron crop indus-
try?
Brian Hall, crop specialist with
the Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) feels that whether the
effects of this winter are due to El
Nino is a topic open to debate.
"Because of the Great Lakes effect,
many forecasters have difficulty
predicting weather forecasts for this
area. It is possible that this mild
winter has been strictly a coinci-
dence."
Professor Tony Hunt of the Uni-
versity of Guelph, agreed that El
Nino has been unpredictable.
Stressing that this was not his par-
ticular field of expertise, he added
that most of the data he has seen
has indicated that some of the usu-
ally accurate prediction capabilities
have "fallen apart" with this El
Nino.
However, he said, there did seem
to be a little pocket in the middle of
North America where the effects of
El Nino have not been that intense.
"That said, we are obviously seeing
a relatively mild winter."
Should the winter continue
through March as it has to this
point, both Hall and Hunt expect
little concerns for the winter wheat
crop. "The hardest weather is either
extreme cold•with no snow or ice
and rapid fluctuations in tempera-
ture," said Hall.
"When the crop is dormant there
may not be any impacts seen," said
Hunt. "But with the mild tempera-
tures, if it starts growing then the
temperatures go down again it
could kill it. A lot is built around
the temperature situation."
Hall noted March's weather will
mean the most. "It can often be the
hardest on wheat because you get
nice temperatures during the day,
then freezing at night. Any dramat-
ic fluctuations like that will be hard
on wheat, and trees for that matter."
March will also tell the tale for
the maple syrup producers. Hall
said that there has been a concern
that the sap run may not be as good
as other years. "Generally there are
better runs if you have the cold
nights and sunny days. That has not
been the pattern and if current
weather conditions contintie the run
may be lighter."
While Ray Storey of Winthrop
Maple Syrup is confident it's going
CONTINUED ON A-10