Assessing winter survival in wheat Factors affecting winter survival in wheat The ability of winter wheat plants to survive winter often depends on each plant’s ability to tolerate low temperatures. Winter wheat plants go through a process called ‘cold acclimation’ in the fall during which each plant acquires the ability to withstand the cold temperatures […]
The winter season brings cold temperatures and often severe weather that create many hazards for individuals working in these conditions. Even if you work indoors, winter weather still poses many dangers for you such as driving into work in lousy weather or walking through an icy parking lot or yard to get to your building. It is essential to recognise and address the hazards winter brings with it.
One of the main issues winter poses in many parts of the country is poor driving conditions. The hazards created by winter weather make it hard for even the most experienced drivers to operate a vehicle safely.
Slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Snow, sleet, and ice significantly increase the chances for slip, trip, and fall incidents to occur.
Looking ahead to the coming months, Environment Canada meteorologists expect there will be more heat and humidity than normal.
“We’ve already had a taste this month of temperatures getting close to the 30-degree mark and humidity making it feel more like the mid 30s. That looks like the shape of things to come for June and July,” said Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Last year the usual summer heat wave to hit southern Ontario was missing in action with a lack of flow of warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, Coulson said.
This season southern Ontario has already tapped into that flow from the Gulf a couple of times with Humidex readings in many parts of Southwestern Ontario reaching the mid 30s.
During years when soybeans are harvested later than expected or environmental conditions delay field work, winter wheat is generally skipped in the rotation or planting is rushed. When planting winter wheat later than the recommended planting dates, even more care should be taken to ensure yield potential is not lost.
In general, delaying planting past the recommended planting window can cost a producer from 0.6 to 1.1 bu/day. It is best to strive to plant around these dates (See figure 1).
Figure 1: Optimum Planting Dates in Ontario.
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