Farm crop receipts for grains, oilseeds, fruit and vegetables in 2002 totalled just over $3.5 billion. The crop input sector provided the products and expertise that assisted producers in raising these crops. Crop Inputs can be placed in four main sectors: seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and service.
Seed: Ontario producers spent $361 million on commercial seed in 2002. crop input suppliers sell a wide variety of seeds based on local growing conditions, planned end use of the crop, and management abilities of the individual producer.
Fertilizer: Crop input suppliers provide producers with a wide range of fertilizers that supply plants with essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and minerals required for healthy plant growth. Many plants use more nutrients than are readily available to them in the soil, fertilizers supplement the nutrients found in the soil, ensuring the plant has access to a sufficient amount of nutrients that will permit them to meet quality and yield potential. Ontario crop producers spent $308 million on fertilizer lime in 2002.
Crop Protection: Crop Protection products (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides - collectively known as pesticides) protect plants against competition from weeds, insects and disease, allowing them to produce increased yields per unit of land. Ontario producers spent $270 million on pesticides in 2002.
Service: Agri business provides a wide range of services to crop producers, helping them make the best use of crop inputs.
These services include:
- Agronomy - Professionally trained agronomists aid crop producers be helping them select a seed variety, use soil test
data to calculate proper fertilizer application rates for crops being grown, and assist with the selection of a crop
protection package that meets an individual producer's needs. Ontario is a part of the American Society of Agronomy's
Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) program, a professional designation for agronomists that requires testing and a designated level
of experience to obtain and continued education to maintain. There are approximately 468 CCA's working in Ontario
today.
- Professional Application - Many crop input suppliers provide trained professionals to apply crop protection products
and fertilizers for crop producers. These professional applicators must possess mandatory Ontario pesticide safety
certification, and many have also attended the OABA Professional Application Courses. These courses ensure applicators are
kept current on new pesticide technology, formulations, application methods, correct and safe handling and use of crop input
products.
- Precision Agriculture - Crop input retailers are continually using advanced high tech equipment and programs, including satellite technology to work with producers in improving nutrient placement and efficiency. These practices not only protect our land and environment, but help the producer make more economically efficient use of crop inputs, while growing a quality, high yield crop.
Certified Crop Adviser Program
» Go to Complete CCA Program Section
Turf & Garden
The following turf and garden articles have been prepared by members of the Turf & Garden Committee of the Ontario Agri Business Association.
Committee Members:
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Marlene Conway Brett Murray Berni Peschutter Ross Stone Heather Kenney |
Ed Clarkson (Past Chair) Bob King Rae Murray Karen Romel David Watson |
John Hildebrand Geoff Jones Paul Lefebvre (Chair) Bruce Sheppard Tracey Forrester (staff) |
The committee would like to express special thanks to Paul Lefebvre and Adrien Gallant for their work on these articles. Also, thank you to our editor Lori Jamieson who helped us to make them a little less technical and a lot more enjoyable!
We hope that you find the following articles both informative and enjoyable.
» Go to Complete Turf & Garden Section
Fertilizer Guidelines
The guidelines were originally put together in the early 1990s by the Operations Committee of the Fertilizer Institute of Ontario (TFIO), now known as the Operations Committee of the Fertilizer Section, Ontario Agri Business Association (OABA). Guidelines are reviewed and updated as needed by the Committee.
» Go to Complete Fertilizer Guidelines Section
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