Crops & Resources for Sustainable High Yield Areas
Crops and Resources for Sustainable High Yield Areas are based on climate, temperature, rainfall, soils, available prime land, knowledge…
Under Resources, we describe the importance of these and additional resources including biodiversity, microbial diversity, resilience…
Areas for the following crops are described – based on the natural resources in the respective areas:
- Grains
- Oil Crop – Canola
- Vegetables
- Pulses
- Fruits
- Grape & Wine Production
- Herbs & Spices
- Greenhouses
- Vertical Farms
And we ask:
- Where Else as our Climate & Natural Resources Change?
Grains & Oil Crop: Crops & Sustainable High Yield Areas
Corn
The high production corn growing areas are in the southwest. Although corn is grown across the province.
Sixty percent of the grain corn produced was in the blue area, and eighty-one percent in the blue, dark green and light green areas.
Soybeans
The highest production areas for soybeans are towards the southwest. Soybeans are grown across the province.
Wheat
The highest production areas for wheat are similarly toward the southwest. Wheat – both winter and spring wheat – represents the third largest field crop production behind soybeans and corn.
Oil Crop - Canola
Canola
In southern Ontario, the major canola growing areas are a bit farther north where temperatures are a little cooler.
In northern Ontario, canola is grown in areas surrounding North Bay and West Nipissing.
Vegetables: Crops for Sustainable High Yields Areas
Tomatoes
For tomato production, fifty-one percent are grown in the blue area, and seventy-eight percent are grown in the top two blue (in and around the Chatham-Kent municipality) and green (Essex County) rankings – representing the warmer areas of Southwestern Ontario.
Potatoes
A major potato growing area in central Ontario (Simcoe County) accounts for 40% of total production.
Onions
The Holland Marsh area of the Greenbelt represents the largest production of both carrots and onions in both Ontario and in all of Canada.
Carrots
The Holland Marsh area of the Greenbelt represents the largest production of both carrots and onions in both Ontario and in all of Canada.
Pulses - Part of Legume Family
Pulses
Legumes grow in pods, and fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. In addition to soybeans, other legumes grown include green beans, green peas and pulses.
The only pulses grown in Ontario are dry beans – both white beans and dry beans. These are grown in the cooler Central areas of southwestern Ontario.
Across Canada, the prime growing area for various pulses, including dry beans, dry peas, lentils, and chic peas are in western Canada where temperatures are again cooler than in southern Ontario.
Fruit Areas
Stone Fruit and other Fruit
The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit production area.
As an example of stone fruit production, eighty-two percent of all peaches are grown in the Niagara peninsula – the blue-shaded area on the right – with similarly high percentages for other stone fruit along with various other types of fruit (apricots, nectarines, plums, prunes…)
Grape and Wine Production Areas
Three major grape and wine production areas:
- Niagara area
- Prince Edward County
- Essex County, and
- Peele Island
Herbs & Spices
Herbs and spices are typically grown in greenhouses here. One example of a recognized greenhouse operation is in central Ontario. Alternately they are grown in areas having the climate and soils native to the respective crop.
Where Else?
Where else will we grow our crops as our climate, natural resources and land resources change?
What crops will we be growing?
Which crops will see their high production crop growing areas change the most?
Crop modelling tools integrated with big data and data analytics can simultaneously simulate several direct and indirect climate parameters, various soil parameters, farm management practices, economic conditions, and future scenarios to help project future crop yields.
Crops Grown in Greenhouses
Greenhouses are often found in the warmer areas, along with areas able to supply water or heat economically.
Greenhouse growers use the latest advances in hydroponic technology, computerized climate control, and integrated pest management.
Common products grown in the approximately one thousand greenhouses include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce…
For more information, refer to Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers OGVG.
Crops Grown in Vertical Farms
Vertical farms maximize crop area by using racking systems on multiple floors.
And vertical farms employ efficient, automated control systems including newer artificial LED lighting, water recycling, nutrient recycling, and pest control systems. Many operations employ fully automated systems.
These systems monitor and control all environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, nutrients, and carbon dioxide.
Examples include:
And a vertical farm – urban store:
Vertical farms are not as dependent on natural resources as traditional rural agricultural operations.
Crops grown in vertical farms include kale, spinach, basil, arugula, lettuce, radish, mustard greens…
For more information, refer to OMAFRA
- Last Modified: May 17, 2024