Like any business owner, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the past year and think about what there is to look forward to in the year ahead. 2015 was another great year in the F.I.R.S.T. Trials for Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. During the past 2 years, we have secured 36 wins in soybeans and 29 wins in corn. Our corn program scored more Top 10 places than our soybean lineup with 291 vs. 289.
Latham’s performance earned “best of show” across trials in Minnesota and the Dakotas. For the second straight year, we achieved the highest overall yield of any brand in the F.I.R.S.T. Trials with Latham 1858 R2. Latham® soybeans had the most overall soybean wins of any brand! Our company had the MOST products – 8 different products – yield more than 70 bushels per acre in this year’s trials. Latham also had the most Top 10 Finishes of any brand in the F.I.R.S.T. Trials in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Overall 11 different Latham soybean brands won a total of 18 F.I.R.S.T. Trials in 2015.
New products like Latham’s 0982 R2 to 1673 R2 came through as winners. Existing product 2645 R2 won trials as did 2084 R2, which continues its tradition as Latham’s top-selling soybean. 2014 F.I.R.S.T. Trials winner Latham 2228 R2 had one of the most outstanding performances in 2015, setting the all-time Latham Seeds’ record for highest field average by a production soybean field at 81.1 bushels across 135 acres!
On the corn side of our business, Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids 4454 VT2 PRO had another dominant year, winning the F.I.R.S.T. Red River Valley South Region plus three F.I.R.S.T. Trial locations. Latham 4242 VT2 PRO also did extremely well and won in the Red River Valley.
Latham 5509 SS probably had the most dominant year of any product in 2015. For the second consecutive year, it won F.I.R.S.T. Trials plus it won 9 out of 10 Group D SuperStrip plots, which our company uses to evaluate products on farms across our sales footprint. This hybrid can run a little wet, but it’s always a top yielder at 105 days.
Sister hybrids 5215 VT2 PRO and 5715 VT2 PRO also had outstanding years; 5715 was a winner in Southern South Dakota while 5215 had 20 Top 10 finishes in 2015. LH 5215 was a 7-time winner in 2014 and has proven itself as Latham’s top seller in 2015. On the later side of things, LH 6159 SS proved itself as an outstanding hybrid, winning the F.I.R.S.T. Trial at Washington, Iowa. This 111-day hybrid had outstanding internal data from Latham’s research and looks to be a star.
Regardless of the products you need, rest assured that Latham Seeds has a history of success in the maturities we serve. Our business depends upon your success! That’s why, at Latham Seeds, we appreciate the opportunity to work with Midwest farmers on a FieldXFieldSM basis. Call your local Latham® representative or 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842) to learn more about FIELD X FIELD YIELDS!