THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF LATHAM HI‑TECH SEEDS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MANY THINGS: A TERRIFIC DEALER NETWORK, DEDICATED EMPLOYEES, AND OWNERS WITH A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. ANOTHER REASON IS, OBVIOUSLY, GREAT PRODUCTS!
HAVING PRODUCTS THAT PERFORM WELL IN specific geographies is essential, and that’s where our Latham Research efforts come into play. We must continually adapt in an ever-changing industry. We must seek out new products and technologies, but we also must seek out new sources. To that end, here’s a quick summary of what’s new in our research for 2018:
CORN RESEARCH: The Latham MiniStrip program was introduced in 2017 by Bob Foley, our resident corn breeder and consultant. Its success in the first year prompted us to add more locations and more hybrids per location this year. We also increased the number of hybrids being tested at each location in our SuperStrip research program. In addition, we added one new genetic source this year.
SOYBEAN RESEARCH: Over the years, Latham Seeds has earned a great reputation within the industry for the accuracy and consistency of our replicated research plots. This makes us a “favored partner,” so we’re continuing to work with the entities created by mergers/buyouts. We’re also in negotiations with another large company to partner in joint research efforts. Additionally, we have expanded the number of research locations that we plant and harvest ourselves to ensure we have reliable data on which to make product decisions.
Another unique effort currently underway in Alexander is our Enlist™ plot. This is an EPA-stewarded plot with 10 Enlist soybeans, ranging from 1.4 to 3.1 maturities. Those Enlist products are being compared in one portion of the plot to Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. In another area, those same Enlist soybeans are being compared to LibertyLink® soybeans. We expect some interesting notes and data!
OTHER RESEARCH: In addition to the studies noted above, we’re conducting research on some seed treatments. We’re testing NemaStrike™, Poncho/VOTiVO™ 2.0 and are in our third year of testing ILeVO™. Phil Long, Latham’s Precision Agronomy Specialist, is doing a nitrogen study in Alexander with the Climate Nitrogen Advisor tool available through the Climate FieldView™ (CFV) platform. We invite you to attend our Fall Field Day at our Iowa headquarters on Friday, Sept. 14, to learn more about these trials. If that date doesn’t work for you or your customers, contact your RSM to schedule a private tour.