by Lyle Marcus, Corn Product Manager
Each December and January Latham’s Corn Product Team reviews all the yield data from the current year plots and from previous years for products that are currently in our lineup, as well as for experimental products that we are considering adding to our lineup.
We fine-tune positioning information for each product and then incorporate that into our company’s product guide and tech sheets. In addition to yield results, we review field notes about product characteristics that we took throughout the growing season.
Our RSMs provide valuable insight that comes from their experiences working directly with you, our customers. We also ask the Latham Sales Team to submit a “Needs Assessment,” so we can match our product offering to customers’ needs. Feedback from Latham® dealers also provides valuable insight.
In addition to RSM and dealer input, Latham’s MiniStrip™ and SuperStrip™ plots help identify hybrids that fit identified needs. Plots planted across our marketing footprint allow us to look for hybrids that can outperform our key hybrids, so our customers can have confidence that we are continually advancing our corn lineup.
SuperStrip plots test the same group of corn hybrids on several farms during the same year. Our MiniStrip plot program allows us to contract with independent third parties to test both existing products, potential new products and experimental products in multiple locations across our footprint. Through our plot programs, we collect data on how hybrids perform by soil type and under various environmental conditions. Hybrids also are evaluated throughout the growing season for their overall characteristics and then taken to yield at harvest as a final comparison.
Research data provides us with building blocks for our crop plan. Keep in mind, what we plant in 2021 becomes the seed we will offer for farmers to plant in 2022.
Winter is really an exciting and busy time of the year for the product team!