Join us as we discuss part 2 of how to plan for a dry spring! Phil Long will expand on the topics of herbicide effectiveness and in-furrow applications.
:30 – Topic introduction
:55 – Herbicide effectiveness
6:00 – In-furrow applications
10:00 – In-furrow application placement
12:10 – Final thoughts
The world of soils is made up of a complex living biology. Uncovering production-limiting factors can be one of the many links to selecting the best products and seed treatments for that acre. More specifically, it is helpful to know the most prominent diseases that could hamper emergence and yield. There are steps you can take to reduce that risk.
Aphanomyces Root Rot is a big word to describe a microscopic pathogen with the power to cause big problems. The fungus responsible, Aphanomyces euteiches, is an oomycete that is present in many Midwest soils. It’s especially prevalent in heavy, wet, poorly drained soils. The pathogen spreads by zoospores, which move easily in wet soils. Many years ago, scientists discovered two dominant races of this particular pathogen: Race 1 and Race 2. The latter proves more virulent or infectious. There is speculation of a “Race 3” although testing is still taking place.
Aphanomyces often presents as stunted, yellow plants with poor root development and very few lateral roots. If the seedling becomes infected, symptoms escalate to include yellow cotyledons and first leaves with chlorosis. The roots and stems will first appear grey (often water soaked) and then change to brown. Yield reduction results from poor root growth and significantly less nodules.
Rebound is also extremely slow after harvest. If you are concerned you have Aphanomyces and want to know which races you have, you can submit a soil sample to the UW Plant Disease and Diagnostic Clinic.
Plant breeders rose to the challenge and have done a great job selecting varieties of alfalfa with high resistance to Race 1. When Race 2 was discovered, they also began selecting for that. On page 69 of the 2021 Latham® product guide, you will find our disease resistance chart with Aphanomyces Race 1 and 2 index ratings.
In addition to genetic resistance, we also equip our alfalfa varieties with an additional layer of protection with AlfaShield seed treatment. The success of a multi-year alfalfa stand rests on good emergence and seedling survival. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds includes Stamina® in its seed treatment to provide that needed broad-spectrum protection against soil-borne pathogens.
Seed treatments that don’t include Stamina can suffer mortality rates of up to 75% in the seedling year. Discount seed companies tend to use older plant genetics and cheaper seed treatments, which can offer significantly less protection. In addition to high mortality rates, the risk includes reduced stands and less yield.
Latham Seeds can we reduce that risk, increase your yield potential and promote greater stand longevity thanks to good genetic resistance and seed treatments. Talk with your Latham rep to learn more. Now is a great time to buy alfalfa for spring seeding!
XtendFlex soybeans, which were approved for global sale in September 2020, will be an important tool to manage resistant weeds. The combination of tolerance to dicamba (XtendiMax®, Engenia® and Tavium®), glyphosate (Roundup®) and glufosinate (Liberty®) herbicides offers a unique triple option of choices to control a wide range of grasses and broadleaf weeds in soybean fields.
Farmers who have used Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans are generally happy with their yields but desire better weed control options. Most farmers with whom I’ve visited believe they must wait as long as possible to apply the post-emergence dicamba products with the Xtend system. This application was later than ideal, resulting in weed escapes and even off-target movement of the dicamba herbicide to neighboring soybean fields that weren’t tolerant to that herbicide.
Using the XtendFlex system will allow farmers to apply dicamba herbicide earlier. They can spray either pre-emergence or early post-emergence when weeds are at labeled heights and are most sensitive to the herbicide. This should also greatly reduce the likelihood of off-target movement of dicamba to nearby sensitive crops.
Another benefit of the XtendFlex system is that farmers can apply Liberty herbicides up to the R2 stage of growth if there are any weed escapes. It is still highly recommended that weed management programs start with a pre-plant or early pre-emergence residual herbicide like Warrant®, Authority® or Sonic®. Regardless of which herbicide you use, please read and follow all label recommendations.
At press time, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds will have seven XtendFlex soybeans available for spring 2021 planting:
All of these XtendFlex releases carry strong Soybean Cyst Nematode tolerance. Contact your Latham Dealer or RSM for current availabilities.
Variable rate (VR) seeding in corn has been a frequent topic of conversation for years, but now that conversation is shifting to VR seeding soybeans. Before planting VR seeding soybeans, we must change the way we think.
When your yield potential goes up in a corn field, we increase population. When corn yield potential goes down, we decrease population. Makes sense, right? It’s the opposite for soybeans. When yield potential increases, lower your planting rate in a soybean field. When your yield potential decreases, increase the planting rate. Our trials to date have shown the most return on investment in lower-yielding environments where population was decreased.
Why invest more in a geography where yield potential is less for soybeans? There’s good reason! Percent germination in soybeans is one big reason.
When you plant tougher areas in the field, you’re not going to achieve 100% of your germination rate. Now think of your high yielding areas in your field… There is a much greater chance you will achieve close to 100% germination there. High-yielding areas typically have better soils and drainage, so it makes sense to plant more seed in low-yielding areas to increase the germination rate.
We enjoy sitting down with farmers and talking about whether VR planting is right for them. Our Data Forward™ team is here to help you get comfortable with implementation. Phil Long and I love to do On-Farm Trials in your own fields, so this could be a good starting place for farmers wanting to experiment with lower seeding rates. We can experiment on a smaller scale while placing learning blocks throughout the field. Using learning blocks and on-farm research allows us to compare different zones of a farmer’s field and to also compare to previous years.
Imagine the savings if we can drop soybean planting populations by even 20,000! The savings from reducing planting rates from 160,000 to 140,000 can then be invested into seed treatment or something else that protects yield and helps you achieve optimal germination. This allows farmers to continue to achieve higher yields while lowering planting populations.
Give your Precision Agronomy Advisors a call today! Let’s start a conversation about conducting on-farm research.
Tune in as Phil & Kilah discuss the movement of Soybean Gall Midge across the Midwest. Learn about the life cycle of this pest, identification and a few management practices. #AskTheAgronomist
:45 – Topic introduction
1:40 – Soybean gall midge spread across the Midwest
3:00 – Life cycle of soybean gall midge
5:00 – Gall midge identification
12:30 – Pace of gall midge spread
Phil Long tackles both the corn and soybean seed size discussion in the videos below. Tune in to learn if seed size matters on your farm!
XtendFlex soybeans, which were approved for global sale in September 2020, will be an important tool to manage resistant weeds. The combination of tolerance to dicamba (XtendiMax®, Engenia® and Tavium®), glyphosate (Roundup®) and glufosinate (Liberty®) herbicides offers a unique triple option of choices to control a wide range of grasses and broadleaf weeds in soybean fields.
Farmers who have used Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans are generally happy with their yields but desire better weed control options. Most farmers with whom I’ve visited believe they must wait as long as possible to apply the post-emergence dicamba products with the Xtend system. This application was later than ideal, resulting in weed escapes and even off-target movement of the dicamba herbicide to neighboring soybean fields that weren’t tolerant to that herbicide.
Using the XtendFlex system will allow farmers to apply dicamba herbicide earlier. They can spray either pre-emergence or early post-emergence when weeds are at labeled heights and are most sensitive to the herbicide. This should also greatly reduce the likelihood of off-target movement of dicamba to nearby sensitive crops.
Another benefit of the XtendFlex system is that farmers can apply Liberty herbicides up to the R2 stage of growth if there are any weed escapes. It is still highly recommended that weed management programs start with a pre-plant or early pre-emergence residual herbicide like Warrant®, Authority® or Sonic®. Regardless of which herbicide you use, please read and follow all label recommendations.
At press time, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds will have seven XtendFlex soybeans available for spring 2021 planting:
All of these XtendFlex releases carry strong Soybean Cyst Nematode tolerance. Contact your Latham Dealer or RSM for current availabilities.