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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

It Pays to Watch Crops Pop Up in Rows
There are more than 1,000 variables that can affect crop development throughout the growing season. Soil conditions, planter settings, seed spacing and seed planting depth are of utmost importance at the time the crop goes into the ground.

Frequent rain showers delayed planting longer than farmers across the Upper Midwest would like. Some are feeling additional pressure to get the seed in the ground as fast as possible. Keep in mind that haste makes waste! Take the time to:
- Verify correct depth and kernel spacing at planting time.
- Check germination and early seedling growth for problems.
- Assess early emergence scores for adequate final stand numbers if soil conditions weren’t ideal.
Also keep in mind that spring rains might have created crusting issues in some of the earlier planted fields, especially in fields without residue. To help break up the crust and improve seedling emergence, many farmers will use a rotary hoe.

If you decide to till the soil, wait until soils have dried to avoid exacerbating the situation with soil compaction. Use a quick field test to check soil moisture.

Starting with clean fields, and keeping the fields clean, is most important. A pre-plant or pre-emerge herbicide application:
- Aids in controlling resistant or tolerant weeds.
- Helps keep the field clean all season long.
- Helps your crops reach their maximum yield potential as they’re not competing with weeds for water, sunlight and nutrients.
Once plants have emerged, it’s time to:
- Identify any early season stresses on young plants.
- Look at plants’ visual appearance for nitrogen or other nutrient deficiencies.
- Look for weed escapes. Make a plan for a season long weed-free field!
Watch for additional agronomic tips and tricks to be shared each Tuesday & Thursday during the growing season on TheFieldPosition.com
Webspec Admin

May 23, 2017

Crop, Soil, Tech Tuesday
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Four Ways Latham Seeds Can Help You Maximize Yield in 2017
While fighting blowing snow and bitter wind chills, it’s a welcome relief to think about spring! I know many farmers, including myself, are getting equipment ready for tillage and planting. It’s also a good time to review your seed order.

I expect most orders were placed with thoughtful consideration of the 2016 results, including university, F.I.R.S.T. yield trials and dealer plots. While this is all important data, keep in mind it represents information that was recorded in one location during one growing season.

Also keep in mind that on-farm plots might be impacted by variables you would be unaware of unless you walked the plot throughout the growing season. For example, if a sprayer wheel track accidentally ran over part or all of the plants in a row, the yield of that hybrid could be affected significantly. If the wheel track happens to run over part of a row on a check hybrid, that yield reduction would affect hybrids on both sides of the check.

Two more areas to consider when selecting seed are soil type and disease. Plants respond differently in various growing conditions. It’s also important to know field history. For example, once you’ve had white mold or Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in a field, it has the potential to cause yield loss every time you plant soybeans there in the future. That’s why it’s especially important to know how well different brands handle SDS and white mold.

Be sure to check out our performance in the 2016 F.I.R.S.T. Trials. Latham won a record-setting 42 trials! Our corn program produced 17 first place winners and 199 total Top 10 finishes; our soybean program produced 25 first place finishes and 185 total Top 10 finishes. These stats show just how deep and wide our product line is.

Latham’s sales and product teams are at your service! Call us at 1.877.GO.LATHAM (1.877.465.2842), and we’ll gladly help you choose the right seed, field-by-field!

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds helps simplify the seed selection process through our Seed-2-Soil® agronomic services. We help maximize your yield potential by focusing on four key areas:
1. FieldXField crop planning: Your farm management style, equipment and overall production goals, along with our research and performance data for each hybrid, is taken into account when we help you select the best Latham hybrid in each field. Seed placement helps reduce risk and increases your likelihood of top performance.
2. Nutrient management: Research shows that fertility programs influence plant performance and yield by as much as 60%, so nutrient management includes the use of foliar leaf sampling to help manage micro and macro nutrients. There are 17 essential nutrients for plant development, and each one is important in various amounts. We also look at variable rate planting to help manage populations specific to field conditions and hybrid tendencies.
3. Seed treatments: It’s important to treat seed with proper fungicides and insecticides to protect your growing crop from insects and diseases. Farmers who invested in seed treatments last year were very glad their crops had extra protection. (See Mark Grundmeier’s column in this issue for specific results.) Research shows that seed treatment is the best defense against disease. Choose a treatment like Latham’s SoyShield fungicide or SoyShield PLUS that is a fungicide-insecticide combination to help protect early-planted seed against the unexpected.
4. Agronomic information: Latham Seeds provides agronomic tools to help choose the right hybrids. You’ll find loads of information on our blog, TheFieldPosition.com. On our website, lathamseeds.com, you’ll find product tech sheets, seed placement recommendations, and companion hybrid recommendations, as well as yield data from strip trials and unbiased independent third party trial results.
Webspec Admin

January 18, 2017

Agronomics, Crop, Seed Treatment, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Research Plots Show Outstanding Performance

As a member of the Latham Corn Product Team, it’s my job to walk research plots throughout the growing season and take notes. It’s hard to put into words just how exciting these crop tours have been this fall! The performance of Latham® corn products has been outstanding, so I’m having fun making recommendations for promising new products that could complement our current lineup.

We not only take these plots to yield, but we also note disease pressure. This year we noticed more hybrids than normal with some degree of stalk rot or stalk cannibalization. When cutting damaged stalks lengthwise, I usually found the internal pith tissue was still white and not compromised by disease. They may be shrunken, cracked, or otherwise weakened, yet the stalk rot didn’t invade the plant.

In high-yield environments, a shortage of nutrients or other weather-related stress weakened the plant by mobilizing sugars or nutrients that were stored in the stalk, and moved them to the ear to help fill kernels. Usually any factor that stresses corn allows pathogens to enter the plant: wet soils, daytime temperatures that are either too hot or too cold, nighttime temperatures that are too warm, flooding, moisture stress, hail, or leaf diseases.

There are very few (if any) years with ideal growing conditions, so it’s important to scout and manage fields for disease before harvest every year. Stalk rots don’t show up until later in the growing season, so I start scouting for them in August at the same time I am looking for leaf diseases. Early symptoms include dying lower leaves and the plant color appears pale green to gray.

While there is no one way to eliminate stalk rots and disease, the best management practice is to manage stress on the corn plants including proper soil drainage, proper fertility, plant selection and populations, foliar fungicide, and crop rotations.

Webspec Admin

November 30, 2016

Agronomics, Crop, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Building Soil Health for Generations Ahead

Building soil health is a key component on Wayne Frederick’s farm as he plans for the future. However he’s not just building up his soil. He’s also building a network and connection of people who are looking to accomplish the same goal.Fredericks is an encouraging leader, as he leads by both example and passion. He’s serving as president of the Iowa Soybean Association and is in the midst of his second year on the American Soybean Board.

After graduating from Iowa State University in 1973, Fredericks returned to farm in Osage, Iowa. While farming in Osage, Wayne met his wife Ruth and they were married in 1975 and have lived on their current home site since 1979. Their daughter, Angela, stayed in the agricultural industry, too, now working for the National Pork Board.

The Fredericks grow corn and soybeans, with an emphasis on leaving the land better than they found it. Their passion is clear.

“Soil health and quality can and do improve, depending on your farming practices,” said Fredericks. “Implementing practices of no-till and strip-till helps us raise better crops while improving the soil health. We are trying to raise the bar even further with the adoption of cover crops and pollinator habitat to further enhance water quality, soil health and the environment.”

The Fredericks will host a group of consumers on August 26, for Expedition Farm Country, which is part of the Iowa Food and Family Project, sponsored by the Iowa Soybean Association and supported by Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.

If you’re interested in attending this tour, email lfoss@iasoybeans.com and state why you’d like to embark on the farm tour!

Fredericks is looking forward to hosting this group and is excited to answer questions and have a conversation about agriculture.“They’re going to see the excitement of what we having going on in North Iowa. They’re going to see the cutting edge practices of conservation, and we are hoping this excitement will rub off on others,” Fredericks said.Watch for more blog posts about Expedition Farm Country! In the meantime, try this recipe from the Iowa Food and Family Project, sponsored by the Iowa Soybean Association. Cool down with these State Fair Peppermint Ice Cream Bars!

Webspec Admin

August 12, 2016

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Winter Rains Cause Concerns about Nutrient Loss

Many farmers are asking about the possibility of nutrient loss from the unprecedented rains we received in December. While there is definitely cause for concern, don’t assume all fertilizer that was fall-applied is lost. Also keep in mind that the amount of loss will depend on the specific nutrients that were applied, as well as whether it was in the dry, liquid or gaseous form.

Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K): Most experts agree that P & K applications are very stable no matter the time of year of application. It’s not unusual to have these products applied on frozen ground and see little, if any, loss prior to planting. One “watch out” here is if the December rains caused soil loss due to runoff. If this happened, then it is most likely that you also lost some P & K.

Nitrogen (N): Two main reasons for N loss are leaching and nitrification. Leaching refers to the actual loss of nutrients from downward movement through the soil profile. Since the ground in most areas was not frozen prior to the rains, this process could have a significant effect. Because the rain came fairly fast, there was considerable ponding and runoff in some fields. These will be the greatest areas of concern. Nitrogen loss here will not be uniform and will be extremely difficult to quantify. If drainage tiles ran, that is another avenue for N loss that may need to be considered.

The most common form of fall-applied nitrogen is anhydrous ammonia (NH3). When applied, it quickly converts to ammonium (NH4), which is a positively charged particle. Nitrogen is fairly stable in this form as it is held onto the negatively-charged soil complex. Ammonium eventually converts to the nitrate form by the process of nitrification. Since this is a biological process, the rate of conversion is determined by the soil temperature.

Nitrification does not stop, however, it slows down considerably when soil temps are below 50° Fahrenheit. This is the reason most agronomists recommend fall N applications after soils have fallen below this temperature. The nitrate form of N is the most susceptible to leaching. There’s a very good chance of N loss from the nitrification process if you applied nitrogen before soil temps fell below 50°F. Applications made later on (in colder soils) have a much less chance of significant loss.

It’s too early to determine nitrogen loss from December rains. We’ll wait until early spring to see how the weather develops and see the fields look after they thaw. For additional information on the potential for nitrogen loss, click here for an article from Dr. John Sawyer, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, Iowa State University.

Webspec Admin

February 10, 2016

Agronomics, Fertility, General, Season, Soil, Spring, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Spring Sampling Can Help Lay the “Grid Work” for 2015 Crop Planning

As you begin planting this year’s crop, you’re literally laying the groundwork for the following year. With tighter margins and high fertilizer costs, the need for better placement and utilization of fertilizer is greater than ever. Spring grid sampling can help you get a jump on planning your fertilizer for the season and 2015 seed needs.

Spring Grid Sampling is offered as a component of Latham’s Seed-2-Soil program This program is designed to bring added value to each farmer customer by providing field by field prescriptions using information about: soil types within the field, hybrid variety selection, tillage practices, fertility levels and more, with special consideration for the seed technology and equipment you are using.

For those farmers utilizing variable rate technology, soil test values can help set the stage for implementing variable rate planting, fertilizer and nitrogen; all tools available in our Seed-2-Soil Nutrient Management program. Learning blocks are assigned throughout the field based on the management zones that were uncovered by the sample data (high, medium and low). These zones provide the foundation for writing variable rate planting, fertilizer and nitrogen prescriptions accounting for the variability in each field.

ROI is something we can measure. During the past five years, Seed-2-Soil Nutrient Management clients have seen great results from the specialized Nitrogen program. Many have been able to reduce their nitrogen rates by 25 to 30 pounds per acre while maintaining, and in some cases, increasing yields.

Taking soil samples post-planting can be an important step in your planning process. Contact a Latham representative to learn how Latham’s hallmark Seed-2-Soil® Program, can help you lay the grid work for the coming season.

Team Latham

April 2, 2014

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

No-Till is a Win-Win for Environment and Farmers
Carol & Carl Roberts

No-till isn’t a common practice in the northern Corn Belt where rich, black soils lying in flat farm fields tend to receive and hold adequate moisture. Yet, the practice of conservation tillage is on the rise here. Not only do these practices help protect against erosion and preserve water quality, but conservation tillage can also help farmers save time and money.

“The market doesn’t reward us for higher costs, so we’ve found a way to do more with less,” says Carl Roberts, one of 63 Iowa farm families presented with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awardduring a ceremony at the 2013 Iowa State Fair. “All of my acres are no till and half of my total acres are corn on corn. Corn on corn requires better management and is less forgiving than either no till soybeans or strip till corn into soybean stubble.”

Jane Roberts showed turkeys for the first time at the 2013 Wright County Fair. She brought home the trophy for Champion, Reserve and even showmanship.

Roberts grew up on a farm near Kanawaha, Iowa, and moved to Belmond in 1986 when he had an opportunity to buy his own ground. While he’s conservation minded, he says his number of no-till acres increased as a matter of necessity. He had planned to plant no-till soybeans in 1991 and ended up planting no-till corn that year, too, as wet weather prevented him from finishing planting corn before June 1.

“That year my no-till soybeans yielded more than other soybeans. Yield didn’t take a hit on my corn acres either. Why cut stalks and chisel if the yields aren’t any better?” asks Roberts.

Although tillage doesn’t seem to affect his yields, Roberts says he has learned the hard way that he must pay closer attention to seed selection. “If a plant doesn’t come out of the ground from the seed you planted, it doesn’t matter what its yield potential was,” he says. “I look for strong emergence ratings and excellent early vigor in both corn and soybeans.”

Roberts plants a four-year crop rotation of three years corn, one year soybeans. In year one, he plants only Roundup Ready corn. Second year corn is only Liberty, and third year corn is either RR or RR/LL. Fourth year is conventional soybeans. This rotation helps with both weed control and potential resistance, explains Roberts, plus allows for control of volunteer corn in every crop. He also tries not to use the same BT technology in the following year. Half of his acres are corn-on-corn and the other half are no-tilled on flat, black ground.

“I’ve strip-tilled for 23 years and I’ve never been hurt in regard to yield from it,” adds Roberts. “Tillage takes more fuel, more time and creates more expenses and I wasn’t seeing the benefit.”

Benefits of conservation tillage include:
- Reducing fuel, labor, and equipment costs. Fewer passes across the field means less fuel and fewer man hours are needed. Tractor hours are fewer, so there’s more value at trade-in time and less wear on tillage tools.
- Reducing soil compaction. Soil gets compacted when equipment drives over the surface. Compaction restricts the movement of water, as well as the development of crop roots.
- Reducing erosion. More residue on the soil surface reduces the threat of erosion, especially during those months when no crops are growing. Residue allows for rainwater and snow melt to infiltrate the soil rather than causing surface run off that will carry away topsoil and nutrients. Studies show no-till can cut runoff in half, and reduce erosion by 85% to 95%.
Another longer-term benefit of no-till farming is improved soil structure by building organic matter. Soil organic matter is derived from living organisms, such as plants. Organic matter breaks down and eventually forms humus, which is the central building block of healthy soil.

The Roberts’ love of farming and appreciation for conservation is shared by his wife, Carol, who helps him with the farming operation. Carol grew up on a dairy farm near Lakota. Her family also raised a variety of animals including hogs, rabbits, chickens and ducks. She worked off farm for eight years in the registrar’s office at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge before she met and married Carl. While she enjoyed that job, Carol says she feels fortunate to be able to once again farm with her family.

“One of the advantages of raising your children in the country is they have more freedoms,” says Carol. “They learn to take on responsibility. They get to explore and discover their own interests.”

The Roberts’ love of agriculture is being passed down to their two children, 16-year-old Joe and 14-year old Jane. This winter, as a freshman, Jane advanced to State Speech Competition with an original oratory on cover crops. Active in both 4-H and FFA, she enjoys exhibiting turkeys. At the 2013 Wright County Fair, she won Champion and Reserve Champion with her turkeys.

Like his sister, Joe is an active member of the Iowa Hawkeyes 4-H Club and the Belmond-Klemme FFA Chapter. Last year he showed chickens at the Wright County Fair, earning Reserve Champion with his pen of three broilers. He enjoys his poultry project but his favorite project area is foods. Joe’s “surprise inside” cake advanced to the Iowa State Fair. He also received a blue ribbon at the state fair with an apple pie, and today he’s sharing that recipe with us on TheFieldPosition.
Team Latham

March 21, 2014

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Sample Soils Now to Increase Yield in 2014

Post-harvest is the perfect time to take soil samples. As part of his summer internship, Iowa State University student Kellen Sunkten prepared the following article to explain what a soil test is and why it’s so important.

What a soil test is: A soil test is a process of testing soil to see how available nutrients are to a plant. Nutrients are chemically removed from the soil and measured. The information retained from soil tests is then used to determine how much fertilizer needs to be applied to a field and what nutrient deficiencies must be addressed. Soil pH, humic matter and exchangeable acidity are also measured to determine how much, if any, lime needs to be applied.

Why soil tests are important: Soil tests are important to determine the right amount of fertilizer. If too little fertilizer is applied, it can cause growth deficiencies in crops. If too much fertilizer applied, it’s a financial waste for farmers and runoff becomes an issue. Soil samples can help farmers develop a plan for maximum crop growth and efficiency.

When sampling should be done: Soil samples should not be taken within 8 weeks of previous fertilizer application. Soil sampling should be done as early as possible before planting season to provide for enough time to make fertilizer decisions and have them take effect once applied. It’s important to apply lime early, if needed, so it has enough time to alter the pH of the soil before planting takes place.

How to take a soil sample: Use a soil probe and a spade or a hand trowel to dig a V–shaped hole that is 6 to 8 inches below the soilsurface. Then take a 1-inch slab off of the side of the hole and put it in a clean plastic bucket or bag. Take 15 to 20 surface samples per 40 acres. As you take these samples, put them into the same bucket or bag. When you are finished collecting your samples, mix them all together very well. Then pull one sample from the mixture for the soil testing lab. When collecting samples, it’s very important not to use brass, bronze or galvanized tools because they will contaminate your samples with copper and zinc. Deliver samples to the testing lab within 48 hours of when they are pulled, otherwise bacterial movement will skew the results.

Collecting soil samples now also can (1) help determine whether soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are present and (2) buy time to develop management strategies, controlling nematode numbers in infested fields.

Fall grid samples are also useful for those farmers who wish to enroll in Latham’s hallmark Seed-2-Soil® program. Seed-2-Soil helps simplify the crop planning and seed selection processes plus maximize overall yield potential. It begins with a discussion with a farmer and his Latham® seed rep about all the variables that go into your farming practices each year. Then a scientific computer program helps fit the right seed to the field. Research has shown that correct product placement leads to a 3-7% yield improvement.

Contact Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds today and harness the power of Seed-2-Soil and fall soil sampling!

Team Latham

November 13, 2013

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Protect Your Crop from In-Season Nitrate Loss

Rachel grew up near Madison, Wisconsin, on a dairy and grain crop farm. Her passion for agriculture took her to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Crop and Soil Science and also a master’s from Iowa State University in Weed Science. Prior to joining Hagie Manufacturing, Rachel worked as an agronomist for North Central Cooperative in Clarion and made recommendations for crop protection and fertilization decisions. As the agronomist for Hagie, Rachel works with employees and customers to help them gain a better understanding of the role the machinery plays in agronomy.

Guest Blog from Rachel Halbach

One of the biggest concerns of 2013, aside from actually getting the crop in the ground, is the fate of nitrogen that has already been applied. Heavy, excessive rainfall events throughout this season have brought up many questions: Is the nitrogen still there? How much is lost? Does more need to be applied? How much more should be applied? All these are legitimate worries with answers that are hard to quantify due to variations in environmental and field conditions. Many university extension departments have information that estimate losses and can help answer the above questions.

But how is nitrogen lost in spring and summer?

Denitrification and leaching are two major pathways of nitrate nitrogen loss at this point in the season. Denitrification occurs when bacteria in the soil convert nitrate into either N₂ or N₂O gas, and it is subsequently is released into the atmosphere. This process is typically a cause for concern in soils that tend to remain saturated- not usually coarse soil textures. Leaching, however, can be more of an issue in coarse soils that don’t hold as much water as medium and fine textured soils. Put simply, nitrate leaching occurs when the total amount of precipitation received exceeds the amount of moisture the particular soil can hold per inch.

Major factors influencing the amount of nitrate lost to denitrification include the amount of nitrate present, soil temperature, soil moisture, organic matter, and soil pH. Warm, saturated soils with a pH above 5 are most at risk. For example, when soil temperatures are above 75 degrees and the ground is saturated for five days, 75% of the nitrates present can be lost! Nitrate leaching is dependent on three major factors- the amount of nitrates in the soil, soil texture, and precipitation. Unfortunately, none of the variables influencing denitrification or leaching are very controllable.

So how does one protect against in-season nitrate loss?

Timing, timing, timing! Nitrogen applied close to the time when the crop will use it is less at risk for loss. Fall applied nitrogen is subject to a range of environmental conditions and is expected to still be available to the plant nine months later if no additional applications are made. Those that split apply can, in some cases, apply less nitrogen because no “extra” has to be factored in for what nitrogen might be lost.

Traditionally, side-dressed nitrogen happens earlier in the corn plant’s lifecycle, but estimates are that 40% of the nitrogen a corn plant will use is taken up after tassel. At Hagie, we have found a solution to provide a wider application window with our Nitrogen Toolbar attachment. With 72” of clearance, our NTB can place nitrogen in tall corn just as the plant needs it for maximum yield potential!

Team Latham

July 1, 2013

Agronomics, Fertility, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Seeing is Believing: See Why It’s So Important to Avoid Wet Soils!
After being cooped up for the better part of the past month, I’m as eager as any farmer is for the spring planting season to begin. Cold and wet weather in April has delayed planting, but we must remember that all of this moisture helped recharge the soil – and farmland across the Midwest desperately needed that!

The hardest part is going to be waiting to enter fields once the skies clear. Clear skies and sunshine don’t necessary mean that conditions are fit for planting. That’s why today I want to take a few minutes to remind you that it’s “worth the wait” to let fields dry before doing any work.

You’ll cause yourself headaches – and your crop problems – throughout the growing season if you try to plant in unfit conditions. The top 10 reasons to avoid soil compaction include, but are not limited to,: stunted plant growth; slow infiltration of water and/or ponding; high surface runoff and soil erosion under normal or light rainfall; poor root system establishment; and nutrient deficiency.

Compacted fields may experience yield losses of 10% to 20%, according to Iowa State University researchers.

It literally pays to understand and manage soil compaction. The #1 way to avoid soil compaction now is to wait for the fields to dry. In a video I made this week, you’ll see how to use a quick field test to check the soil moisture. You just mold a length of soil between your index finger and thumb, or roll it into a ball in your hand. Observe whether the soil breaks apart as you work it. If you toss the ball of soil into the air and it shatters or cracks upon falling to the ground, then conditions are likely suitable for tillage or planting.

For additional tips on how and why to avoid soil compaction, take a few minutes to read these related posts:
- 3 steps to reduce or minimize soil compaction
- Compaction after a wet fall
http://youtu.be/F3oo8d6s2Nk

http://youtu.be/1FHtMT7D75M
Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

April 25, 2013

Agronomics, General, Season, Soil, Spring