Latham Seeds adds new Vayantis® to SoyShield® Plus! On this week’s #AsktheAgronomist, Phil Long, precision agronomy advisor, and Matt Moore, soybean product manager, discuss soybean treatments and how the addition of Vayantis is really exciting going into the 2022 planting season! Learn more about Vayantis fungicide.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AsktheAgronomist – Latham Adds Vayantis
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AsktheAgronomist – Dicamba Tips
Phil Long, precision agronomy advisor, dives into Dicamba and highlights ways it can be affective in your herbicide regime.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Free Throws Total $65k Donation from Latham Seeds
Each time a member of the men’s basketball team at the University of Iowa or Iowa State University stands at the free throw line the American Cancer Society has a shot at winning. For the 10th consecutive season, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds has teamed up with Cyclone Sports Properties and Hawkeye Sports Properties to donate funds to the American Cancer Society through Coaches vs. Cancer. Over the course of 10 years, Latham Seeds has donated $65k.
2022 Iowa Hawkeye Charity Stripe Check Presentation. 
2022 Iowa State Cyclone Charity Stripe Check Presentation. Coaches vs. Cancer was championed by Norm Stewart, former head coach of the University of Missouri men’s basketball program. As a cancer survivor and member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Stewart challenged fans to pledge a dollar amount for points made by his team. The American Cancer Society and the NABC adopted that concept in 1993, transforming it into a nationwide effort to provide help and hope to people facing cancer.
“We have been committed to supporting the American Cancer Society through the Charity Stripe Promotion since 2013 because we know first-hand what a gift hope can be,” says John Latham, president of family-owned Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds in Alexander, Iowa. “On February 20, 2010, my father underwent a stem cell transplant to battle AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia). He and my mom moved into the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester after he was released from the hospital. That transplant extended Dad’s life for more than five years, and we are grateful for all of the support he received during his cancer battle. I also grateful that my mom is a two-time cancer survivor.”
Whether it’s ourselves, our parents, a neighbor or a coworker, each of us has a cancer story. More than 1.6 million people are diagnosed with cancer annually in the United States. No one fights alone.
Related Articles:
- 2013: Coaches vs. Cancer nets $15,000
- 2014: Coaches vs. Cancer nets $17,000
- 2015: Put the Full Court Press on Cancer
- 2016: Will to Win is a Common Denominator
- 2019: Latham Seeds Provides Cancer Support One Free Throw at a Time
- 2020: Providing Hope is Our “Why”
- 2021: Coming Back from Childhood Cancer
- 2021: Schminke Family Goes the Distance
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AsktheAgronomist – Dicamba Tips
Phil Long, precision agronomy advisor, dives into Dicamba and highlights ways it can be affective in your herbicide regime. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay up-to-date with agronomy news in the industry.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
2021 Research Trials Show Seed Treatment Pays
Advertisements and magazine headlines tout the opportunity to enhance yields through plant protection and the use of biologicals or naturals, but does it pay to use these products? Our research once again confirms that seed treatments are an investment that provides a return.
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds expanded its 2021 research trials to include seed treatments and biologicals. We wanted to determine whether the performance of the seed products we offer could be improved by seed protection and biologicals. Soybeans treated with Latham brand SoyShield® Plus had a 2.38-bushel yield advantage over untreated seed and a 1.2-bushel advantage over other leading fungicide and insecticide (F&I) seed treatments.
Latham Seeds’ signature SoyShield Plus seed treatment is effective in protecting seedlings from early plant diseases for approximately 30 days, which is a longer window of protection than most seed treatments offered. SoyShield Plus includes an exclusive fungicide combination that provides excellent protection against seed and soil borne diseases including: Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia.
The addition of Saltro to SoyShield Plus increased protection against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and soybean cyst nematodes. In fact, this treatment combination produced the highest yield in research trials across seven locations in multiple states. The SoyShield Plus / Saltro treatment had a 5.25-bushel yield advantage over untreated seed and provides Best-in-Class protection across environments. Soybean cyst nematodes are one of the largest yield-robbing pests and SDS is a growing concern for more areas, so it makes sense to order the Latham SoyShield+ / Saltro combination for 2022.
Inoculants with biologicals continue to show increased yields over inoculants alone. Latham SoyShield Plus with Talc USA’s MicroSurge had a 2.83-bushel per acre advantage over untreated seed and more than one bushel per acre advantage over other premium inoculants.
Corn trials conducted at six locations in multiple states also showed significant yield increases over the base seed treatments with various applications of seed applied or planter box treatments. Talc USA’s MicroSurge dry corn inoculant is easy to apply with talc. With two strains of Azospirillum, MicroSurge produced a 4.7-bushel yield advantage over the base seed treatment.
Encompass also was tested as a planter box treatment. It contains nitrogen-fixing microbials and helps mobilize phosphorous in the soils for easier nutrient uptake into the plant. Encompass showed an 8.5-bushel increase over base treatments in our 2021 trials. Now that’s a return on investment!
Contact your local Latham rep for more information about these and other products to protect your seeds and seedlings, so you can improve yields in your fields in 2022.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Start the Season Right by Planting the Right Genetics
With the 2022 planting season right around the corner, it’s time to focus on the one thing that will help you capture the most ROI in each field.
Field-by-field product placement is key to maximizing yield – and in turn – profit. Research shows plant genetics account for a 20% difference in yield. This means you could raise 12 more bushels of soybeans and 40 more bushels of corn PER ACRE simply by paying closer attention to your crop placement.
Below are three factors to consider when double-checking your crop placement for 2022:
- Study Field x Field® Ratings. Look at the Field x Field Ratings in the Latham® Product Guide for corn and soybeans. These charts simplify where you should place hybrids and varieties. A “1” rating means it’s a great fit for a particular environment; a “3” rating means you should not plant that product if your field conditions match that description. Your Latham Dealer has seen most of our products in environments, so call him or her if you have additional questions about where to place a particular product.
- Stick to the plan. If your seed dealer has provided you with a Field x Field plan, organize your seed shed so you can stick to the plan. Subscribers to Latham Seeds’ Data Forward® program receive a crop plan book, which you can keep in your planter tractor. It’s a good practice to double check that the right seed gets in the planter. If planting conditions change in a particular field, then take the time to move products. It will be worth an hour of your time to capture the extra $150 to 200 per acre in profit potential.
- Match Genetics to Management. If a certain corn product is described as “likes high management,” then you should not place that product in a field with poor fertility levels. Your seed dealer may not know your fields’ fertility levels unless you share it. That information is critical for accurate product placement as some genetics can handle tough fertility situations and others will fall apart in those environments. Also make sure you aren’t overplanting or underplanting each hybrid. Look at the “suggested populations” in our Product Guide, as well as the “Ear Type” rating and our stress wheel poster. We want to help you capture yield!
If you’re planting soybeans early or at the same time your planting corn, treat the seed with SoyShield® to protect it from early season fungal diseases. Seed treatment also gives seedings an early advantage. Even when using a quality seed treatment, plant fields with the heavy soils that remain wet and cold last or at least the soils have warmed. This will help your soybeans better ward off root diseases all season long.
A successful 2022 crop year begins with having a plan and sticking to it! Take the time now to double-check that you properly matched plant genetics with soil conditions. Our dealers are also happy to talk through field placement as well. If you have further questions or want to chat with our agronomists call: 1.877.GO.LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
What’s in a Christmas Tree?
Christmas day is quickly approaching and like many, I’ve spent the past couple weeks finishing my Christmas shopping and putting up decorations. Of all the traditions that come with the holiday season my favorite is picking out the perfect Christmas tree. A quick poll of my Facebook friends confirmed that for most people, it’s less about the tree itself and more about the traditions and memories to be found in those dark green boughs.
Latham Marketing Manager Laura Cunningham’s Christmas Tree My favorite tradition (and memory) is visiting local tree farms to pick out ‘my perfect tree”. As a child we frequented Lines Tree Farm in Marble Rock, Iowa. At the tree farm Harley and his grandsons stand ready to bring in each customer’s fresh cut tree, shake off the needles and snow and load it up. Carol can be found in the tree shed, whipping up homemade wreaths with fancy bows, pine cones and glittering bulbs. When I think of visiting the tree farm as a child I remember the fresh pine smell of that shed and the sweet cinnamon cider ready to warm us after our hike through the farm. Now as an adult, my husband and I continue the tradition with our son Wyatt who made his first trek with us to Carlson Tree Farm in Latimer, Iowa at just six weeks old! We enjoy the opportunity to support another local North Iowa farm family with our holiday purchase.
Laura, Wyatt and Aaron Cunningham visiting Carlson Tree Farm in Latimer, Iowa For some families, the tradition is in the decorations. My unofficial Facebook poll revealed so many great ideas to celebrate and create memories through decorations, I thought a few were worth sharing:
- Beth R purchases an ornament representative of every trip or family vacation her family goes on. It’s a great way to remember the memories created on each trip and celebrate the time spent adventuring together.
- Cassie H commented she picks out a new ornament each year that her kids will open the day they put up their family tree. She tries to pick out an ornament that represents them in some way or is something of interest each year. For example, her middle daughter received a John Deere tractor ornament this year because it was the first year she drove the tractor all on her own. Then Cassie will write their name, the year and “From Mom and Dad” on each of them. What a unique way to document her childrens’ milestones!
- Jennifer H sets aside a craft day to help her kids make a homemade ornament each year. How adorable are these! She also commented she makes their family photo into an ornament each year.
- Nikki S commented she enjoys a good laugh when she looks back at her ornaments made in grade school, moldy lucky charms and ancient peppermint candies and all.
- Kayleigh K’s family plays a game with their German Pickle tradition, with a prize for the sibling who could race downstairs to the tree to find it first.
- Sometimes ornaments remind us of those no longer with us as Janice P shares in her blog on JP Loves Life.
- Michelle H (part of the Carlson Tree Farm family) has this to say about tree traditions: “Picking out a Christmas Tree is more than just about finding the Perfect Tree. It is about creating the Perfect Memory! Growing up on the Carlson Tree Farm we used to picked the ugliest tree in the patch that no one else would buy & then we made it beautiful with our handmade decorations! One year we even put our nativity scene in the tree to hide a big hole! To this day we enjoy picking the last tree of the season & get to be creative. Priceless Memories!”
There’s something about the glow of Christmas Tree lights that sparks wonder and peace for kids and adults alike. So whether its a real tree or an artificial tree, trips to tree farms or special decorations it seems that Christmas Trees symbolize all the special people and memories that warm our hearts during the holidays. Thank you to those who shared great ideas and family traditions for this post. If you’re considering crafting some homemade ornaments this year, here’s a great recipe for salt dough that when baked can preserve those handmade memories for years to come.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Changes to Soybean Research Program a Resounding Success!
Latham Soybean Research Plot I’m pleased to inform you that the changes we made to our soybean research program were a resounding success! The decision to hire other companies to plant and harvest our Latham Elite trials allowed our Product Team members to observe and take notes at a greater number of locations and across a wider geographic area. In previous years, our own crew could only plant and harvest 11 or 12 locations in Iowa and southern Minnesota. We would then hire another company to do the same at about five or six locations in northern Minnesota and North Dakota. This year we were able to plant and harvest 33 locations in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota!
Latham Seeds’ Product Team will evaluate the yield data and correlate notes taken to see which products are a good fit for Latham Country. During that same time, Latham’s Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) and Dealers will be surveyed to determine what products are needed based on input they receive from our customers. Then, and only then, will new products be added to our 2023 lineup.
Once we identify products from the Elite Trials that meet Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ standards and fulfill our customers’ needs, we release them for sale. We also place these new products in our Latham Showcase plots, as well as in the independent F.I.R.S.T. Trials program, to again showcase the performance of these new products and to provide opportunities for our customers to gain confidence in their performance.
Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager It has been my great honor and pleasure working for the Latham family for more than 25 years – first, as an agronomist, then as Soybean Product Manager and, for a dozen or so years as overall Product Manager. When Bill and Don Latham hired me in 1996, I had high hopes this would eventually lead to this being my dream job. I was looking for an opportunity to work in Research and Product Development. It certainly was everything I had hoped it would be. I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted the decision – not even once!
Along the way, I’ve met farmers, dealers, sales personnel, fellow employees and colleagues from numerous areas. I am proud to call many of you my friends. I’d like to thank the Latham family for placing their trust in me. I especially want to thank John, Shannon and Chris for allowing me to “spread my wings,” so I could be more involved in all of the products we handle. As for the future, I know that I’m leaving the company in the best of hands.
This is the final article I will write for TECHtalk as I am retiring at the end of 2021. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family, traveling and pursuing some hobbies that I’ve put on hold for a few years. I wish you all the best as you continue to work in this great business of agriculture. May God richly bless you always!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Latham Hi‑Tech Alfalfa: Higher Quality. Greater Yield. Better Nutrition.
Farming is like dancing with Mother Nature, and Mother Nature always leads. We can’t control the weather, but we can manage around the risk.
Understanding a seed product’s features and benefits is powerful tool to help reduce production risks. Alfalfa from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds provides growers with options to better place the best genetics for certain soils to enable a product to perform at its best.
With this in mind, let’s review some of Latham’s top alfalfa products:
- Features of LH 9120: branch root expression and finer stems.
Benefits: LH 9120 can be planted on wetter soils. If conditions remain wet, the plant will respond with several branching roots instead of one major tap root. NOTE: Alfalfa usually has a singular tap root. In a water-logged situation, alfalfa with a tap root will not survive as long alfalfa with a branch root. Branch rooting give additional support by bringing several roots closer to the surface of the soil, allowing for better respiration. Additionally, 9120 has a finer stem. Finer stemmed alfalfas tend to dry quicker for baling.
- Features of LH 9700: disease resistance, unparalleled recovery after cutting and multi-foliate expression.
Benefits: LH 9700 is a very powerful, high horsepower type of alfalfa protected with disease resistance. It protects the plant, giving it the best chance of long-term stand. Quick recovery after cutting means the crown buds produce new leaves quickly. Leaves catch the sun, build essential carbohydrates for the crown, and generate more yield and better quality. I relate each leaf to a cylinder in an engine. As we add cylinders to an engine, it adds more horsepower for better performance. It’s the same with alfalfa; more leaves equal more energy to produce top yields and superior quality.
- Features of America’s Alfalfa AA 481 RR/HarvXtra: low lignin, Roundup® resistance, and high disease resistance.
Benefits: Reduced lignin helps AA 481 RR/HarvXtra achieve better fiber digestibility. When compared to conventional alfalfa, research has shown to deliver 14 to 18 % relative forage quality (RFQ). Higher quality forage nourishes the animal, so it gains valuable feed efficiency and that leads to higher profitability. Additional benefits include harvest flexibility of seven to 10 days while maintaining excellence in quality and producing as much as 20% more yield. This is helpful to help manage around weather events. Roundup Ready benefits include keeping fields clean, improving forage quality, reducing weed competition, and extending stand life. This alfalfa product also has high resistance to anthracnose, which can damage stands. HVXRR 481 has HR rating for Race 1 and R rating for Race 5. This product is one of the newest commercial selections for HarvXtra alfalfa with top yield capacity. It also boasts extra yield and stand life, protecting benefits to reduce risks of anthracnose disease.
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds offers a variety of products, each with special features and benefits. Remember, each seed is treated with Latham’s AlfashieldTM, which gives our seed a competitive advantage by emerging faster, growing strong, and yielding more!
- Features of LH 9120: branch root expression and finer stems.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
In celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we want to recognize our full-time truck driver Steve Sweet.Steve was born and raised in Roland, Iowa. He always knew he wanted to be a truck driver because he likes being on the road and his father is a truck driver (even today at 83 years old!). Steve enjoys working on cars, watching drag racing and spending time with his wife Tasha, five children, two grandchildren and two dogs. His advice is to take the good with the bad because there are good days and bad days.Thank you, Steve, for your hard work and commitment to taking on a demanding and important job. We appreciate you!
