March is the time of year we start getting questions as planting season approaches.  The most common questions are:

• How thick should I plant the new bio-tech seeds?
• How early should I plant?
• Do I need stronger emergence for my soil type?
• Should I use a seed-applied insecticide?
• Should I use fungicide?
• Which technology trait do I need for each farm?

At Latham, we’ve geared up our agronomy testing to help answer these questions. This season we will be conducting new yield trials that should provide some compelling data. These trials will help provide guidance on:

• Optimum corn populations
• Fungicides for early planted corn
• Twin row vs. conventional row spacing
• Seed applied nematicides for corn
• Corn hybrid yield performance for different soil types

There is no shortage of questions when it comes to producing higher yields. The best approach is to work with a knowledgeable seed representative that can help you learn more about the products.  In turn, you will have a positive and more productive experience with your Latham® brand seed.

Do you have a question that comes to mind as planting season approaches?  Want some advice from a Latham Seed2Soil® specialist?  Share it with us in the comment box below!

In the past, optimum plant population was determined by increasing population each year to the point where the ear began to tip back. A corn plant has the ability to sense when it has enough nutrients and moisture to put grain on, so just looking at grain development was a good way to determine if plant populations were over the optimal line. After generations of using roughly the same seed, plant population was pretty nailed down.

To help adjust to the new plant population realities, we’ve ramped up our research to try to give Latham customers a more informed starting point. This growing season we’ll evaluate two triple-stack hybrids: one with more ear flex capability than the other. We’ll also be capturing the yield-ability across different soil types. We know that each soil type has inherent natural fertility and water holding capacity, which are two important components of yield when considering plant population. Many seed technology developers have also launched research into the plant population area, so we plan to also collaborate closely with those studies.

The goal of all this research and investigation is always the same: to help customers realize more profit per acre. That means we’re always considering the math of yield revenue minus input costs. The development of seed technology has made plant population one of the variables in that equation and, as with everything associated with high-tech products, Latham Hybrids will continue to invest in finding ways to use PPA to make our customers more money.