Like all farm families, we know what it feels like to win big. We also know the agony of defeat. We watched helplessly, like so many of you during the last week of August, as winds reaching 92 miles per hour wreaked havoc across the Upper Midwest. When the skies cleared, we saw that our brand NEW Premier Agronomy Center had taken a terrific beating. Which was so unfortunate for our traditional live-on-the-farm Field Day.
The spirit of agriculture and America’s farmers is strong. Thankfully, technology allows us to share some of those research highlights with you. The program lineup includes our premier agronomy center, discussion on what we are seeing around the Midwest and new technologies and how to best use them.
#AskTheAgronomist: Planting Depth Effect on Ear and Root Development
Planting depth matters! In this week’s #AskTheAgronomist, our special guest Corn Product Manager Lyle Marcus shows results from some on-farm studies on the effects of planting depth on plant, root and ear development.
#AskTheAgronomist: Late-Season Scout Now to Create Success Next Season
Recent heavy rains combined with high temperatures can create isolated cases of soybean disease. In this episode of #AskTheAgronomist, Precision Agronomist Phil Long addresses the basics of the big six and the benefits of late-season scouting to create success for next season.
With 19 returning starters from last year’s Fiesta Bowl championship team and a #7 ranking in the Associated Press’ preseason poll, Iowa State University (ISU) fans are fired up for the Cyclones’ season opener on Sept. 4. Another highly anticipated game will be played Sept. 11 as part of the annual Cy-Hawk Series.
There have been years – more years than most Cyclone fans want to admit – when the only things that got fired up on Game Day were grills. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ General Manager Ryan and Meg Schon started honing their tailgating skills 25 years ago when their favorite team didn’t have a hope of post-season play, and “Tailgate Victoriously” became their rally cry.
Among the sea of pickup trucks and campers parked near Jack Trice Stadium, you’ll find creative tailgating vehicles like converted school buses and repurposed ambulances. This year marks the fourth season that Latham® Seeds Dealer Sean Waldstein will host family members and friends for tailgates before the Cyclone football games in a converted ambulance.
This year marks the fourth season that Latham® Seeds Dealer Sean Waldstein will host family members and friends for tailgates before the Cyclone football games in a converted ambulance.
“This year is an exciting step forward for ISU football,” says Sean Waldstein, who grew up cheering for Iowa State as both of his parents are alumni.
Retro logos add flare to the Waldstein tailgate ambulance.
After graduating in 2000 from Sioux Central High School, Sean attended classes at ISU where he completed his undergrad studies in Exercise Science. He volunteered for the ISU football strength program and completed an internship at the University of Wyoming in its strength program. He went on to earn his master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Iowa State. While attending Iowa State, Sean met his wife, Amanda, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from ISU and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Drake University.
The newly married couple made their home in Urbandale, Iowa, where Sean worked as a strength coach for Drake University and then ISU. In 2013, they moved near Lincoln, Nebraska, where Sean worked in corporate wellness and Amanda was able to stay home. In 2017, Sean and Amanda decided to raise their children near family and moved back to Sean’s hometown in Northwest Iowa. Amanda works as a Salesforce administrator / business analyst, and Sean farms with his dad. The Waldstein family grows corn and soybeans, as well as raises pigs.
Retro logos add flare to the Waldstein tailgate ambulance.
In addition, Sean works as a substitute teacher and coaches junior high girls basketball. He drives the bus mostly for the teams he coaches and helps with the school’s weight program. Sean and Amanda are the proud parents of two daughters and one son. Their oldest daughter, Ryleigh, is a freshman in high school and a four-sport athlete. Peyton is in sixth grade, and Evan is in third grade. This active family especially enjoys water sports all summer long.
“Water skiing, barefoot, solemn and wakeboarding… you name it, we do it!” says Sean.
Summer fun transitions into the fall tailgating season. Although Sean wasn’t looking for a tailgating vehicle, the opportunity presented itself.
“The guy who spreads our hog manure had used the ambulance as a service vehicle, but the ambulance no longer fit his needs,” says Sean. After striking a deal for the ambulance, Sean and Amanda got to work on making it suit their needs.
The first tailgating season they painted the outside of the ambulance and cleaned up the inside. The next season they added the 1983 and 1984 Cy logos on the outside. Most recently, a hitch was added to be able to transport a griddle.
Inside the retrofitted Waldstein tailgate ambulance.
“One of my cousins lives in Ames, so we take the ambulance down to her place for the season. On Game Day, our family and my cousin’s family all pile into the ambulance and head to the tailgate,” says Sean. “The ambulance has made tailgating so much more enjoyable because it stores all of our equipment. We don’t have to hassle with unloading tables, chairs, a tent and grill once we get home.”
The whole family piles into the ambulance on Game Day!
In celebration of the fall football season, today Sean is sharing with us one of his family’s favorite tailgating recipes for Pickle Wrap Dip. We’re also linking to several other Game Day recipes, so you can celebrate the season whether you’re sitting on a tailgate in a farm field during fall harvest or outside your favorite football field.
Pre-Commercial Manager Bob Foley and President John Latham demonstrate the steps to create new crosses and “hand make a hybrid” in Latham’s Central Iowa Corn Nursery.
It was another record-breaking weekend at the Iowa State Fair as the 2021 Sale of Champions set a record by raising more than $445,000 for scholarships! The Sale of Champions also broke four records for the highest selling species. The Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb, exhibited by Phoebe Sanders of Eagle Grove, set a new sheep record at $18,500.
The Champion and Reserve Champion animals selected during the Iowa State Fair livestock shows are sold annually during the last Saturday of the fair. The 16 winning exhibitors are asked to raise funds from their hometowns, and then buyers from across the nation put in the remaining funds.
Phoebe Sanders with her 2021 Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb.
“What I love about Iowa and agriculture is you’ll find an outpouring support of people who want to see you succeed,” says Phoebe, who is a junior in Agricultural Business at Iowa State University where she is active in Block & Bridle and Ag Business Club. “I’m so thankful for all the support I’ve received. This year we raised $11,000 to put toward buying my market lamb. Fareway and Lettow Show Pigs paid the remainder of the selling price.”
The Winner’s Circle
Proceeds raised from the annual Sale of Champions fund scholarships offered by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFFA). To be eligible for a Winner’s Circle Scholarship, students must study agriculture in either a two-year college or four-year university in Iowa. Scholarship applications are typically due April 1, and recipients are invited to a picnic held the day of the Sale of Champions.
“My favorite part about leading the Iowa Foundation for Ag Advancement (IFAA) is the Sale of Champions and the academic support we are able to provide to students studying agriculture in Iowa,” says Andrew Lauver, IFAA president. “I love seeing the scholarship recipients line up to receive their scholarships and then viewing the families enter the ring with their champion animals to celebrate their successes through the sale of their animals.”
The Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb, exhibited by Phoebe Sanders of Eagle Grove, set a new sheep record at $18,500.
Phoebe has been both a scholarship recipient and an exhibitor. She received a Winner’s Circle Scholarship in 2019, so she understands first-hand what a difference the IFFA scholarships make to students. She also has raised a significant amount of scholarship dollars for the past three years as she exhibited the Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb in both 2021 and 2020. In 2019, her market lamb was Iowa State Fair Reserve Grand Champion and also sold in the Sale of Champions.
As a Clarion – Goldfield – Dows FFA member, Phoebe started showing lambs seven years ago. She has one more year of state fair eligibility left.
“My favorite thing about the state fair is connecting with friends I haven’t seen for a whole year,” says Phoebe. “Showing animals has allowed me to make so many friends. I’m living in a house (at college) with six girls who I know from showing and none of them are from my hometown.”
Another benefit to showing livestock, says Phoebe, is developing confidence from being in the ring.
“I’m so grateful for my family and the support they give me. Growing up my brother, Denton, has been my mentor. One of my favorite memories was winning showmanship at the American Royal in Kansas City. My brother told me I had to do it even though I was reluctant, and I was glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone.”
Phoebe Sanders in the show ring with her market lamb.
Phoebe adds, “My advice for anyone showing an animal is to make connections and work hard because people will notice that. My family’s motto is to do our chores the best that we can and to work with our animals the best we can. After that, it’s just one man’s opinion.”
That work ethic is paying off for Phoebe both academically and professionally. This summer she worked under grain merchandisers at Gold Eagle Co-op. She also worked as an intern at Rule Sheep Co. in Hawarden. During the summer of 2020, she interned with ISU Extension and Outreach in Wright County. After graduation, Phoebe would like to work in grain merchandising or in ag sales.
In celebration of Phoebe’s Grand Champion Market Lamb, today we’re sharing a recipe from the Iowa Sheep Industry Association’s chili cookoff.
Mother Nature throws a few curveballs each season and 2021 is no exception. Our crops are suffering from drought, but weeds are thriving across Latham Country. Herbicides are not as effective when weeds are not “actively growing” as has been the case this season. Grass herbicide tank mixes were much less effective this year due to dry growing conditions and antagonism in the plant.
Because weeds always find a way to succeed and survive, we need an integrated approach to manage them. Below are few things you can do this year to combat weeds next year:
Document the worst fields. Latham’s FREE Data Forward® app scouting tool allows you to drop a pin in the field where you see weed escapes. Late summer is the best time to do this as you’re doing yield estimates and late-season field visits. As the crops mature, you can easily see those green weeds poking though. Then later this fall make sure you’re selecting the right herbicide- resistant traits in your soybeans to put up the best fight against them in 2022.
Spray early and layer residuals. Don’t go away from applying residual herbicides just because Latham is offering Enlist® E3 and Xtend® traits. No matter which soybean traits you’re planting, residual herbicides should be part of the program. Layering herbicides in the early season and then in your post application will be most beneficial. In 2021, we sprayed taller weeds. Then drought prevented soybean rows from closing quickly enough, so we had late flushes of weeds after a rain. Prepare to spray weeds when they are small, regardless of soybean growth.
Try cover crops. Cereal rye reduces the density of waterhemp early in the growing season, which in turn allows herbicides to be more effective on smaller weeds, according to a multi-state study funded by the United Soybean Board. If you have a field with strong waterhemp pressure in corn this year, cereal rye is an excellent tool to help prevent your fields from being overrun by waterhemp next year.
Dig out the iron. I saw row cultivators appear this year in areas to help slow down the weeds and allow the soybeans to close the rows. Extra tillage is not advantageous for the soil structure and limiting runoff, but in a year when herbicides are less effective, sometimes we must drag the iron to the battlefield.
It’s all about an integrated approach. No matter how many options we have for herbicide traits, weeds will always foil our best efforts. It’s time to put on our fighting gloves and manage each field based on its weed control needs.
Precision Agronomy Advisor Phil Long addresses a series of questions about foliar feeding soybeans and shares some tips and practices to help with return on investment.
5 Key Takeaways from XtendFlex® and Enlist E3® Systems
Based on a recent needs assessment poll conducted by Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, the top two soybean trait technologies for 2022 planting will be Enlist E3® and XtendFlex® soybeans.
Both technologies have triple-stacked traits, featuring tolerance to glyphosate (Roundup) and glufosinate (Liberty®) herbicides. Enlist E3 soybeans also are resistant to 2,4-D Choline herbicides (Enlist Duo® & Enlist One®). For XtendFlex® soybeans, the 3rd tolerance is to dicamba herbicides like XtendiMax®, Engenia® and Tavium®.
Do everything you can now to keep resistant weeds from gaining a foothold in your fields. Following are five key takeaways for effectively using weed control programs with both trait packages:
Start with a clean field. One or two tillage passes may be necessary to take care of emerged weeds. For no-till operations, a good burndown herbicide program is needed.
Always use a pre-emergent herbicide program whether before or after you plant. Consult your local ag chem retailer for herbicide recommendations for your area but try to use a program with multiple herbicides and sites of action.
Use a strong (multiple site of action) post-emergent herbicide program. For post-emergent applications in Enlist soybeans: I like what I’ve seen when Enlist One and Liberty are applied together. Pay attention to weed size, the stage of your crop, and label rates. If needed, you can use a second application of Enlist One if you wait at least 12 days and it’s before the full bloom stage (R2).
For post-emergent applications in XtendFlex soybeans: You CANNOT tank mix any dicamba-based product with Liberty! I like applying XtendiMax (plus applicable tank mix partner/s) either pre-emergence or early post-emergence and then having the flexibility to come back at or before R1 with Liberty. This maximizes the benefits from this new technology while keeping you in compliance with the EPA-approved herbicide labels. Applying XtendiMax early also decreases the chances of off-target dicamba movement to sensitive crops.
As always, read and follow all label directions for herbicide use. Whoever applies these herbicides is directly responsible for knowing the labels, including all setback and buffer requirements.
Knowing what is planted where is a matter of crop life and death. All forms of dicamba and 2,4-D belong to the auxin (Group 4) chemical family but react differently, depending on the herbicide trait package being used. Remember, this family primarily controls broadleaf weeds. Most grasses show little or no effect from the application of Group 4 herbicides. XtendFlex and Xtend soybeans are tolerant only to dicamba-based products and can be killed with an application of any 2,4-D product. Likewise, if you spray Enlist E3 soybeans with dicamba, they will die.
#AskTheAgronomist: High-Yield Soybeans and Node Count
As the calendar moves closer to harvest, many farmers are looking to gauge yield expectations in soybean fields. In this week’s segment, Precision Agronomist Phil Long explains the correlation between node count, spacing, population and yield.
Mother Nature throws a few curveballs each season and 2021 is no exception. Our crops are suffering from drought, but weeds are thriving across Latham Country. Herbicides are not as effective when weeds are not “actively growing” as has been the case this season. Grass herbicide tank mixes were much less effective this year due to dry growing conditions and antagonism in the plant.
Based on a recent needs assessment poll conducted by Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, the top two soybean trait technologies for 2022 planting will be Enlist E3® and XtendFlex® soybeans.