Vince Lombardi had many attributes that built his winning record, but I suspect it started with a vision of reaching the end zone. He then built and executed a plan. He kept it simple, often using the same play many times in a row. The power sweep was successful because the focus was on executing it flawlessly.
The same steps can be applied in your pursuit of leaving no yield in the field. Keep the vision clear. Build the plan. Master the basics, and you’ll hit the proverbial end zone of success.
Below are six basic steps to achieve success with alfalfa this growing season:
Numerous below-ground insects can damage your corn stand. We will focus on four pests, including where you will likely find them and what management tips could help prevent damage.
Seedcorn Maggots destroy seeds before germination. This can occur when soils are cold and germination conditions are less than ideal. Most damage occurs in high organic regions of fields, especially areas with heavy manure applications. The best time to scout is from planting to VE. Dig up seed in areas with damage to check for insect feeding. Note problem areas, and consider additional soil-applied insecticides in those areas in the future.
Scout for White Grubs prior to planting. High-risk fields include those that have been in pasture one or two years previously or where willow or cottonwood trees are growing adjacent to the field. Most of Latham’s seed treatments control this insect unless infestations are high enough to overwhelm the seed treatment. In areas with that potential, consider soil-applied insecticides.
Shortly after eggs hatch in May and June, Northern Corn Rootworm and Western Corn Rootworm larvae begin feeding on root hairs and tunnel inside roots. As they develop, larvae begin feeding on larger root tips. Extensive feeding can eliminate entire nodes of roots. In fields with known beetle history, use Latham® hybrids that contain SmartStax® or Agrisure Duracade® technology. In fields with heavy pressure, use a soil-applied insecticide in addition to a traited hybrid.
Black Cutworm most commonly occur in low or poorly drained areas of fields. Latham brand SmartStax hybrids contain the Cry1F Bt protein that can control most problems of cutworm infestations. Our new hybrids for 2022 planting with the Trecepta® and 5222 Duracade traits contain the Vip3A Bt protein that also offers great control.
Your Latham Dealer has the tools you need to effectively control these pests. As you scout fields and find pests, note those areas. Then ask your local seed dealer to help you build a plan that incorporates the Latham hybrids that can offer you the best protection.
Soybean stands can suffer from a wide variety of problems that will reduce population. Hail, diseases, insects, cold soil temperatures at planting, compaction, and planter failures can all affect the stand individually and in combination.
Stand reductions almost never occur evenly across the field. Here are some basic steps to help evaluate soybean stands and decide if re-planting is necessary.
Take 10 stand counts in the area with the worst damage and 10 counts in the part of the field that was not affected or affected just slightly. At each point, measure off 10 feet of row and count the number of live, viable plants. Then calculate the average of your 10 points and compare them to the table below to see how many plants per acre you have remaining.
A stand of 100,000 evenly distributed plants generally gives you optimum yield. As the growing season progresses, however, it is much more difficult to establish a good stand. A stand of 75,000 on May 15 is inadequate, but you might be better off leaving a stand of 75,000 plants if it is July 1.
Planting soybeans on or before June 1 averages 95% of expected yield. In a five-year Latham Seeds’ study, there was no significant yield difference in soybeans planted before May 15. Planting dates included late April, early May and mid-May. We did not see yields drop to 85% or lower until after June 15.
Our results are similar to studies done by university researchers. If you farm below the line from Watertown, SD through the Twin Cities and over toward Green Bay, Wisc., I recommend staying with soybeans in your normal maturity until mid-June. After June 15, consider the precipitation expected in late June and early July because the biggest threat to establishing a late soybean crop is lack of rainfall. If you are north of that line, you may need to switch to an earlier variety a week or so sooner.
When Melissa (Bisbee) Moretz was 5 years old, she went into business with her brother and sister. Their father purchased a few ewes for them to raise. They were in charge of feeding and lambing them. As they grew older, they accepted more responsibility, including the finances.
“This is where my farming background began. It was an effort made by my parents to help my siblings and I save money for college, but it developed into much more. As we grew older and became 4-H members, we decided to sell the sheep and get into cattle and swine,” says Melissa, who served as a high school ag instructor and FFA advisor before becoming a senior portfolio manager in 2017 at a local bank. “I showed breeding beef at the county fair along with market swine at the county and state fair. I farrowed swine for my Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program in FFA. I participated in many career development events (CDE), met many people, served as a chapter officer for two years, and learned what hard work really was.”
With so many life lessons learned, it’s no wonder that Melissa and her husband, Nate, desire to raise their family on a farm. She says she loves coming home from work and taking their children to the barn.
“Raising our children on a livestock and grain farm has already begun to instill a strong work ethic within both of them,” says Melissa. “Having livestock gives my children an opportunity to learn about the circle of life at a very young age. They have also learned how to care for any bucket bottle calf that ends up on our farm, and they get so comfortable with them that they are more pets than cattle by the time they are weaned from the bottle.”
Their five-year-old son is in preschool. He loves to farm any chance he gets. His two favorite things about the farm are spring calving season and riding in the planter or combine with his papa (Nate’s father).
“This year for Kole’s class show-and-tell, we were able to do a Zoom meeting with his class. Kole shared a new calf that was born the day before our Zoom meeting. Kole explained to his class how to take care of calves and why we raise them. The class even got to name the baby. Rainbow is now happily out in our pasture with her momma.”
The Moretz’s two-year-old daughter wants to keep up with her brother. When she isn’t chasing her brother around the farm, she helps her mom deliver meals to the field. She enjoys a good picnic in the tractor. She also loves playing outside on the swing set and going for bike rides.
Nate and Melissa also farm with Nate’s parents, calving about 120 cows/heifers each spring. As young farmers easing their way into the operation, Nate and Melissa began to purchase market steers and heifers to finish out. Melissa says they care for each animal in the best way possible with two goals in mind: (1) keep our animals safe and healthy; and (2) produce quality offspring.
“A special bond forms between people who are working together to accomplish a common goal,” says Melissa. “Both Nate and I were raised on farms and want to teach our children the life lessons that, in our opinion, are learned best on the farm. Responsibility, hard work, life/death, and teamwork are a few of the valuable lessons I have learned on the farm and want to share with our family.”
In addition to raising kids, crops and cattle, the Moretz family has been Latham® seed dealers since 2015.
“Our Latham Hi‑Tech Seed dealership has really taken off in the past couple of years. This has been a great side business for us and a supplemental income,” says Melissa. “Many customers continue to be impressed each year by the products they purchase. They show their appreciation by ordering larger volumes the next year and/or referring us to other farmers in the area. There’s nothing better than word-of-mouth advertising! We are very excited to sell for Latham and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
In celebration of May Beef Month and the season of tractor picnics, today we’re sharing one of the Moretz family’s favorite recipes for pizza burgers.
The virtue of patience is most beneficial when the time comes to assess frost or freeze damage in early-season corn. Once a frost or freeze event takes place, do an initial assessment of your field and wait 3-5 days before making any final decision on how to proceed. Young corn plants can tolerate cool temperatures up to V5 since the growing point is still below the soil surface. Early season damage caused by the cold temps does not show up immediately as the cells that get broken from the freezing moisture inside the plant may look normal the first morning after a freeze. Depending on the actual low temperatures, symptoms may take a day or so to appear.
Frost Damage Assessment
Frost Damage
Young corn plants can tolerate some low temperatures and still survive and achieve high yields. The growing point of the plant remains under the soil until the plant reaches V5. At this stage, you will see five leaf collars showing around the stem. You may have more leaves visible, so count the collars for accurate assessment of crop stage. Low temperatures that do not fall below 30 degrees generally just damage the exposed leaves and do not hurt the growing point. However, recovery of these plants may take some time (up to a full week) depending on weather after the frost. Below is a photo from the Iowa State University Integrated Crop Management newsletter showing a viable growing point after a frost event.
Frost Damage Management
Freeze Damage
If you experience low temperatures of 28 degrees or lower for a prolonged period of time, most all the plants in a field will show significant damage. These extended low temperature situations become more critical for assessment. You may see variation across a field due to soil type, soil moisture content or the amount of residue on the field. Corn damaged by a hard freeze will still need patience for assessment. Assess all fields after hard freezing temperatures, even those that have not emerged yet. Check soil temps at 2” level soon after a freeze for a sound understanding of the scope of damage to a field.
Freeze Damage Assessment
The photo on the left shows leafing out underground due lack of energy of seedling. The photo on the right shows damage to the coleoptile that will result in shoot not having capacity to push through the soil. Photo courtesy of RL Nielsen, Purdue Univ.
Freeze Damage Management
Patience is key when assessing damage from a frost or freeze event. If you allow time for the crop to respond to the event, you will make better decisions for that damaged field.
How much tillage is too much? Phil Long discusses proper seed bed preparation and the importance of protecting moisture in the ground. #AskTheAgronomist
:20 – Welcome
1:40 – Topic introduction
3:00 – GDUs, rainfall averages and soil temperatures
4:40 – Soybean germination
5:15 – Conserving moisture in the seed bed
6:40 – Optimal seed depth
7:27 – Soil sealing
10:36 – Cover crops and early termination
11:35 – Final thoughts
Seeds absorb moisture within hours after planting and begin the germination process almost immediately. When corn seeds absorb water colder than 50°F, imbibitional chilling or cold shock may occur.
These three symptoms of cold chill may be evident at emergence, during the growing season and at harvest time:
Call into the Latham® office and we will get you connected with one of our agronomists. Happy Spring!