#FromtheField Crop Reports: 10/31/18

EASTERN IOWA

Jerry Broders

Eastern Iowa farmers have been running long hours on soybeans for the past eight days. Soybean harvest is nearly complete, and many farmers are finishing corn. Fall tillage is right around the corner. 

CENTRAL IOWA

Bryan Rohe

Harvest will wrap up in a week for many Central Iowa farms. Results have been variable, depending on soil types, drainage and weather events that occurred throughout the growing season.

Now is a great time to evaluate decisions you made in 2018 and the changes you want to make for 2019. Jot down details about this year’s crop while they’re fresh in your mind. No detail is too small when you’re planning future crops.

One tool to make crop notes is Climate FieldView. You can overlay maps that show soil type, fertility and drainage – all of which contribute to your overall yield. You also can place pins in the exact location where you saw poor yields, tile issues or even a rock that you want to go back and pick up.

Did you know you can try Climate FieldView before you buy it? Ask me how! Call 877-GO-LATHAM (877.465.2842).

NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

Craig Haaland

Bart Peterson

On October 30, we harvested the Latham® SuperStrip plot today with FFA students in Belmond. Latham® dealer Eric Sturgeon was running the combine and his dad, Ron Sturgeon, was driving semi. 

NORTH CENTRAL IOWA & SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA

Cory Greiman

This week we harvested a Latham® corn plot south of Hampton. This plot was planted May 25 and harvested October 30. A bald eagle was flying overhead, most likely waiting for a “snack” to run out of the standing corn. Latham’s LH 5245 VT PRO RIB is having a great year! It topped this plot at 236 bushels per acre (bu/A) at 16.4% moisture. Yesterday I got a call that a whole field of 5245 yielded 252 bu/A at 16.5% moisture in the Cylinder area.

NORTHWEST IOWA

Darin Chapman

Farmers in Northwest Iowa are finishing up with soybean harvest and switching to corn. As expected, yields are extremely variable this year due to the challenging weather we received. Farms with tile are showing a major return on the investment.

Latham’s Seed-2-Soil® program is a great way to make decisions on where to place tile on your farm. This is just one of the many reasons it’s important to manage your farm operation with a Precision Ag platform. Contact me to learn more about Latham’s Data Forward and FieldxField services, which are designed to reduce your risk and maximize yield.

The attached photo shows where tile would be beneficial.

WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA

Larry Krapfl

This is a common sight across western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Soybean harvest is moving slower than expected fields are fields are wet. I’d say 20 to 30 percent of the soybeans are still standing in the Missouri River bottom. The river is running high and no one wants to get his combine stuck in the mud.

SOUTHERN WISCONSIN

Greg Mair

Soybean harvest is wrapping up in southern Wisconsin. Many farmers are experiencing a new challenge in soybeans and that’s how to effectively control waterhemp.  The good news is, whatever route you take for waterhemp control, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds offers a soybean that will work for you!

Technology advancements usually bring new genetics, and that appears to be the case this year with Xtend® soybean products. Xtend soybeans outperformed Roundup Ready 2 (RR2Y) soybeans by almost 5 bushels per acre in Latham’s Watertown plot.  Latham brand L 1845 R2X and L 2295 R2X have performed well in back-to-back stressful growing seasons in southern Wisconsin.  These two products would make a great soybean package for your acres whether you’re looking to control waterhemp with Xtend herbicide technology or just looking for high-yielding genetics with an outstanding disease package.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Joe Salter

Harvest has been steady over the last week. Soybeans are close to 60 percent complete, and many farmers are rolling into corn. I took off my first Latham soybean plot on October 30, and Latham brand  L 1438 R2 did really well. The following soybeans also performed really well: L 0982 R2, L 1092 R2X and L 1184 R2X. In addition, we compared L 1438 R2 treated and untreated. The treated version out-yield the untreated seed by 4 bushels. For more info on our treatment options, please visit our website or contact me at 1.877.GO.LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).  

NORTHERN MINNESOTA

Ken Highness

This 160-acre field of Latham’s LH 3877 VT2 PRO RIB was harvested October 30, averaging 202 bushels per acre dry and a weight of 56.2.

SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA

Ramie Coughlin

Harvest continues in Southeast South Dakota (SESD). Last week many farmers finished harvesting soybeans and switched to corn. This week a few farmers even finished their 2018 harvest. Yields are impressive! Latham’s 4452 RR out-yielded DeKalb’s 91-day VT2P by 17 bushel in Hamlin County. See how Latham has been performing against the competition by checking out the F.I.R.S.T. Trial Results. Latham® brand soybeans are once again having a great year, and we’re waiting to receive corn results as not many corn plots have yet been harvested. I’m excited to take out our SuperStrip plots in the coming week. After a slow start this spring, things really turned around and it has been a fun harvest for most.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA

Brian McNamee

So much harvest progress has been made this past week! Some farmers who have finished harvesting their own crops and now helping their neighbors down the stretch. It’s not uncommon to see four or five large class combines in the same field. Harvest storage issues, for the most part, have been minor compared to our expectations a month ago. There is an uncommonly large amount of soybeans being stored on the farm this year, but elevators and grain buyers have done all they can to help the farmers through these challenges.

After heavy, wet snow fell 15 days ago, many farmers are using a simple lift rod to help reduce harvest loss from downed soybeans. I’ve been surprised by the success of a rather simple application. Harvest loss from lodging was reduced from 2 to 5% due to this lift rod, plus harvest speeds could be increased to add efficiency.

We’re seeing big equipment and big yields across South Central North Dakota. I’m always amazed at the amount of work that gets done in a 10- to 12-hour shift.

SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA

Gary Geske

In between rain and snow events, farmers are trying to get the crop harvested as quickly as possible. This Latham® SuperStrip plot was harvested after dark to maximize daylight hours for the crop. Kyle Geske harvested his plot with yields far exceeding spring planting expectations. It was exciting to see yields near 200 bushels per acre on variable soil types. For more yield information, make plans to attend one of Latham’s post-harvest meetings.