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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Improve Meat and Milk Production with Better Silage
“Repetition is effective. Repetition is effective.” – Legendary Broadcaster Paul Harvey

The massive amounts of information we process each day makes it easy for messages to get diluted or forgotten. That’s why I find it helpful to continually review the basics, especially when it comes to feeding corn silage.

What gets fed to dairy cattle, as well as to beef cattle, affects the quality and quantity of the milk and meat produced. We know there is a correlation between starch and fiber digestibility with rates of gain. Getting the most tonnage and high nutritional concentration gives you the best chance of improving milk quality and production in dairy, as well as rates of gains in beef.

Most of the silage research to date deals with feeding corn silage to dairy cattle. However, Iowa State University has updated its Beef Corn Silage Calculator that ranks the potential value of corn silage varieties used in beef rations.

You also get an index ranking for Latham® hybrids in our seed guide. Our index rating shows a hybrid trend on a multi-season, multi-environment basis. Keep in mind that management practices, weather, and fertility can dramatically impact forage quality.

Simply stated, here’s what we want from corn silage: high tonnage in the field and high quality in the bunk. Listed below are some basic corn silage terms to provide a better understanding of corn silage yield and quality:
1. Dry Matter Basis (DM). Most all feed comparisons are done on a dry matter basis where all the moisture is removed. This helps provide consistency.
2. Corn Silage Composition. Typical corn silage composition is 50% grain to 50 % stover on a dry matter basis.
3. Grain yield. High-yielding grain hybrids tend to bring great tonnage and quality. Yield contributes to tonnage and quality.
4. Nutritional value of the kernel. The value of corn silage is related to its energy content from starch, fat and amino acids. Corn silage provides energy from digestible fiber and from the starch contained in the kernel.
5. Starch Digestibility. Increasing starch digestibility supports rumen bacteria and increases energy supply to dairy and beef cows. It’s estimated that for every 1 percent of fecal starch that passes into the manure, milk production is reduced by 0.72 pounds per head per day. This adds up!
6. Fiber Digestibility. Hybrid selection, environment, and management practices impact fiber digestibility in corn silage. It’s estimated that for every 1 point of increased or improved fiber digestibility, milk output of a dairy cow can improve about one-half pound of milk per day per head.
7. Non-Fiber Carbohydrate (NFC). Corn silage is about 50 percent NFC. Note: There is a correlation between this number and the grain percentage.
There is an ocean of information available from seed guides to feed reports. Ultimately, it comes down to considering the end use first. Match your end use goals with product features and proper placement for maximum ROI at the bunk.
Webspec Admin

October 22, 2021

Corn Silage, Crop, Fertility, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AskTheAgronomist: Evaluating Fall Fertilizer Decisions

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When faced with high fertilizer prices, what considerations should factor into next season’s investment? Precision Agronomy Advisor Phil Long addresses each macronutrient’s effect on yield and performance plus the pros and cons of investing versus scaling back for next season.

Webspec Admin

October 20, 2021

#AskTheAgronomist, Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Fall, Fertility, Season, Seed Treatment
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Take the Test and Beat the Pest!

By robbing farmers of more than 100 million bushels annually, Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is estimated to be the #1 yield-robbing soybean pest or disease in the United States. Farmers may scream over lost yield this fall, but SCN is considered a “silent yield robber” due to a lack of above-ground symptoms in most fields.

Immediately after harvest is the best time to take soil samples for SCN. Several universities have programs that offer free soil samples to evaluate SCN, so check with your local Extension office to see if you qualify.

Think SCN isn’t a problem in your fields? Think again! Dry soil conditions, especially early in the growing season, can greatly increase the effects of SCN infestations. I received numerous calls in June and July about yellow, stunted soybeans. Most farmers suspected Iron Deficiency Chlorosis. Upon further inspection, SCN was almost always present and in larger numbers than previously observed. When I asked whether these farmers had taken a recent soil sample for SCN, most had not. They admit to mostly relying on SCN-resistant varieties to control or minimize the losses from this pest.

We have known for years that PI 88788 is gradually losing its efficacy against the pest, and more than 95% of SCN-resistant soybeans in America have PI 88788 as the source of gene resistance. Since 1997, a team of researchers at Iowa State University led by Dr. Greg Tylka has conducted annual in-field trials with hundreds of SCN-resistant varieties. They measure agronomic performance and SCN population densities from planting until after harvest.

Scientists have determined that to be effective, SCN-resistant varieties must maintain less than a 10% reproduction rate of SCN during the growing season. Since 2004, Dr. Tylka and his team have noticed that the average of all PI 88788 varieties in their trials have gradually exceeded that threshold. They have also noted that the average yield of those varieties has decreased as the SCN reproduction has increased. For more information on these studies, visit www.isuscntrials.info. Other land-grant university researchers have reported similar findings.

To effectively manage SCN in the future, soybean breeders are focusing on other sources of gene resistance. Your Latham Soybean Product Team is continually evaluating and searching for opportunities to bring new, better resistant varieties to our lineup. We also are evaluating several seed treatments for battling this pest. Saltro®, our seed treatment product for SDS protection, is also noted to have activity against SCN. More information from our Latham Elite trials will be available post-harvest.

“TAKE THE TEST. BEAT THE PEST.” is a slogan/campaign by The SCN Coalition™ and funded by the Soybean Checkoff and is designed specifically to promote awareness of SCN. These microscopic roundworms, which infect the roots of soybeans and other plants, can be present in a field for years before above-ground symptoms are visible. We encourage you to take the test this season, so you can plan accordingly for the future.

Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

October 15, 2021

Agronomics, Crop, Disease, Drought, Fall, General, Insects, Season, Seed Treatment, Soil, Soybeans, Spring, Weather
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AskTheAgronomist: Why is My Combine Black?

Precision Agronomy Advisor Phil Long addresses an interesting question surfacing this fall, “Why does my combine seem like it’s covered in soot?” Tune in to uncover what’s happening in the field as we harvest, plus some cautionary tips for livestock farmers if you are feeding cornstalks this season.

Webspec Admin

October 13, 2021

#AskTheAgronomist, Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Fall, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Each Prunty Contributes His Own Ingredient for Farming Success

Today’s technology makes it possible for farmers in different states to conduct secondary research online in the off-season and put it into practice during the growing season.

“We had a hole in our bean lineup, so I went online and started looking for seed,” says Aaron Prunty, who farms with his dad, John, and his brother, Paul, on the South Dakota-Minnesota border near Pipestone, Minn. “I really liked what I read about Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds in the F.I.R.S.T. Trials and decided to give it a try. In our first year, we planted a plot that included Latham’s 1858 and 1538, which ended up winning. All three of the Latham numbers we planted performed well, and the 1858 out-yielded the competition in every side-by-side we put it in. We decided to plant exclusively Latham® soybeans the next year.”

Aaron is responsible for making the seed decisions for the family’s farming operation. His brother has a real knack for fixing equipment, and their father has been primarily responsible for taking care of their independent farrow-to-finish pork operation.

The Prunty family raises all crossbreds. They save their sows and buy boars: Hamp, Duroc, Large Whites and Yorks. As a result of keeping a fairly closed herd and mixing their own feed on site, they avoided PEDV. They also were one of the first producers to start vaccinating for PRRs.

“We’ve always been farrow-to-finish. We farrow year-round, every week,” says John. “I love farming and that makes all the difference in the world. Fortunately, my wife has been a partner with me through the years.”

John’s wife, Elizabeth, mainly took care of the farrowing barn but now Paul is doing more of that. In fact, each family member is making the most of his natural abilities and interest. Aaron graduated in 2007 from South Dakota State University in Agronomy. Paul earned a degree in Animal Science in 2013 from SDSU.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with Dad. He has a lot of respect for us and our abilities,” says Aaron. “Dad very much leads by example. He doesn’t leave the dirty work just for us; he pitches in. He’s a really good mentor and he’s always been on the cutting edge of technology.”

John says, “It’s really fun farming with the boys. They’re full of shenanigans! I’m transitioning to retirement, but I’m having too much fun to quit.”

While each family member has his or her main responsibility, they all help where needed. John runs the combine, while Aaron and Paul trade off running the grain cart and semis for soybeans. Elizabeth runs the grain cart for the corn harvest. They’ve also divided up the spring field work. Paul does the strip tilling and plants the corn; Aaron plants the soybeans.

You could say that farming is in the Prunty’s blood. They’ve traced their ancestors back to the 1600s and learned they were farmers in Northern Ireland. In honor of the Prunty’s Irish heritage and their love of farming, we’re sharing a recipe for Irish Pork Stew.

Shannon Latham

October 13, 2021

Agronomics, Fall, Pork, Recipes, Season, Soups
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Focus on Precise Measurements for Best Results

Like many boys who grow up on a farm, Landon Aldinger was fascinated with equipment.

Years later he would combine his fascination with equipment and farming with skills in technology and engineering to help others get more results using fewer inputs.

Landon (left) and Mike Aldinger own Precision Farm Management. It has evolved from a focus on acquiring and using the latest products to using technology to implement more precision agricultural services.

Watching big machines on the family farm led to Landon getting a bachelor’s degree in Ag Engineering from Iowa State University. He then worked nearly seven years, as a Senior Design Engineer, for the Toro Company in Minneapolis before his story finally came full circle. “I really enjoyed my time and my career in the cities,” says Landon. “But when I turned 30, my priorities started to shift. I was ready to head home and become more involved in the farming operation.”

Grady Aldinger loves being involved on the farm. Here he is during the fall 2020 harvest.

Landon had been assisting his father, Mike Aldinger, since 2008 with their seed, chemical and consulting business. Mike started the business as Ag Fertilizer and Chemical in 1977 with his father (and Landon’s grandfather), Merle. After Merle retired, the business became Precision Farm Management, Inc.

Like farming itself, Precision Farm Management has evolved from a focus on acquiring and using the latest products to using technology to implement more precision agricultural services like variable rate seeding and variable rate fertilizer, including variable rate nitrogen.

We’re proponents of all things VR (variable rate) whether it’s nitrogen, fertilizer or seed,” says Landon. “Placing the correct amount of inputs in the appropriate areas just makes sense and offers opportunities for enhanced return on investment. We offer these services to our customers and find a plan that fits their capabilities and operations.”

McCoy Aldinger (pictured at 6 months) was born March 2021.

Once all their crops are harvested and the next year’s crop has been planned and the seed orders have been written, Landon works on projects related to his Aldinger Engineering LLC consulting business. He also spends time “carpet farming” and helping his oldest son, Grady, fix his equipment in their living room. Landon sees signs of a second generation engineer/farmer in his son.

“Grady continues to love all things agriculture and equipment,” says his proud dad. “It is not uncommon for him to head out to the field for a few hours to ride along and ‘help’ any way he can. I love watching his excitement. He was beyond excited for fall 2021. We’ve been counting down the days to harvest!”

There will soon be competition for the buddy seat as Landon and his wife, Kinsey, welcomed their second son in March 2021. “McCoy has been such a blessing to our family,” says Landon. “He is such a happy baby. We can’t wait for him to experience all things farm-related and to see what the future holds for him.”

The Aldingers vacation with their extended family each summer in Brainerd, Minnesota. They enjoy fishing, playing miniature golf, boating and eating ice cream.

The Aldingers vacation with their extended family each summer in Brainerd, Minnesota. They enjoy fishing, playing miniature golf, boating and eating ice cream.

In addition to raising kids and crops, the Aldingers also raise cattle and pork. About four years ago, they built a new wean-to-finish hog building.

“The hog barns are a great source for fall fertilizer and offers us an alternative to using commercial fertilizer on some of our farms while improving our soils’ organic matter,” says Landon. “My parents built one hog barn about 15 years ago with the intent of building another one since the property was zoned as a two-barn site,” says Landon. “It made sense for me and Kinsey to build the second hog barn to diversity our farm income. Producing cattle and pork, the seed dealership, chemical sales, plus consulting helps us diversify.”

In celebration of October Pork Month, today Landon and Kinsey are sharing one of their favorite pork recipes for Sausage & Squash Soup

Shannon Latham

October 8, 2021

Agronomics, Fall, Food & Family, Pork, Precision Ag, Recipes, Season, Soups
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AskTheAgronomist: Stalk Integrity at Harvest

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Harvest is in full swing across Latham Country with reports of corn coming in at 16% moisture already in early October. Precision Agronomist Phil Long discusses how and why to evaluate stalk integrity as you decide which fields to harvest next.

Webspec Admin

October 6, 2021

#AskTheAgronomist, Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Fall, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Tips for Determining Why Stalks Are Lodging

As Harvest 2021 gets underway, we will start our morning checks to see which fields should be prioritized for harvest. Hybrid maturity helps guide us to certain fields, but sometimes a field stands out for another reason like late-season stalk lodging.

Hybrids have different susceptibility to stalk rots as the season progresses. Knowing the hybrid you have on every field – and how each hybrid handles stalk rot diseases – is important. Another consideration is whether the hybrid you planted is a racehorse because racehorse hybrids do whatever it takes to fill an ear even if that means cannibalizing the stalk. This can be an unfortunate reality in a year like 2021 where moisture was very limited across most of Latham Country. A fungicide can keep the lower stalk healthier later into harvest, so if you choose to spray, you likely will see better standability.

Decisions made early in the season also influence late-season stalk health. Planter singulation is key. Doubles or multiples causes corn plants to grow on top of one another, so most of the time only one of those plants will develop an ear. Shallow planting depth causes the “crown” to establish closer to the soil surface, predisposing plants to root rot during this point in the season. Uniform competition is really important for neighboring corn plants, so that’s why good singulation and even emergence are important.

Planting population can influence stalk diameter and stalk health. You can push planting populations more if you keep your fertility levels in check. If you’re having stalk lodging issues and tend to push higher populations, then test soils and investigate where you may have an issue. If you notice foliar symptoms as you’re scouting throughout the season, then there is no better time than right after harvest to take soil samples. Potassium is a key nutrient for building healthy stalks. Micro-nutrients are also important, but it requires a balance. Too much of one nutrient can prevent other nutrients from being taken up by the corn plant.

As you walk your fields prior to fall harvest, do the “pinch” or “push” test to monitor stalk health. If you’re wondering about whether your soil fertility is influencing stalk health or haven’t soil tested in a while, feel free to give me a call. I’ll be glad to talk with you about the benefits of using Latham’s Data Forward® program.

Phil Long

October 1, 2021

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Fall, Fertility, General, Growth Stages, Season, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Managing Fall Armyworms in Alfalfa

“The alfalfa is alive with crawlers!” A remark I heard last week as I scouted an alfalfa field heavily infested with Fall Armyworms. 2021 threw some curveballs this year, but I certainly could not have predicted a widespread Fall Armyworm outbreak with much of the Midwest under drought conditions.

Spodoptera frugiperda, are a southern species of Armyworm that do not overwinter in the Midwest. As populations build during the summer, moths fly north often reaching the Midwest later in the summer or early fall. Hence the common name “Fall Armyworm”.

Fall Armyworms can feed on alfalfa, pastures and newly seeded cover crops and small grains. This year there have even been reports of them taking out entire lawns in search of lush plant material to feed on in dry conditions.

Life Cycle and Feeding Patterns

The quick lifecycle of the Fall Armyworm is what makes their feeding pattern so impactful to alfalfa stands. Eggs are laid by moths in clusters of 50-200 and hatch roughly four days later. Larvae grow quickly and move widely. Days 14-30 when larvae are growing to sixth instar are their most destructive stage as many growers notice a small, stressed patch one day with complete defoliation in as little as 48 hours.

Threshhold and Treatment

One to two worms per square foot can destroy seedling alfalfa and populations of 10-15 per square foot have been observed to destroy 12 to 14-inch alfalfa. Some experts advise not treating unless the majority of larvae are less than 3/4” long since more advanced larvae are nearing the end of their lifecycle. I agree with that line of thinking, however in alfalfa this must be heavily weighed against survivability of your alfalfa or cover crop stand. The short lifespan of armyworms means eggs can be laid at different times and all stages (instars) can be present in your field. With the aggressive and destructive nature of the insect, chemical treatment may be best way to control. It’s tricky, as we are in that time frame of “no cut” for alfalfa, a time which we need every single leaf to generate and build our root reserves for the winter months.

Bottom line: scout early, often, and plan quickly.

Webspec Admin

October 1, 2021

Agronomics, Alfalfa, Insects
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AskTheAgronomist: How Does Singulation and Emergence Affect Yield

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What happens to plant performance and yield when singulation/spacing and emergence is variable? Precision Agronomy Advisor Phil Long showcases examples of stands and ears that developed under varying scenarios. He also shares results from our emergence tests from this spring at Latham’s Premier Agronomy Center.

Webspec Admin

September 29, 2021

#AskTheAgronomist, Agronomics, Emergence