Looking to implement cover crops on your farm? Phil Long walks through a 5-year plan to get started. Tune in below!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Improve Soil Health with Cover Crops
Taking soil samples and then implementing “3 Ps” is key to building soil health: (1) Sample; (2) Plan; (3) Plant and (4) Be Patient. The focus of my post is to provide tips for developing a plan that will leave your soil in better shape for future generations.
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Sample: It is hard to now where to go, when you don’t know where you are. That’s why baseline tests are so important.
In addition to working for Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, I also work part time in the emergency room and am a paramedic in rural Wisconsin. When a sick patient is admitted to the hospital, a blood sample test is run. Results from this CBC, or complete blood count, and other tests become the foundation on which we develop the best suited treatment plan. This is really a customized approach to treating a situation because everyone is different.
The same is true with soils. Every single soil is unique, and the state of its biological soil health is based on several factors that only soil sampling can truly reveal. Once we have soil sampling results, we have a point from which we can develop the best suited plan.
There are a lot of tests available, but I have found the most useful test is the Solvita soil test by Woods End Laboratories. This test gives an overview of the biological health of the soil. It also actually provides a recommendation of the best cover crop combination to the benefit and build the soil.
If you’re not already doing so, I encourage you this season to develop the best suited plan to start building your soil structure. Start small, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Choose a soil you believe needs the most help. NOTE: Most conventionally-tilled soils could benefit. Use the absolute best soil sampling equipment you can find. Be very diligent in collecting the sample because the data you get back is only as good as the sample the lab receives from you.
Take your time. Enjoy the experience as you embark on a journey of doing something good for humanity. – Corey Catt, Latham Forage Product Specialist
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Plan: Now that you have results from soil samples, develop a plan to accomplish your goals. Sometimes it’s easier to take a small acreage out of production, and plant a green manure mix. Here are some plants to consider:
- Grasses, like Latham’s PROTECTioN Cereal Rye, scavenge for excess nitrogen. Grass roots help reduce run off.
- Legumes, like Latham’s FixatioN Balansa Clover produce nitrogen and help reduce run off.
- Brassicas, like Latham’s Driller Daikon Radish help penetrate hard pan and provide a little fertility benefit.
If you plan to interseed cover crops into your existing corn or soybean field in mid-summer, be very mindful of what herbicide you are using because carryover can reduce your cover crop emergence and growth. In particular, the residual of Dicamba herbicide really restricts your cover crop options.
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Plant: Cover crops may be drilled, broadcast seeded, ariel seeded or even seeded using a Hi-Boy. Equipment is usually a limiting factor to what cover crops get planted. Some county soil conservation offices rent equipment. They also have funding available to pay for some cover crops.
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PATIENCE: Being patient is the hardest part of trying cover crops and rebuilding soil health. You must think long term rather than seek short-term gratification. When we go through the investment efforts, we would like instant results.
Fact is, you are getting results albeit they are subtle. In many cases, however, the results are exponential when you commit to the plan for years. One Indiana grower found he has increased organic matter (OM) over time. This is huge as increasing OM also increases the water holding capacity in the root zone, which correlates to more yield potential, especially during dry conditions. This grower says he’s gaining about .1% OM every year that he no-tills and uses specific cover crops.
Consider that in 10 years you could gain another 1% OM. Every 1% OM holds about 1 acre inch of rain, which is around 27,000 gallons. Every year you increase the water holding capacity, you improve your chances of higher yield.
We’re all about helping you “grow your legacy” at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds! Feel free to call me if you’re interested in setting up an on-farm trial for cover crops this growing season. We might even be able to partner with you to try some new products or different rates / seeding studies of existing products. Also note that the 2020 Latham® Seed Product Guide will be distributed in July 2019, so be sure to check out our production offering for Fall 2019 seeding.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AskTheAgronomist: Achieve Top Yield
Join us this morning as we discuss top populations for top yields! #AsktheAgronomist
https://www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds/videos/316328942324823/
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Seeding Rates Trump Nitrogen Rates
Nitrogen rates can be the most powerful yield influencer when it comes to corn inputs. Other management practices including fungicide, starter fertilizer and seeding rate also can significantly impact yield.
In a previous post, I discussed the results of our Climate FieldView (CFV) study. We compared a recommendation from Climate’s Nitrogen Advisor tool of 135 pounds per acre (lbs/A) total Nitrogen (N) to our typical yield goal (YG) approach of 170 lbs/A total N. We didn’t see significant yield differences between the two nitrogen programs. In this post, I’m going to focus on the other 10% of the
study.Seeding rates don’t always influence yield as expected because many of our hybrids have outstanding ear flex and the plant compensates for the additional space. Our planting rates were around 31,500 and 37,500 seeds per acre in our study, but weather greatly affected this. Several severe storms hit during the early growing season, and winds of 70+ mile-per-hour hit during the period of rapid growth for most of our corn. Corn fields throughout our area saw quite a bit of greensnap; the corn we planted 10 days later had no greensnap. Unfortunately, timing was not on our side. I took stand counts before harvest. Our final plant stands were 25,000 and 29,000 plants per acre (ppa) for the low and high seeding rates. We had approximately a 4,000-plant difference between the two seeding rates, which made a significant yield difference.
Our CFV nitrogen test had 135 total lbs/A of N yielded 198 bushels per acre (bu/A) at the low seeding rate, and 210 bu/A at the high seeding rate. Our YG approach with 170 lbs/acres total nitrogen yielded 206 bu/A at the low seeding rate and 213 bu/A at the higher seeding rate. We saw both a 12 bu/A and 7 bu/A advantage with the higher seeding rates in the CFV and YG systems. After subtracting the cost for higher seeding rates, the additional yield resulted in additional revenues of $23.48/A (CFV) and $5.80/A (YG). We used LH 5245 VT2 PRO, which has a semi-flex ear. This means that even at the low seeding rate of 25,000 ppa, that hybrid had the late-season ability to flex enough in ear length and kernel depth (weight) to make up for lost bushels. The question is, “Does it pay to plant at higher rates?” It did for us in 2018, but there’s a good chance our results will differ in 2019.
Results for LH 5245 VT2 PRO with planting populations at 15,000 ppa on the left (resulting in girth of 16 kernels and length of 38 kernels on the left-most ear) and 58,000 ppa on the right (girth 18, length 33 on the right-most ear). 
Cross Section split of LH 5245 VT2 PRO from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds stress wheel research study 2018. Our nitrogen test didn’t show a yield difference despite the 35 additional pounds in our YG approach. Given the abnormally high amount of rainfall and above-average growing degree units (GDUs) for the season, we likely saw an increased grain-fill period and some additional loss of nitrogen through leaching. Above-average temperatures and good soil moisture means we also likely had higher mineralization rates, so the soil may have saved us because this particular soil organic matter is 5.0 percent.
All things considered, our YG approach won out in terms of revenue this year, but will it hit the mark every year? Consistency is what we want to see when trying to manage such a variable nutrient in the soil. In the future we plan to expand our research on the CFV Nitrogen Advisor tool to bring meaningful information on seeding rates to our dealers and customers.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AskTheAgronomist
Looking to buy a drone? Tune in to hear Phil Long walk through steps of things to consider when buying a drone.
https://www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds/videos/2326095090983092/
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Take Stock of Soil Health
Our soil is the backbone of every farming operation and a lasting legacy that we will leave to the next generation said Latham’s Forage Product Manager Corey Catt during our Post-Harvest Huddle last month in Wisconsin. It’s up to us to decide if that legacy will be good or bad!
The 2018 growing season was certainly one for the record books. Most of our dealers and customers experienced cool and wet conditions early, followed by rapid growth mid-season, with cool and very wet conditions returning and persisting throughout much of the harvest season. Wet soils after harvest prevented many farmers from doing fall tillage, seeding cover crops and applying manure or Nitrogen. Those who applied fertilizer run the risk of severe compaction and nutrient loss. Those who didn’t apply fertilizer will be “behind the eight ball,” especially if the early spring weather isn’t conducive to drying the soil before fieldwork needs to begin. It can feel like a no-win situation, yet we all know that healthy soils are critical for optimizing yield.
I highly recommend viewing a recently released film by the Soil Health Institute titled “Living Soil.” A press release promoting the film states: “Our soils support 95% of all food production, and by 2060, they will be asked to give us as much food as we have consumed in the last 500 years. They filter our water. They are our foundation for biodiversity. They are vibrantly alive, teeming with 10,000 pounds of biological life in every acre. Yet, in the last 150 years, we’ve lost half of the basic building block that makes soil productive. The societal and environmental costs of soil loss and degradation in the U.S. alone are now estimated to be as high as $85 BILLION every single year.”
For more information about improving soil health and protecting the future of agriculture, attend clinics and seminars. Below is a brief list of upcoming soil and nutrient management conferences that I’ve found:
North Dakota: January 28, 2019
Canad Inn, Grand ForksSouth Dakota: January 22-23, 2019
SDSU campus in BrookingsMinnesota: February 19, 2019
Best Western Kelly Inn, St. CloudIowa: February 4-5, 2019
Scheman Building on the ISU campus in AmesWisconsin: January 15-17, 2019
Alliant Energy Center in MadisonIllinois: January 22-24 at three different sites –
Princeton, Springfield & O’FallonI wish you the best of luck as you prepare for the upcoming 2019 season. Happy New Year!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AskTheAgronomist: Undersatnding Yield Variability
Join us this morning on understanding your yield variability. Phil Long helps us identify the types of variability and importance of knowing the difference. #AskTheAgronomisthttps://www.facebook.com/67053282137/posts/10157002779167138/
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#AskTheAgronomist with Phil Long
Phil Long discusses a new, affordable auto-steer option! Tune in to hear the unique benefits and advantages with this low cost option.
https://www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds/videos/2285480814819843/
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Renewed XtendiMax™ Label
Join us as Phil Long discusses the new XTENDIMAX™ label!
https://www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds/videos/379348692818689/
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Updates on Soybean Gall Midge
SOYBEAN GALL MIDGE: I mentioned in a previous post that a new insect had
infested fields in South Dakota, Nebraska and western Iowa. It also was present in a few Minnesota counties. Prior to 2018, no midge damage to soybeans had been reported.
This year, however, it was reported this pest caused significant yield losses in 66 counties across this four-state area. (See map.) University of Nebraska researchers captured adult midges and sent them to world-renowned experts for identification. We know the Soybean Gall Midge belongs to the genus Resseliella, which includes 55 species worldwide. This midge is about one-fourth inch long. Note its orange abdomen, as well as the black and white bands on the legs.
(The above map and photo were taken from the 11-7-18 issue of UNL CropWatch.)