Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Combating Goss’s Wilt and SDS

Sudden Death Syndrome Credit ISU Extension

Last year Goss’s Wilt and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) reared their ugly heads for many growers throughout the Midwest. Unfortunately for those farmers who had to deal with the effects first-hand, Latham Product Manager Mark Grundmeier says likelihood is they will present challenges for Midwest growers again this year. Below are some tips to keep top of mind to help battle these diseases.

Tips to Manage Goss’s Wilt

Hybrid selection. One of the best ways to protect against Goss’s Wilt is hybrid selection. If you battled Goss last year, Mark recommends either rotating to soybeans or planting only highly resistant hybrids to help avoid significant yield loss.
Bacteria versus fungus. Mark says oftentimes farmers will spray fungicide and believe they’re taking care of diseases like Goss’s Wilt, but because Goss’s is bacterial, the fungicide has no effect. To help farmers identify corn diseases, Iowa State University Extension has compiled a helpful Scouting Guide available here.
Tillage. Because Goss’s overwinters in the previous year’s crop residue, tillage will help prevent spread. If a field was affected by Goss last year, Mark recommends aggressive tillage to help suppress the susceptibility for the coming year.

Tips to Manage SDS

When SDS spread last year, Mark compiled a video series with tips from variety selection to SDS management to help farmers in the field. Below is a video about how to prevent SDS prevention. If time allows, take just a few minutes to read Mark’s previous blog posts that offer tips to help you identify and manage SDS.

Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

September 3, 2014

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Disease, Soybeans, Tech Tuesday

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Seed Selection is Key to Avoiding Sudden Death

Photo courtesy of Purdue University Extension

The effects of our wet, cold planting season continue to surface. As one drives the back roads now, you’ll see where Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is affecting many soybean fields across Latham country.

Although SDS infects soybean plants right after germination and emergence, symptoms generally do not appear until mid- to late summer. Leaf symptoms first appear as yellow spots between leaf veins. Eventually, the leaves turn yellow and brown streaks develop between the leaf veins while the veins remain green. Leaflets eventually drop but the petioles remain on the stem. Diseased plants may have rotted root systems.

Understanding the extent of SDS infection in each field is key to effectively managing the disease. Future management tactics include: reducing soil compaction; planting fields with a history of SDS towards the end of a planting schedule when soils may be warmer and drier; and testing for the presence of Soybean Cyst Nematodes.

Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is usually associated with SDS. You may see more severe cases of SDS in soybean varieties that are SCN-susceptible. When selecting soybean seed, it’s best to read through the SDS score rather than judge a bean solely by SCN tolerance.

Planting tolerant varieties, or avoiding very susceptible varieties, is the most effective way to reduce losses from SDS. Keeping good field records from year-to-year will help determine which characteristics are most crucial when selecting soybean varieties to plant in a given field in a given year.

To help simplify your seed selection process, we’ve made a list of Latham® brand soybeans with Excellent and Good Tolerance to SDS. Our website includes more information about each product. Also feel free to contact your local Latham representative or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842) for additional information.

Latham® Soybeans with Excellent SDS Tolerance (1.6 – 1.9 ratings):

L1383R2	L1968R2	L2128R2	L2787L
L2884R2	L2978L	L3158L	L3248R2

Latham® Soybeans with Very Good SDS Tolerance (2.0 – 2.2 ratings):

L1985R2	L2083L	L2084R2	L21B53R2
L2183R2	L2253R2	L2258L	L2558L
L2585R2	L2758R2	L2948R2	L3184R2

Webspec Admin

August 28, 2014

Agronomics, Crop, Disease, General, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Moisture is Critical During Pod Fill

July makes corn and August makes soybeans, as the saying goes. That’s because adequate moisture levels are especially crucial during two key developmental stages: germination and reproduction-seed development. Having adequate moisture wasn’t an issue at germination time as record rain fell in Iowa after Easter. The Midwest experienced wet, cold weather in May and into June, yet some areas haven’t received a drop of moisture for the past three or four weeks.

Moisture during the reproductive stages has a major impact on yield potential. When water is short during this growth stage, soybeans show signs of drought stress. Plants may abort flowers, and the numbers of pods set is reduced. Fewer seeds per pod are produced per pod, and smaller seed may result. Because dry conditions can slow or stop the nitrogen fixation needed by the plant to produce soybeans, yields will be lowered.

Anytime you get this type of weather, other stress factors arise. You may notice soybean fields turning yellow, which is a common symptom of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC). IDC is a function of the soil type, so it’s most common in poorly-drained soils with higher-than-normal pH values.

Unfortunately, it’s too late to really manage IDC properly by the time it’s noticed in a field. The best defense is a good offense. Note trouble spots now, and then be proactive when choosing future soybean brands for these fields. In fact, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds gives the IRONCLAD^TM designation only to those soybeans bred for high yields with a strong defensive package.

There is no such thing as complete resistance to IDC, but some soybean brands (i.e. varieties) are better than others at handling this condition. Because Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is headquartered North Central Iowa – where Iron Chlorosis is a familiar challenge – we have always tried to choose soybean genetics that have the best possible scores against this condition. Visit with your local Latham® dealer about specific products that would best fit your farm, or feel free to call our office directly at 1-877-GO-LATHAM.

Webspec Admin

August 21, 2014

Agronomics, Crop, General, Growth Stages, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Reduce Risk through Seed Selection

Shrinking grain markets, coupled with climate change, has more farmers than ever talking about risk management. We tend to associate “risk management” with crop insurance or financial portfolios, but there are some well-known ways to manage risk through seed selection.

Just like managing a stock portfolio, you must determine whether you have an aggressive or a more moderate management style. Selecting all racehorse corn products with the most trait protection might be considered aggressive. A more moderate approach might be selecting very consistent products that have performed year after year but have only the traits you believe are needed on a particular field.

Regardless of your risk management style, here are some ideas to help manage risk through product selection without making an additional cash investment:

Genetics – The conventional school of thought emphasizes planting several genetically unrelated products that works on your soils. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds certainly endorses that practice, however, you might also want to consider another option. If you know a particular genetic family works well on your farm, selecting products with some of the same parentage but slightly different characteristics might also be a good fit.
Maturity – Spreading risk by planting different maturities is nothing new. However, planting products within the same genetic family in various maturities puts a much different twist on this risk management tactic. This stands in contrast to planting completely unrelated products in different maturities.
Pollination – If you’re concerned about pollination, spread risk by planting different maturities or products with the same maturity but different flowering dates. NOTE: Do not split your planter as that can be detrimental to pollination. Instead, plant these products on one side of a field or in a different field.
Ear Type – If you have a field that produces great crops but tends to dry out even in years with adequate rainfall, consider planting hybrids that produce a flex ear. A flex ear lets you

decrease the population somewhat and gives you a little more margin for error than a determinate-eared hybrid, which requires higher population for optimum yields.

Talk to your local Latham® representative about other risk management tools, including our signature Seed-2-Soil® program. Seed-2-Soil helps simplify the crop planning and seed selection processes plus maximize overall yield potential. It begins with a discussion with a farmer and his Latham® seed rep about all the variables that go into your farming practices each year. Then a scientific computer program helps fit the right seed to the field.

Research has shown that correct product placement leads to a 3-7% yield improvement. Contact Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds today, and harness the power of Seed-2-Soil and fall soil sampling!

Webspec Admin

August 14, 2014

Agronomics, Disease, General

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Intensify Scouting Efforts to Stay Ahead of Aphids

More than 100 soybean aphids collect on the underside of a soybean leaf. Pest feeding can inhibit the plant's ability to make grain, or kill it outright. — More than 100 soybean aphids collect on the underside of a soybean leaf. Pest feeding can inhibit the plant’s ability to make grain, or kill it outright.

There are several yield-determining factors that are beyond a farmer’s control, but insect pressure can often be managed. Soybean fields are entering the critical reproductive stages and yields hang in the balance. Scout every field now to see if there is any type of pressure, and keep a watchful eye to see if conditions warrant treatment.

With the varying stages of soybean growth and development due to an extended planting season and many late replants, 2019 should prove to be an interesting aphid year. The varying soybean growth stages throughout the state – and even your neighbor’s field – could mean more than one application of insecticide will be necessary. It’s important to continue scouting past your first insecticide application. We recommend applying insecticide at a threshold of 250 aphids per plant. Start scouting at the top of the plant, as aphids gravitate towards new growth. Remember to check fields thoroughly and identify consistency of insect pressure.

Seed selection and soybean treatment are key to managing soybean aphids in the future. Our experience indicates that soybeans treated with Latham’s combined fungicide and insecticide seed treatment, SOYSHIELD^TM PLUS, has experienced lower aphid populations along with delayed infestations.

Talk with your local Latham® representative for more information about our products and services. Be sure to ask about our hallmark precision ag Seed-2-Soil® program that helps farmers determine the best products to place in their fields, as well as provides agronomic and management tips.

Webspec Admin

August 7, 2014

Agronomics, Crop, Insects, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Prevent White Mold from Spreading

Last Thursday I posted a blog with tips to scout soybean fields for Sclerotia Stem Rot. Sclerotia, which encapsulate and protect the White Mold fungus, can lay dormant for years and then grow when the conditions are suitable. Keeping White Mold out of a field is the best way to prevent it from spreading.

Tips for managing White Mold follow:

If White Mold is restricted to a portion of the field, that restricted area should be harvested last and independently from the rest of the field.
Avoid harvesting disease-infested fields before harvesting healthy fields.
Clean your combine thoroughly after a field with White Mold is harvested.
Rotations of 2 to 3 years between soybean crops can help reduce the level of the fungus causing White Mold in certain fields.
Wider row spacing allows air to circulate to the soil surface while the crop is starting to flower. Circulating air promotes a drier soil surface and lower humidity around the base of the plants, which interferes with sclerotia development. However, rows wider than 30 inches may actually increase spore dispersal by allowing more air movement near the soil surface.
Seed selection is also important. Some soybean brands are better than others at resisting White Mold. Seed dealers provide ratings on the resistance levels, so be sure to check those ratings when making your soybean selections.

To help simply the seed selection process for farmers, Latham® gives the IRONCLAD™ designation to its most defensive soybean products. Each IRONCLAD soybean brand must be Soybean Cyst Nematode resistant and carry an Iron Deficiency Chlorosis rating of 2.2 or better. IRONCLAD brands also must protect against either White Mold or Sudden Death Syndrome with a rating of 2.2 or higher. Furthermore, these products must have strong defensive ratings against Phytophthora Root Rot and Brown Stem Rot.

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is featuring 15 soybean brands with the IRONCLAD designation in its 2015 seed guide. Be sure to talk to your local Latham® representative about them or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842) for more information!

Webspec Admin

August 4, 2014

Agronomics, Crop, General, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Soybean Scouting Tips for Sclerotinia Stem Rot

Weed seeds aren’t the only yield-robbers that can lurk below the soil surface and come back years later to haunt your fields. Sclerotia, which encapsulate and protect the White Mold fungus, can lay dormant for years and then grow when the conditions are suitable. Suitable conditions include cool, damp soils.

Cool and damp certainly is one way to explain this growing season, but weather isn’t the only factor affecting the likelihood of White Mold. Be sure to keep a close watch on fields with a history White Mold as it may be more severe this year with the current weather trend.

White Mold usually has a larger effect on a brand with a denser, faster-closing canopy. Symptomsappear as single soybean plants within a generally healthy canopy thatwilt and die rapidly – usually in July and August – when plants are in the early reproductive stages. The fluffy white mycelium of the fungus then forms on the stem and/or pods, giving it the name White Mold.

Applying Foliar Fungicide

Foliar fungicides may be applied when you see White Mold starting to attack. Wisconsin research data indicates that fungicides applied up to growth stage R3 (early pod) may have some effect on White Mold severity, but later applications will likely not be as effective. Once symptoms of white mold are evident, fungicides will have no effect on reducing the disease.

Only fungal pathogens can be controlled with a fungicide, so it’s important to first scout and determine the type of disease or diseases present in a field. Scouting should be done prior to the R3 growth stage of the soybean plants, especially if weather has been rainy and/or humid as these conditions favor foliar diseases.

Please note that you can’t do anything for the plants already infected with the White Mold fungus. Keeping the fungus from spreading is really the most effective defense against White Mold.

Webspec Admin

July 31, 2014

Agronomics, Crop, Disease, General, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Quick Tips for Root Digs

Walking corn fields is not always enough. Sometimes you just have to do a little digging to discover the root of a problem in your corn field. Conducting root digs may sound like a lot of work, but the results are totally worth the effort.

Quick tips for conducting a root dig:

While digging roots, note:
- Insect pressure, in particular rootworm beetle feeding.
- Disease pressure, paying special attention to the leaves above ear leaf.
- Runt plants and uneven emergence.
- Make note of root structure after you wash off roots; notice any compacted zones and if there was any sidewall compaction during planting.
- Look at plant spacing.
You can’t always see feeding unless you actually wash off the roots. Look for bottle brushing and signs of root regrowth. Look for scarring and nodes that have been chewed. To use the interactive node-injury scale, click here.
Rootworms can have “hot pockets” in the field, so the more locations from which you dig samples, the better.

While you’re walking through fields, take a close look at leaves and ears for signs of disease. Also be on the lookout for insects like western corn rootworm beetles and Japanese beetles. Under the ground, look for signs of sidewall compaction and hard pans.

http://youtu.be/-5xVFhsGRrA

Webspec Admin

July 24, 2014

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Disease, General, Insects

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Seasonal Extremes Continue

The season of extremes continues. About 7 to 10 days ago, we experienced temperatures about 20° cooler than the normal as a Polar Vortex that moved into the Midwest. Earlier this week we experienced heat indices of more than 100 degrees. While corn can handle high daytime temperatures quite well, as long as moisture is adequate, high nighttime temps can have adverse effects. About six consecutive nights with temperatures in the 70s and 80s can lead to dark respiration, lower dry matter and result in lower yields.

Thankfully, the 5-day forecast for North Central Iowa calls for daytime highs near 85° and nighttime lows around 58° to 60°. That’s perfect crop growing weather! There’s even a chance of rain on Friday, which would be welcome since we haven’t received significant rainfall in about 10 days. To see how crops are faring across our six-state marketing territory, visit “From the Field” on TheFieldPosition.com and click on the drop-down menu.

Team Latham

July 23, 2014

Agronomics, General, Season, Summer

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Stress Increases Pressure from Pests and Pathogens

Scouting was going to be critical throughout the growing season, even if we hadn’t received record-setting rains or devastating natural events including tornadoes and flooding. That’s because seed corn planted into wet soils is prone to problems throughout the growing season such as: stunted plant growth; slow infiltration of water and/or ponding; high surface runoff; poor root system development, or rootless corn; and even nutrient deficiency.

Recent rain events “add insult to injury” because plants that are stressed are more susceptible to additional injury from pests and pathogens. Lengthy periods of wet soils increase the likelihood of blight and disease like Crazy Top and Goss’ Wilt.

Warm, moist soils also are great breeding grounds for weeds. Crops have a better chance of reaching optimal yield when they’re not competing with weeds for sunlight, water and nutrients. The best management practice for achieving weed control is still a diversity of tactics: cultural, mechanical and herbicide. Research shows that weeds represent the most important and economic damaging pest that Iowa corn and soybean farmers face every year!

Webspec Admin

July 7, 2014

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Fungicide, General, Insects