Corn and soybean crops are making excellent progress for the most part now that temperatures have warmed and ample rain has fallen. For a look at local planting progress and crop conditions around our six state territory, click here and select a region from the drop down menu.
Iowa’s corn emergence rating of 98% is slightly ahead of the five-year average. Soybean emergence is rated 87 percent, which is just over a week ahead of normal. The exception to this week’s positive crop report is southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska, which was pounded by hail on June 3.
Hailed fields must be watched closely for weed flushes, although weed pressure is a challenge on all acres this spring. Recent rainfalls is making it difficult for the timely application of post-emergence herbicides in some territories across Latham Country. Crops are developing quickly, and many post-herbicides are limited by growth stage and/or crop height. Be sure to check crop development before entering a field, and carefully read all product labels. Also check weed speed and direction to avoid herbicide drift.
Post-planting is an ideal time to begin early season crop scouting. Many soilborne pathogens strike as soon as the seed begins to take on water; others strike young seedlings.
While walking fields this spring, I’ve noticed everything from poor stand counts caused by inadequate seedbed preparation, soil compaction or soil crusting. All of these situations can promote seedling diseases. Understanding the symptoms of common diseases and diagnosing the problems will help you manage these diseases in the future.
The first step in combating soybean seedling disease is to choose high quality soybean seed. There’s a reason “quality” is literally stamped on each bag of Latham® High-Tech Soybeans. The Latham family has nearly 70 years of experience, producing the highest quality seed. Also be sure to check disease ratings in the seed product catalogs.
The second step to achieving higher soybean yields is seed treatment. Recently released research results show seed treatment is the best defense against seedling disease. Choose a seed treatment like Latham’s proprietary SoyShield® fungicide and SoyShield Plus, a fungicide-insecticide combination. It’s especially important to protect early-planted soybeans from seedling diseases and insects.
While it stands to reason that earlier-planted soybeans will have more potential for yield due to greater access to sunlight, there are risks associated with early planting. Plant in fit conditions to set up your crop for success. Optimal planting conditions for soybeans include dry soils that are consistently 60 degrees at planting time. Soybeans are a light-sensitive crop, so yields are strongly influenced by the amount of solar radiation the crop receives throughout the growing season.
Learn what you can this season to increase soybean yields in the future. If there’s an area where seedlings aren’t emerging, dig into the soils and see what’s happening underground. Some pathogens attack the seed. Some seeds are killed before germination. You may notice rotting seeds. Sometimes “damping off” occurs right before or right after emergence.
There are three main categories of seedling diseases: seed rot, seedling mortality, and root or lower stem decay. Watch for these in 2014:
Seed rot occurs during the VO-VE growth stages and may be caused by three pathogens; Pythium, Phytophthora, and Phomopsis. Typical symptoms are soft decay of seed, missing seedlings in the row or poor emergence.
Seedling Mortality, commonly damping-off or seedling blight, occurs during the VE-V4 growth stages. Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia, can cause seedling mortality.
Root or lower stem decay may take place during the seedling stage or may not be apparent until later reproductive stages (VE-Rn). Pathogens that cause root stem decay during the seedling stage are the same as those that cause seedling mortality.
To rotary hoe or not to rotary hoe? That is a question worth asking.
Sunshine and warm temperatures like we’ve experienced for the past week are definitely needed to push along emergence of recently planted seed. However, we’re starting to see some instances where seedlings are struggling to break through the crusted soil surface as a result of either conditions at planting time or heavy rainfalls afterwards.
Wet planting conditions, fine soil textures, intensive tillage, or heavy rains after planting can result in delayed or uniform emergence. Some seedlings may not even emerge at all, which lowers stand counts and may reduce overall yield. Another problem that can result from crusted soils is rootless corn. Roots will take the path of least resistance, which means they might grow out the bottom of the seed furrow.
To help break up the crust and improve seedling emergence, consider using a rotary hoe.Get off the tractor and check for stand loss when starting a field. If loss seems greater than 3 to 5 percent, you may want to slow your travel speed to be less aggressive with the tool. Take care so soybean cotyledons aren’t broken off by the hoe. Expect a minor stand loss from hoeing, but this should be insignificant if your crop is truly having difficulty breaking through a crust.
Be sure to wait until soils have dried before using a hoe, so you don’t exacerbate the situation with soil compaction. Use a quick field test to check soil moisture. Simply mold a length of soil between your index finger and thumb, or roll it into a ball in your hand. Observe whether the soil breaks apart as you work it. If you toss the ball of soil into the air and it shatters or cracks upon falling to the ground, then conditions are likely suitable for tillage.
Warm temperatures and below normal precipitation allowed soybean planting and crop progress to advance rapidly. At Latham headquarters in Alexander, we finished planting our corn plots and are nearly done with planting soybeans. Yesterday a welcome one inch of rain fell, which brought planting to a halt.
Statewide corn has been planted on 96% of the acres intended for 2014, as of the week ending May 25. Soybean planting is 80% complete, which was double the previous week’s progress. Nationally, corn has been planted on 88% of the acres and has emerged on 60%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybeans have been planted on 59% of the U.S. acres and with 25% emerged.
“With just sporadic rainfall last week, crop planting proceeded quickly and now both corn and soybean planting progress is slightly ahead of the 5 year average,” notes Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey in his May 27 crop report. “After the extremely late planting last year farmers are excited to get the crop in the ground in a more-timely manner this year.”
For a look at crop conditions around our six state territory,click here, or select a region from the drop down above.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.” But did you ever think about how this familiar quote applies to farming? We must remember that planting season is more like running a marathon than a sprint.
Highly competitive runners have to deliberately pace themselves. They also have to avoid jumping the gun. This, too, applies to farming. You see, many farmers jump the gun and switching corn hybrid maturities too soon. Corn planted in early June can make decent yields, and there’s no need to switch from corn to soybeans until after that.
When you switch maturities, you forfeit maximum potential and have essentially decided to lower your yield expectations! Based on my experiences over the past 35 years – as well as research findings from many Midwest land grant institutions – I can tell you with confidence that full-season hybrids and varieties outperform early maturing hybrids and varieties.
There becomes a point in time where the advantages of planting a full-season hybrid diminishes to the point where shifting to a shorter-season hybrid or variety will generally result in drier corn and higher yields come fall. Following is a summary of factors to consider when deciding whether to switch corn or soybean maturities.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SWITCHING MATURITIES
I’ll use northern Iowa and southern Minnesota as an example. If your maturity range is 98- to 109-days (which is what I use for the Latham Research Farm), then you should generally not deviate from those maturities until at least May 25. If all you have left to plant is your 98-day hybrids, then you can safely extend your planting window to about June 7-10. On the other hand, if you only have your 109-day hybrids left to plant, you’ll probably be better off switching to 95- or 99-day products.
That brings us to the next subject… if you must switch, how early of a hybrid is needed? You don’t need to take it to extreme and switch from 109 RM to an 85-day hybrid. Research has proven that it pays to stay closer to your “normal” maturity. Switch to hybrids that are about 5 to 7 relative maturity units earlier than full season for the region. Yields in this scenario will be greatly improved if northern Iowa and southern Minnesota farmers (from the example above) move toward a 92- to 95-day hybrid that is more closely adapted to the area.
The decision to switch maturity with delayed corn planting is difficult because of so many variables including: available GDUs, first frost date and fall drying conditions. With this in mind, here are some general guidelines:
Study Shows Seed Treatment is Best Defense Against Seedling Diseases
Recent studies* across the North Central Region of the U.S. have uncovered some disturbing results in the field of seedling pathogens, specifically Pythium and Fusarium. Most farmers and many crop consultants have considered each of these to be a singular disease with common characteristics, but new research completely dispels such theories.
Photo credited to the ISU Extension. Click for original photo
In Iowa alone, approximately 20 species of Pythium were identified in diseased seedlings and more than 50 were recovered across the entire North Region! At least 12 different species of Fusarium were identified across the North Central Region. Many of these species were able to infect both soybean and corn crops, which means that crop rotation might not be an effective management tool.
Another area of concern is the temperatures in which these pathogens do the worst damage. For many years, Pythium was considered a disease that flourished in a cool, damp environment. New research by Iowa State and Michigan State Universities shows that some species actually favor warmer soil temperatures. In addition, changes in the environment from one year to the next can cause different species of pathogens to become more prolific in different years.
The use of seed treatments appears to be the best management tool that farmers can use against these diseases, but a more integrated approach might be necessary to prevent severe infestations. Typically, the industry has used the metalaxyl compounds (e.g. Apron, Allegiance, etc.) almost exclusively against Pythium and included a blend of other fungicides to help control Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and seedling Phytophthora. In the future, expect to see other components being added to these blends to help or replace the metalaxyl.
At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we are testing different fungicide components in our 2014 research trials to see which of these new compounds will be the most beneficial for our customers. We’re always striving to provide the very best in soybean seed treatments to place under the SoyShieldTM and SoyShield Plus brands.
*Funding for this ongoing research was provided by USDA-NIFA, the United Soybean Board, the North Central Soybean Research Program and the Iowa Soybean Association.
After awaking once again this morning to loud, booming thunder and sharp streaks of lightning, I lay still and willed my body to return to slumber. That’s easier said than done! My mind started to drift…
Mason City, which is about 20 miles from where we live, set a record on Sunday for the maximum daily rainfall. Nearly 2.5 inches of rain fell on Easter, breaking the previous record of 1.7 inches set in 1977.
Then I began to think about the weekly rain totals that I researched in order to write yesterday’s crop report. For the week ending April 20, rain fall varied across the state from 0.07 inches at Rock Rapids in Northwest Iowa to 4.87 inches at Pella in Central Iowa. The statewide average precipitation was 1.52 inches or nearly double the weekly normal of 0.85 inches. This was the wettest week in 42 weeks, which brings us to late June 2013. (Like any of us really want to remember just how wet the planting season was last year!)
Because I’m an optimist – as any farmer must be to keep planting for 40 or so seasons – I decided to look for the silver lining. Rain is needed, albeit we wouldn’t vote for rain at this particular moment. We’d like to schedule timely rains throughout the growing season, but the weather is obviously beyond our control. Hopefully, this rain will soak in where it’s needed.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows many areas across Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa remain in a moderate drought. Topsoil moisture levels statewide are reported by the department of agriculture as 6% very short, 22% short, 65% adequate and 7% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 16% very short, 39% short, 44% adequate and 1% surplus. Northwest Iowa is the driest with 18% of topsoil reported in very short condition.
Planting season is a test of patience, but time has shown us that good things come to those who wait for the right seedbed conditions! Don’t push the panic button. Let soil conditions – not the calendar – dictate planting dates. At this point, fields are not yet fit for planting and yield potential will be more negatively affected by planting in wet soils than waiting even a couple of weeks for better conditions.
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 under normal or light rainfall; poor root system development, or rootless corn; and even nutrient deficiency. Potassium deficiency is caused by corn roots not being able to take up potassium from compacted soils.
Set up #crop14 for success! Work your crop plan. Remember, we’re still within the window of opportunity for maximum yields. There are literally weeks of planting dates remaining, so be patient and wait for suitable conditions.
There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a crop. You take time to choose the right seed products; then wait for fit planting conditions; and do your best to protect yield throughout the growing season. With planting season nearing, today we’d like to remind Midwest farmers to keep an eye out for these yield-robbing pests:
Pythium is a soil-borne fungus present in almost every field in the Upper Midwest. It can cause early-season seed decay and seedling blight in both corn and soybean. There are many species of Pythium. Most favor cool, wet conditions at planting and are often associated with low-lying portions of the field. Good seedbed preparation and the use of a seed-applied fungicide like Latham® SoyShieldTM are the best management tools. At our Latham Research Farm in 2014, we will be conducting trials using a new fungicide component that looks very promising against Pythium spp.
Anthracnose Leaf Blight was noticed last year in fields where corn was planted following corn. It rarely shows up in corn following soybeans. This fungus can survive up to 10 months in crop residue. It’s dispersed by early-season rains when spores, present on the soil surface, splash onto the lower leaves of young corn plants and cause infection. Most foliar-applied fungicides do a good job controlling this disease.
Brown Spot is a disease that can affect soybeans at an early stage of development. It’s usually found on the lower plant leaves and severity increases with excess moisture in the canopy. Infected leaves turn yellow and drop off the plant. While Brown Spot rarely causes enough damage to warrant a fungicide application by itself; the combination of this disease and other fungal pathogens needs to be considered before using a foliar fungicide.
Bacterial Blight symptoms were very common in 2013 and should be on every soybean farmers “watch list” for 2014. This bacteria infects soybean plants through bruised or damaged areas of the plant caused by wind, rain, hail or other means. Reddish-brown lesions with water-soaked margins will appear on the upper leaves of a soybean plant. Eventually, these lesions produce large dead areas causing a torn or tattered appearance. Bacterial Blight is not a fungus, therefore foliar fungicides have no effect on this disease.
Bean Leaf Beetles and Corn Rootworm eggs may be affected by extreme cold weather especially if there is little or no snow cover. A reduction in insect pests would be a silver lining to the harsh winter we just experienced! Keep in mind, best management practices for Corn Rootworm include using multiple tools: rotation, rootworm-traited seed, insecticides at planting to kill the larvae, as well as insecticides later to kill adult beetles.
It appears our spring planting will be delayed. As eager as we all are to get into the field, remember that soils are not truly fit to work or to plant unless you can make a ball of soil, toss it into the air and have it fall apart when it hits the ground. “Have a ball” this planting season!
Spring Sampling Can Help Lay the “Grid Work” for 2015 Crop Planning
As you begin planting this year’s crop, you’re literally laying the groundwork for the following year. With tighter margins and high fertilizer costs, the need for better placement and utilization of fertilizer is greater than ever. Spring grid sampling can help you get a jump on planning your fertilizer for the season and 2015 seed needs.
Spring Grid Sampling is offered as a component of Latham’s Seed-2-Soil program This program is designed to bring added value to each farmer customer by providing field by field prescriptions using information about: soil types within the field, hybrid variety selection, tillage practices, fertility levels and more, with special consideration for the seed technology and equipment you are using.
For those farmers utilizing variable rate technology, soil test values can help set the stage for implementing variable rate planting, fertilizer and nitrogen; all tools available in our Seed-2-Soil Nutrient Management program. Learning blocks are assigned throughout the field based on the management zones that were uncovered by the sample data (high, medium and low). These zones provide the foundation for writing variable rate planting, fertilizer and nitrogen prescriptions accounting for the variability in each field.
ROI is something we can measure. During the past five years, Seed-2-Soil Nutrient Management clients have seen great results from the specialized Nitrogen program. Many have been able to reduce their nitrogen rates by 25 to 30 pounds per acre while maintaining, and in some cases, increasing yields.
Taking soil samples post-planting can be an important step in your planning process. Contact a Latham representative to learn how Latham’s hallmark Seed-2-Soil® Program, can help you lay the grid work for the coming season.
No-till isn’t a common practice in the northern Corn Belt where rich, black soils lying in flat farm fields tend to receive and hold adequate moisture. Yet, the practice of conservation tillage is on the rise here. Not only do these practices help protect against erosion and preserve water quality, but conservation tillage can also help farmers save time and money.
“The market doesn’t reward us for higher costs, so we’ve found a way to do more with less,” says Carl Roberts, one of 63 Iowa farm families presented with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awardduring a ceremony at the 2013 Iowa State Fair. “All of my acres are no till and half of my total acres are corn on corn. Corn on corn requires better management and is less forgiving than either no till soybeans or strip till corn into soybean stubble.”
Jane Roberts showed turkeys for the first time at the 2013 Wright County Fair. She brought home the trophy for Champion, Reserve and even showmanship.
Roberts grew up on a farm near Kanawaha, Iowa, and moved to Belmond in 1986 when he had an opportunity to buy his own ground. While he’s conservation minded, he says his number of no-till acres increased as a matter of necessity. He had planned to plant no-till soybeans in 1991 and ended up planting no-till corn that year, too, as wet weather prevented him from finishing planting corn before June 1.
“That year my no-till soybeans yielded more than other soybeans. Yield didn’t take a hit on my corn acres either. Why cut stalks and chisel if the yields aren’t any better?” asks Roberts.
Although tillage doesn’t seem to affect his yields, Roberts says he has learned the hard way that he must pay closer attention to seed selection. “If a plant doesn’t come out of the ground from the seed you planted, it doesn’t matter what its yield potential was,” he says. “I look for strong emergence ratings and excellent early vigor in both corn and soybeans.”
Roberts plants a four-year crop rotation of three years corn, one year soybeans. In year one, he plants only Roundup Ready corn. Second year corn is only Liberty, and third year corn is either RR or RR/LL. Fourth year is conventional soybeans. This rotation helps with both weed control and potential resistance, explains Roberts, plus allows for control of volunteer corn in every crop. He also tries not to use the same BT technology in the following year. Half of his acres are corn-on-corn and the other half are no-tilled on flat, black ground.
“I’ve strip-tilled for 23 years and I’ve never been hurt in regard to yield from it,” adds Roberts. “Tillage takes more fuel, more time and creates more expenses and I wasn’t seeing the benefit.”
Benefits of conservation tillage include:
Reducing fuel, labor, and equipment costs. Fewer passes across the field means less fuel and fewer man hours are needed. Tractor hours are fewer, so there’s more value at trade-in time and less wear on tillage tools.
Reducing soil compaction. Soil gets compacted when equipment drives over the surface. Compaction restricts the movement of water, as well as the development of crop roots.
Reducing erosion. More residue on the soil surface reduces the threat of erosion, especially during those months when no crops are growing. Residue allows for rainwater and snow melt to infiltrate the soil rather than causing surface run off that will carry away topsoil and nutrients. Studies show no-till can cut runoff in half, and reduce erosion by 85% to 95%.
Another longer-term benefit of no-till farming is improved soil structure by building organic matter. Soil organic matter is derived from living organisms, such as plants. Organic matter breaks down and eventually forms humus, which is the central building block of healthy soil.
The Roberts’ love of farming and appreciation for conservation is shared by his wife, Carol, who helps him with the farming operation. Carol grew up on a dairy farm near Lakota. Her family also raised a variety of animals including hogs, rabbits, chickens and ducks. She worked off farm for eight years in the registrar’s office at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge before she met and married Carl. While she enjoyed that job, Carol says she feels fortunate to be able to once again farm with her family.
“One of the advantages of raising your children in the country is they have more freedoms,” says Carol. “They learn to take on responsibility. They get to explore and discover their own interests.”
The Roberts’ love of agriculture is being passed down to their two children, 16-year-old Joe and 14-year old Jane. This winter, as a freshman, Jane advanced to State Speech Competition with an original oratory on cover crops. Active in both 4-H and FFA, she enjoys exhibiting turkeys. At the 2013 Wright County Fair, she won Champion and Reserve Champion with her turkeys.
Like his sister, Joe is an active member of the Iowa Hawkeyes 4-H Club and the Belmond-Klemme FFA Chapter. Last year he showed chickens at the Wright County Fair, earning Reserve Champion with his pen of three broilers. He enjoys his poultry project but his favorite project area is foods. Joe’s “surprise inside” cake advanced to the Iowa State Fair. He also received a blue ribbon at the state fair with an apple pie, and today he’s sharing that recipe with us on TheFieldPosition.
Hailed fields must be watched closely for weed flushes, although weed pressure is a challenge on all acres this spring. Recent rainfalls is making it difficult for the timely application of post-emergence herbicides in some territories across Latham Country. Crops are developing quickly, and many post-herbicides are limited by growth stage and/or crop height. Be sure to check crop development before entering a field, and carefully read all product labels. Also check weed speed and direction to avoid herbicide drift.
