Agronomics | | Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

MAKE SPIRITS BRIGHT WITH A DASH OF N.P.K.!

One week ago today I was in Chicago, attending the Top Producer Magazines Executive Women in Agriculture Conference. More than 125 women from 25 states came together discuss everything from fertilizer efficiency and commodity marketing strategies to property insurance and succession planning, plus social media and agvocacy.

I believe Celeste Settrini of Settrini Ranch in Salinas, Calif., stated it most eloquently when she wrote, “I walked away with a keener sense of purpose to my industry and a whole new network of extraordinary friends. I realized that all of us came from so many different backgrounds we all shared in one common trait and that was the passion we shared for American Agriculture!”

While talking with women from all walks of life last week, I was reminded that we all have a story to tell and need others’ help in telling it. Too many times the uninformed and the misinformed are telling the story of agriculture, so myths and half-truths replace facts.

“Nothing but the facts” has become the mantra of the Nutrients for Life Foundation, which informs the public of the role of nutrients in both the production of nutritious, abundant food and preservation of healthy green spaces through the development of educational resources and an outreach campaign to people across the country.

All information developed by the Nutrients for Life Foundation is based on soil and plant science and supported by agronomists, including those at the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Its educational materials are based on a curriculum that has been reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution, and more than 4,000 requests have been fulfilled in the past five years.

Click here to see how teachers and students are benefitting from this hands-on curriculum. Click here to learn how to you can request the curriculum for your local school. As a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother, I’m eager to see how this curriculum can help my troops earn badges!

Also included with this campaign is a series of recipe cards that help “plant a positive message” about the role nutrients play in growing the foods we all love. Try the following recipe for Raspberry Crumb Bars (with a dash of potassium) and use it as a conversation-starter with your family this holiday season!

Team Latham

December 9, 2011

Agronomics, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Diversify Your 2012 Crop Plan
Nick Benson, Latham Corn Product Specialist

The value in working with a financial planner comes from diversifying one’s portfolio and reducing financial risk while maximizing returns. For the same reasons, it’s advantageous for corn growers to work with a knowledgeable seed representative to create a diversified hybrid seed corn portfolio.

Planting a “portfolio” of corn hybrids has multiple benefits:
1. “Hedge” risk with different genetics – Even by picking products with various trait packages, a farmer can’t be 100% sure that he or she has a diversified line-up as genetic provider don’t always match up with trait providers.
2. Plant hybrids with varying relative maturity – Spread your risk by planting a minimum of three or four different hybrid numbers. Different flowering dates can help reduce yield loss due to heat during pollination. For example, in 2011, hybrids with under a 100-RM were hurt worse in my particular area, but this is dependent on geographies. Planting later hybrids worked well this year because drydown wasn’t a problem. Some years are the exact opposite where hybrids don’t want to dry down and the earlier products can really pay off.
3. Balancing offensive and defensive characteristics – Each year presents its own set of challenges: weed pressure, insect pressure, heat stress, emergence issues, disease pressure, overall yieldability in relationship to an “offensive” vs. a “defensive” year, drought tolerance and trait performance.
No financial planner worth his weight is going to advise clients to invest solely in mutual funds or high-risk stocks. That’s also why I’d never advise farmers to choose their seed portfolio based only on top-yielding varieties in F.I.R.S.T. Trials. While yield trials and plot data can help influence one’s seed purchasing decisions, they should NOT be the only – or even the primary – basis for choosing seed products. Choosing seed based on growing conditions in one location during one year is like picking your stocks based on only last year’s performance without considering factors that might cause market shifts. Additionally, a grower shouldn’t choose seed based solely on a product guide description. That’s comparable to choosing your financial portfolio after view the stock market in the Wall Street Journal.

A good seed representative will know how to best diversify your portfolio. One advantage of working with a seed representative from an independent company is that you can rest assured the products will truly be genetically diverse. Only an independent seed company can draw from multiple genetic pools to ensure diversity, and that means you can be assured your products were developed to work best in your geographic region rather than having to perform across the nation.

We believe the stakes are simply too high to not view seed selection as a portfolio. That’s why, at its most basic level, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ hallmark Seed-2-Soil® program helps corn growers determine which hybrids will help minimize risk while maximizing returns. Contact your local Latham representative or the Latham office to learn more about how you can balance your seed portfolio for 2012!
Webspec Admin

December 7, 2011

Agronomics, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Considerations for NH3 Application

Guest blog by Kurt Metzger,
West Area Seed Solutions Specialist, MaxYield Cooperative

Unusually dry weather this fall has corn growers asking questions about whether or not they should wait to apply Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3).

Applying NH3 in dry soils is actually the best situation if a producer can get it to seal. The NH3 bar must be deep enough to get adequate soil separation between the point of ammonia injection and the depth where corn seed will be planted next spring, as stated by John Sawyer, Department of Agronomy, in his recent Integrated Crop Management News article entitled, “Anhydrous Ammonia Application and Dry Soils.”

At MaxYield Cooperative, we began applying NH3 nearly two weeks ago. It was exceptionally dry then, so we made sure the NH3 bar was in the ground 6 to 7” (4-6” is typical). We’re recommending that producers apply nitrogen deeper to help prevent damaging seed next spring. This same point is made in Sawyer’s newsletter article. He writes, “Shallower injection, greater movement upward from the injection point, wider knife spacing, or higher rates can lead to ammonia being in the seeding area at rates high enough to cause damage” next spring.

Fortunately, the newer NH3 bars have much better disk closers and will be more aggressive to move the soil in order to seal the in the soil.

Another point is with the dryer soils, the zone that the ammonia in the soil becomes a larger radius to attach to the clay. This means it takes more moisture next spring in order for leaching to occur. Remember the nitrogen moves with the soil water profile and only will move with the excess moisture. Use of N-Serve is still very much recommended.

With that said, however, overnight rainfall will help mellow the soil and provide for better sealing upon NH3 application. Soils are so dry that it will take many more inches of rain before it’s too much moisture is a concern. The best analogy is that our glass is only ¼ full now, so we have a lot of room before rain fills our glass and runs it over next spring.

Larry Sailer, Musings of a Pig Farmer

November 3, 2011

Agronomics, Fertility, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

WHY DROPPED EARS ARE WIDESPREAD IN 2011
It’s been said that a 1,000 variables affect a crop from the time seed is planted in the spring until grain is harvested that fall. The 2011 growing season certainly put that theory to the test!

Many Midwest growers planted their crops much later than they would’ve liked because heavy spring rainfalls prevented them from getting in the fields any sooner. Just when plants started to look really good across much of the country, several thousand crop acres were hit by straight-line winds in July and August. Then, adding insult to injury, many of these same areas suffered from excessive heat and lack of moisture during a key period of crop development in late summer. In addition to these challenging growing season conditions, this fall many fields suffered from an early frost plus were subject to rapid dry down from above-normal fall temperatures.

Environmental conditions in 2011 certainly weakened corn stalks and predisposed ears to drop at the shank. It’s no wonder that Wallaces Farmer reports corn lodging is a greater problem than normal, with 21% of Iowa’s corn crop experiencing moderate to heavy lodging compared to 10% on average. And 10% of Iowa’s corn crop is experiencing moderate to heavy ear droppage compared to 5% normally.

Although stalk rot is the cause of lodging in most cases, they are not the only cause. Below are other reasons for early ear droppage:
- Damage to conventional hybrids by European Corn Borer. Ears that have dropped and still have husks on them are typically caused by European corn borer.
- Nutrient imbalances and/or deficiencies predispose corn plants to stalk rot and stalk lodging. Potassium deficiency has been shown to reduce stalk quality and strength, and stalk rot resistance.
- When fast dry down occurs, the ear shank may not develop properly. Sometimes a shank gets pinched if there are a lot of aborted kernels near the butt of the ear, thus leading to poor attachment and wind causes ears to drop.
Several environmental factors contributed to the higher amount of ear droppage this fall. While we can’t control Mother Nature, we can help minimize its effects through hybrid selection. When making purchasing decisions for the 2012 growing season, remember that not all hybrids offer the same degree of stalk strength and some are more susceptible than others to stalk rot. Search for the strongest genetic package that delivers the traits needed to fit your particular growing situation.

At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we partner with our farmer-customers to identify the traits necessary for their growing conditions, above- and/or below-ground pests and weed control options. A new option for corn growers in 2012 is Refuge in a Bag (RIB), which makes the complex world of refuge simple. The RIB concept involves mixing the refuge seed with both the corn borer and rootworm insect protected corn seed, so growers have everything they need to be refuge compliant in just one bag. Growers no longer need to weigh adjacent versus in-field configurations; they can simply open the bag and pour. Growers will be able to purchase the first single-bag RIB solution for the 2012 season from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. Genuity® SmartStax® RIB Complete™ Corn, a blend of 95% traited seed and 5% refuge seed. With only 5% refuge seed, you’ll be able to protect more of your acres from corn borer in the year ahead.
Webspec Admin

October 18, 2011

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Time to Develop a Residue Management Plan
Baling cornstalks is an option to reduce surface residue. The loss of that much organic material will deplete some soil nutrients, however, especially Potassium. Farmers just need to bear this in mind as they develop their Nutrient Management Plans.

Getting rid of crop residue can allow the soils to warm up quicker and dry out faster in the spring. But there is a fine line between removing residue to provide such benefits and leaving so much residue that it actually impedes crop development. Taking time to develop a crop residue management plan this fall may greatly improve crop emergence and reduce disease problems next spring.

Options to manage crop residue include: tillage, chopping, the use of residue cleaners or burning.

If you believe burning is your best option, keep these tips in mind from county conservationists, who were recently interviewed by the Iowa Farmer Today:
- The best time to burn is when grass has gone dormant, after the first killing freeze and into April or early May.
- Conditions need to be favorable to prevent a wildfire. The National Weather Service offers a fire weather forecast on its website. Also be cognizant of whether there is a ban on burning in the area.
- Fire breaks should be established by creating a line of bare soil to stop the fire.
- Once a burn is scheduled, notify the local fire department. That puts the department on alert in case the fire burns out of control. Once the burn is done, the local fire department should be notified again.
- Smoke also needs to be managed to avoid having smoke cover a road.
Webspec Admin

October 10, 2011

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

GOSS’S WILT: A good defense may be your best offense

Once thought to be a disease that only affected western states, Goss’s Wilt outbreaks have increased significantly in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois. The increased frequency has prompted many farmers to ask what they can do to avoid Goss’s Wilt in 2012.

Goss’ Wilt is a bacterium that can overwinter in infected residue on the soil surface and in weed hosts. Most often, the bacteria will enter the corn plant through wounds caused by hail damage, insects or even heavy winds. Since Goss’s Wilt is a bacterial disease, foliar fungicides have no effect. Therefore, in-season management options are very limited.

To avoid Goss’s Wilt in 2012, farmers should keep recommended management practices in mind. Best practices include growing resistant corn hybrids, using crop rotation and crop residue management. Choosing corn hybrids with a strong resistance to Goss’s Wilt is your first line of defense, Latham’s own John Toft was quoted in an article posted yesterday by Wallaces Farmer. Other tips to protect fields against Goss’s Wilt are detailed in that same article. Click here to read “Got Wilt? Keep Disease Resistance in Mind.”

Team Latham

September 27, 2011

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Disease, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Diversity of Tactics is Key to Weed Management
“Be proactive and manage herbicide resistance before it becomes a major problem” was the main message delivered by Dr. Mike Owen, ISU Extension Crop Weed Specialist, during a field day Sept. 16 in Alexander, Iowa.

Diversity of tactics is key to consistent weed management and high crop yields. In fact, Dr. Owen says the correct management of weeds will make a farmer more money every year than managing any other pest complex. He should know. Dr. Owen has held his current position since 1982, and over the past 15 years, he’s placed even greater emphasis on studying herbicide resistance in weeds.

Owen says herbicide-resistant weed populations – especially common waterhemp, marestail and giant ragweed – are increasing in Iowa due to farmers’ management decisions. Because weeds are adaptable, Dr. Owens says it’s important to take these steps to save the use of glyphosate herbicide for the future:
- Use more than one tactic or herbicide to control weeds.
- Use tank-mixes of herbicides with different modes of action (MOAs) that will control the weeds of concern. Tank mixes are better than rotation of MOAs.
- Scout early in the spring and throughout the season. Weeds exist in un-tilled fields and will cost you money if you do not manage them prior to or immediately after planting.
- Use a soil-applied residual herbicide on all acres regardless of crop or trait. Whether or not you plan to till the fields, include a residual herbicide that controls weeds that will germinate first, are most populous, and are of greatest concern.
- Know what herbicides you are using, what they control (and do not control), what replant restrictions exist and if there is significant potential for crop injury.
Webspec Admin

September 22, 2011

Agronomics, General, Weed Control
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Management Options for Corn Nematodes

Corn nematodes are not new, but there has been renewed interest in this pest among Midwest corn growers. Changes in production practices, including reduced usage of soil insecticides and increased continuous corn acres, most likely are causing corn nematode damage to become more prevalent in recent years.

“Crop rotation isn’t an effective form of management as corn nematodes also feed on soybeans and grasses,” said Dr. Greg Tylka on Sept. 16 to a group of Latham dealers and growers. “A new management option is using a seed treatment that moves onto the roots to provide early season protection against nematode feeding.”

One seed treatment option offered on several Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids is Poncho®/VOTiVO™. Poncho / VOTiVO provides superior seed-borne disease control, insect control and corn nematode control. It combines the most trusted seed-applied insecticide in corn with the most revolutionary, complete nematode protection on the seed. This dual protection results in improved plant vigor, which results in a more uniform crop and consistently higher yields.

When making your 2012 seed purchasing decisions, consider purchasing Latham Hi‑Tech Hybrids with Poncho/VOTiVO:
LH 4222 RR
LH 4227 VT2 PRO
LH 4539 SS
LH 4562 RR
LH 4568 VT3 PRO
LH 4792 RR
LH 4796 VT3
LH 4999 VT3 PRO
LH 5039 SS
LH 5077 VT2 PRO
LH 5078 VT3 PRO
LH 5228 VT3
LH 5378 VT3 PRO

Webspec Admin

September 20, 2011

Agronomics, General, Insects
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Corn Rootworm and the Soybean Variant: Volunteer Corn Creates "Safe Harbor" for Rootworm

While driving across the Iowa countryside this summer, one can’t help but notice all the stalks of volunteer corn ascending from the soybean fields like a sentry on duty. A sentry usually prevents the passage of unauthorized persons. In a cornfield, however, the volunteer corn actually serves as a “safe harbor” for corn rootworm.

Corn rootworms essentially need corn to survive. That’s why a corn-soybean rotation has been an effective control measure. When corn appears in a bean field, however, the rootworm beetles have a food source and then a place to lay their eggs. Most eggs are laid in the upper 6” of soil during late summer. Eggs remain dormant until the following spring, so they’re “ready to feast” on the next crop of corn.

Applying a tank mix treatment to clean up volunteer corn will help you avoid the soybean variant in the rootworm beetle on your acres in 2012. Click the video link below for more information. Additional information on the soybean variant of western corn rootworm is available from this publication by Iowa State University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omT5ukbkhQU&feature=channel_video_title

Webspec Admin

August 30, 2011

Agronomics, General, Insects
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Sample this Fall for SCN
Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) continues to threaten the profitability of soybean production, regardless of growing conditions. That’s why Iowa State University (ISU) Nematologist Greg Tylka encourages farmers to collect fall samples.

There are two main reasons to collect soil samples for SCN this fall:
- SCN spreads into new fields every year. SCN is very easy to keep in check when population densities (numbers) are low, and numbers will be low when SCN first becomes established in a field.
- Growers who have managed SCN with resistant soybean varieties for several years should take soil samples following the soybean crops to determine what the current SCN population densities are and to gauge if SCN egg numbers are increasing on resistant soybean varieties. If fall sampling is done to determine if a field is infested with SCN, it makes sense to sample in harvested cornfields where soybeans will be grown in 2012.
Steps on how to take fall soil samples for SCN are available in the August 18 issue of The Gold Standard by the Iowa Soybean Association. More information about the biology, scouting, and management of SCN can be found at www.soybeancystnematode.info.
Webspec Admin

August 23, 2011

Agronomics, General, Insects