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ISU Publishes 2010 List of SCN-Resistant Soybeans

The #1 profit-reducing pest for U.S. soybean farmers is soybean cyst nematode (SCN). In years with adequate to excess rainfall, the short-term effect of SCN on soybean yields may only be a loss in a few bushels per acre. In hot, dry years, yield loss can be 50% or more.

At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we know that SCN resistance is a primary concern for our customers. We’ve dedicated a lot of time, effort and resources toward developing SCN-resistant varieties. We have one of the industry’s largest lineups of cyst-resistant soybean brands. In fact, Latham Seeds was one of the first companies to breed its own lines of CystX.

SCN was first discovered in Iowa in the heart of Latham’s marketing territory in a field in Winnebago County in 1978. The surrounding counties (Kossuth, Humboldt, Webster, Wright, Hancock) have shown to be “hot spots” for SCN development over the years. Typically, the fields in these counties have soils that are classified as Clarion-Nicolet Webster. The cause is still unknown. However, the theory over the years is that because these soils are also prone to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis, they’re more susceptible to SCN.

Due to the microscopic size of soybean cyst nematodes, they’e easily spread. SCN has now been found in every county in Iowa and Illinois, the southern half of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the eastern half of Nebraska, southeastern part of South Dakota, western half of Ohio, northern half of Missouri and parts of most of the soybean-producing states throughout the South. It’s spread by wind and water erosion, farm equipment and all types of animals.

There have been a number of instances where fields in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota have been infected with SCN because of the migrating waterfowl. These birds start up north before winter from SCN-infested fields and bring mud on their feet and feathers. That small amount of mud can be loaded with SCN eggs and those eggs can then be deposited in fields as the birds continue their migration south.

As SCN populations have increased, so have the number of cyst-resistant soybean brands. Contact your Latham representative for Latham’s complete lineup of SCN-resistant soybean varieties. To help Iowa soybean growers know their options for SCN resistance, ISU Extension annually publishes a list of SCN-resistant soybean varieties in maturity groups, 0,1,2, and 3. Click here for the 2010 version.

(Source: Wallaces Farmer and Mark Grundmeier, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Product Manager)

Team Latham

November 15, 2010

Agronomics, Crop, General, Industry News, Insects, Seed Technology, Soybeans
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

No-Till Soybean Management

There are several factors to consider when managing soybean production in no-till conditions: variety selection, insect management, disease management, fertility management and weed management.

“Choosing a variety is the single most important decision a soybean producer can make to maximize yield,” says Aaron Saeugling, Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist. He also recommends that growers choose varieties that have the ability to excel in a given environment because no-till varieties requires more than just picking the highest yield variety in a seed plot.

As for fertility management, Saeugling says fall is the best time to build your farm’s fertility program. You need a quality soil sample for the basis of fertilizer. Click here to read Tuesday’s blog post for soil sampling guidelines.

For more tips on no-till soybean management read the complete article here.

Source: Iowa Soybean Association’s E-Gold Standard Newsletter.

Team Latham

November 4, 2010

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fall Weather is Perfect for Soil Sampling
Now that fall harvest is complete, it’s the perfect time to take a walk in your fields. A recent Wallaces Farmer reminds readers to collect soil samples (1) to determine whether soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are present, and (2) to develop management strategies to control nematode numbers in those fields that are infested.

“The key to profitable long-term soybean production in SCN-infested fields is to prevent SCN from increasing,” says Greg Tylka, Extension nematologist at Iowa State University. Taking soil samples this fall can help save you money in the long run.

Soil Sampling Guidelines
- The more soil cores collected and the smaller the area sampled, the more accurate the results will be.
- Soil cores should be from the upper eight inches of soil.
- If corn or some other non-host crop was last grown in the field, it doesn’t matter if soil cores are collected in the previous crop’s row.
Click here for the full list of soil sampling guidelines and to read the complete article.

(Source: Wallaces Farmer)
Team Latham

November 2, 2010

Agronomics, Fall, General, Season, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Applying Recommended Nitrogen to Corn Maximizes Returns

Applying nitrogen to corn at recommended rates is critical to maximize economic returns, minimize environmental losses and conserve energy, says John Sawyer, ISU Extension soil fertility specialist and agronomy professor.

In an effort to increase awareness of farm energy conservation practices, Iowa State University Extension has released a publication titled, Energy Conservation in Corn Nitrogen Fertilization. This publication shows the energy consumed during the production of nitrogen versus phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. It also provides resources to determine recommended nitrogen application rates for corn, such as the online Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator from ISU’s Department of Agronomy.

More information, including a link to this Extension publication, is available today from Wallaces Farmer online. To view the entire article, click here.

Team Latham

October 25, 2010

Agronomics, Fertility, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Green Stem Syndrome Slows Down Combines

Despite ideal harvest weather, a recent article in Wallaces Farmer states that green stems and green plants are making it difficult to combine some fields.

The green stems – sometimes referred to as green stem syndrome or green stem disorder – occur when stems remain green . However, yield doesn’t seem to be negatively impacted, says Vince Davis, University of Illinois Soybean Agronomist.

Jim Fawcett, Iowa State University Extension field agronomist in east central Iowa, says that the green stems on the soybean plants could be linked back to the fields affected by severe sudden death syndrome (SDS). Other causes can range from entirely genetic to entirely environmental.

However, there is good news if you have green plants and stems. Davis says green plant issues tend to appear in fields with average to high yields and they are a sign of favorable growing conditions throughout the maturity of the other plants. The only concern is how much the green plants could reduce harvest speed.

If you have to harvest soybeans with green stem syndrome, make sure the combine is in good operating condition and properly adjusted with sharpened cutting knife sections because the green stems are known to plug up combines. It may be necessary to wait to harvest until after a killing frost, depending on the severity of the green stem problem. (Source: Monsanto’s Agronomic Alert)

Are you experiencing any problems with “green stem syndrome?” Please comment below.

For the complete article, click here.

Team Latham

October 11, 2010

Agronomics, Crop, Fall, General, Season, Soybeans
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Managing Asian Lady Beetles

Good news for soybean growers: according to Iowa State University researchers, there have been very low populations of soybean aphids across the state during the 2010 growing season. What few aphids were in the field were well below threshold levels, indicating yield loss from aphids unlikely. An added benefit to the low soybean aphid populations is fewer multi-colored Asian beetles. A significant predator of the soybean aphid, Asian lady beetles populations grow with the number of soybean aphids present.

If you have troubles with Asian lady beetles in your home or fields this year, however, ISU entomologist Matt O’Neal says prevention is the most important management step. He recommends checking the outside of your home for spaces and cracks as small as 1/8” in size, and removing what lady beetles are present with a vacuum where fabrics allow.

For more tips, read the complete article here.

http://www.iasoybeans.com/egldstnd/article.php?newsletter_id=88&article_id=703

Sources: Iowa Soybean Association Gold Standard and Iowa State University Extension

Team Latham

October 4, 2010

Agronomics, General, Insects
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

To Till or Not to Till…

It’s that time of year when farmers think about fall field operations. A recent “Wallaces Farmer” article addresses whether or not fall tillage is needed and the difference between fall and spring tillage.

Iowa State University Extension soil management specialist Mahdi Al-Kaisi and his colleague, ISU Extension ag engineer Mark Hanna, provide tips to help farmers decide if fall tillage or spring tillage best fits their operation. When making a tillage decision, these two experts advise farmers to take two things into account: soil conditions and soil management. “These two considerations are critical to achieving the intended results of any tillage system,” said Al Kaisi and Hanna.

They further note that deciding when to till is also dictated by many factors that are not easy to control, including soil moisture conditions and soil temperature. “These two factors can have significant impact on soil fracturing, tillage depth, clod size and level of soil compaction,” said Al Kaisi and Hanna.

For more tips and guidelines, read the complete article here:

http://www.wallacesfarmer.com/story.aspx/fall/versus/spring/tillage/which/is/better/9/42327

Team Latham

September 30, 2010

Agronomics, General, Soil
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

How to Detect Stalk Rots
Stalk rots are an issue this growing season. Alison Robertson with Iowa State University’s Department of Plant Pathology, says she’s seen significant blighting of the leaves in the upper canopy predominantly from Goss’s wilt. We normally see that disease west of the Missouri River but it has been moving east over the past few years.

Northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot and anthracnose top dieback have also been prevalent this season. When significant leaf blight occurs in the upper canopy, the risk of stalk rots increases. Overcast conditions, such as we had throughout most of the grain filling period, also favor stalk rot development.

Since stalk rots reduce standability, fields in which greater than 10% of plants are affected by stalk rots, should be scheduled for an early harvest. In the following video, Nick Benson shows how to identify stalk rot.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c064-2Pd-do[/youtube]

To help prioritize fields, Robertson offers these tips:
- Target fields that have had significant foliar disease.
- Target hybrids with low stalk rot and/or standability scores. Evaluate at least 100 plants per field (20 plants in 5 locations).
- Use the “push test” or the “pinch test” to determine standability. If 10 to 15% of plants lodge or are rotted, schedule an early harvest.
Click here to read Robertson’s entire article on stalk rots and standability: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2010/0913robertson.htm
Team Latham

September 21, 2010

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

Seed2Soil: Precision Agriculture at its Best

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ Seed2Soil® program helps farmers take precision ag to the next level by planning for variability in their fields. Seed2Soil organizes GPS data and then generates user-friendly information that will allow growers to make better informed decisions and lead to increased overall profitability.

Peter Bixel, Seed2Soil Specialist, and Tom Larson, Latham RSM, discuss how Seed2Soil can help growers make better decisions for hybrid/variety placement that can lead to increased profitability.

The Top Performers Report is a tool that uses real-world fields to select what corn hybrids or soybean varieties will work best on each farmer’s field. A Top Ten report allows farmers to see agronomic trends that can be hidden when looking at printed maps. These reports also help farmers see a correlation between yield and factors like planting speed, CSR rating, organic matter, potassium, magnesium and soil type.

Farmers interested in a Seed2Soil membership must have: GPS yield monitor data, grid soil samples, variety/hybrid information, and basic fertilizer and chemical application records. Membership has several benefits including one-one-one meetings for fertilizer planning, variety placement and VRT planting. For more information, contact Mark Grundmeier at 641-692-3258.

Team Latham

September 13, 2010

Agronomics, General, Precision Ag
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

SDS: What to watch for and how to choose a soybean brand

In recent blog posts, we’ve mentioned the struggle many Midwest farmers are experiencing with SDS in their soybean fields this year. You may have seen one or two of the videos we’ve posted with Mark Grundmeier, soybean product manager at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds providing tips on SDS management and prevention.

Below are the final two videos in Mark’s SDS series. In the first video, Mark speaks about what symptoms you should watch for in your fields to help identify SDS, including yellowing or dark blotches on the leaves, and in later stages, dropping leaves.

Symptoms of Sudden Death Syndrome

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sdx4EqpNw4[/youtube]

In the second video, Mark speaks about the importance of variety selection in preventing outbreaks of SDS. Mark recommends finding those brands that have the strongest SDS tolerance, and taking notes about what varieties performed best against the disease in your field if you do experience SDS.

The Best Tolerance Against Sudden Death Syndrome

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9_pXGl7y_Y[/youtube]

Did you have any SDS outbreaks in your fields this season? If so, how do you plan to manage these fields in the future?

Team Latham

September 7, 2010

Agronomics, Crop, Disease, General, Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

ISU Publishes 2010 List of SCN-Resistant Soybeans

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

No-Till Soybean Management

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fall Weather is Perfect for Soil Sampling

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Applying Recommended Nitrogen to Corn Maximizes Returns

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Green Stem Syndrome Slows Down Combines

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Managing Asian Lady Beetles

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

To Till or Not to Till…

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

How to Detect Stalk Rots

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Seed2Soil: Precision Agriculture at its Best

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

SDS: What to watch for and how to choose a soybean brand