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This week we cover the Halo Effect in result of ILEVO seed treatment.

0:33 — What is the Halo Effect?

1:09 — Why does the Halo Effect happen?

2:51 — Does it result in a yield loss?

We invite you to submit any questions weighing on your mind from agronomy diagnostics to new seed technologies. Phil will answer those questions on a Thursday weekly interview.

Thanks for tuning in!

Ask the Agronomist Podcast Week 2

Thanks for checking out the last week of our “Ask the Agronomist” series! Read below for Mark’s response to this week’s question about seed selection for your 2017 planting season!

Crisp, cool mornings remind us that fall is just around the corner.  Time is of the essence!  Plan a successful harvest by scouting fields and evaluating standability.  Identify potential problem areas.  Note crop progress, as well as insect and disease pressure.  Pay particular attention to fields that were damaged by wind and hail, promoting stalk rot.

Q: Silage harvest is going strong and soon field corn will be ready to combine. What should Upper Midwest farmers keep in mind as they’re preparing for #Harvest16?

A: There are 3 things to keep in mind for the harvest season: (1) Assess crop progress. (2) Develop a harvest plan. (3) Make sure your equipment is ready to go.

A good plan outlines which fields to harvest first. The main consideration when contemplating your harvest order is focusing on fields exhibiting potential for Stalk Rot and subsequent Stalk Lodging. Secondary concerns include hybrid maturity, crop residue management and logistical concerns.

Q: Let’s talk about hybrid maturity. It looks like harvest is going to be early this fall.

A: All of those warm summer days pushed along maturity this season. Wet, humid conditions have also created ideal conditions for leaf diseases and some stalk rots in corn, as well as Sudden Death in soybeans. In other areas of Latham’s sales territory, drought conditions will cause an early harvest. Make sure you check machinery and conduct necessary maintenance well ahead of the expected harvest date. I have witnessed farmer who, due to conditions like Stalk Rot, should have harvested a week earlier than they actually did.  They simply weren’t prepared for an earlier harvest, and as a result, they lost thousands of dollars’ worth of crops that could have been saved.

Q: How can farmers determine which fields are in jeopardy of downed corn?

A: Check stalk strength and integrity by pinching the lower internodes on the plant and feel for weakness.  Also, the root mass can affect the plant’s ability to stand up against late-season winds.  Roots can be more of an issue than stalks in a wet growing season like we experienced.  Saturated soils limit the growth of root hairs and brace roots, making the total root mass much smaller.  If those plants grow close to full size, that puts a lot of stress on the plant later in the year –either it may not have the ability to take up enough nutrients or the plants may lodge if there is a late-season wind or wind and rain event.

Q: Even before this crop gets harvested, farmers are already planning for their next crop year. What advice do you have as farmers are making their seed corn decisions now?

A: I like to recommend that a farmer chooses seed corn not only for certain plant characteristics but also by maturity. Relative maturities are just that –relative. Accumulated Growing Degree Units (GDUs) determine whether full crop maturity comes early or late in a year. Different hybrids react differently to growing conditions, too. That’s why I recommend planting 50% of one’s corn acres to the normal maturity for that area with 25% of the acres planted to an earlier maturity and 25% to a later maturity. Planting a portfolio of hybrids each year maximizes your chances of a good harvest.

Q: I’ve noticed in your seed product guide that it lists whether hybrids move north or south out of its zone. What does this mean?

A: Our product team spends countless hours taking field notes about hybrid characteristic, such as how it emerges and when it flowers. When you talk about moving out of zone, we look at when that hybrid flowers. If a hybrid flowers early for its relative maturity (RM), that hybrid typically moves north better than south. A hybrid that flowers late usually moves better south of its zone. A few hybrids are neutral, so they can move north or south well. Maturity is also a determining factor when corn must be replanted later because obviously the length of its growing season has been shortened.

Q: What types of research does Latham Seeds use to determine relative maturity, as well as to select products for its lineup?

A: As far as where do we get the info for rating our releases, we take into consider our sales representative’s recommendations along with our SuperStrips information. These SuperStrip trials split our corn lineup into maturity groups and are conducted on our home research farm in North Central Iowa, as well as on more than 70 of our dealers’ and customers’ farms throughout the Midwest.

Q: What else would you like to add? A: Learn more about Seed Treatments, New Corn and Soybean Technologies and Corn Hybrid Stress Research at Latham’s home farm on Wednesday, Aug. 31. We’ll be giving tours of our research plots, and Latham® seed grower Phil Pitzenberger will demonstrate how Drone Technology is improving operations on his family farm. Visit LathamSeeds.com for more details!

Thanks for tuning in to our weekly “Ask the Agronomist” Audiocast! Play the audio file below to listen to Mark’s response to this week’s question about choosing seed with the right treatments for your fields.

Q: My soybean plants are the tallest I’ve ever seen them! Should I be concerned that all of the energy is going into stems and leaves rather than into pods?

A: This is what makes soybeans such an interesting crop!  With the weather we’ve had this growing season, it does not surprise me that plant height is taller than normal. Vegetative growth can occur through the R5 stage if moisture, temperature and nutrients are readily available. R5 is the “beginning seed” stage when seeds start to develop on one of the 4 top nodes of the plant.  We’ve even had a few varieties over the years that shot extra pods out the top of the plant after R5.

This season I believe disease will have more impact on soybean yields than anything else.

Q: We’ve talked in recent weeks about how Sudden Death Syndrome and Brown Stem Rot are a factor this season. Now farmers are starting to see White Mold in their soybean fields. What can be done?

A: Cool, wet conditions this spring followed by saturated soils and high humidity this summer have been favorable for development of many diseases in both corn and soybeans.  White Mold usually shows up when we have a closed soybean canopy that traps excess moisture.  If farmers are proactive and can catch the disease in the early stages, there are some foliar fungicides that can help reduce the severity of the disease.  However, each product has different application rates and timing so contact your local chemical retailer to see what they have available to fight White Mold.  Again, the key is to scout your fields and catch the disease early.

Q: So farmers need to scout their fields…  We’ve heard this before and it seems like good advice.  Anything else they can do to prevent outbreaks in the future?

A: For future crops, seed selection is key to reducing risk and minimizing damage. If you notice problem areas, your Latham® rep can help you select varieties with the highest level of disease resistance. Also ask about ILeVO, the latest seed treatment to protect seedlings against SDS and soybean cyst nematode. In fact, you can learn more about ILeVO at Latham Seeds’ field day on Aug. 31.

Q: What is ILeVO?

A: ILeVO seed treatment from Bayer CropScience has received lots of positive press for its effectiveness against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS). In recent years, fields stricken with the SDS disease have lost so much yield that some researchers are calling it the #2 pest affecting U.S. soybeans. It’s second only to Soybean Cyst Nematodes (SCN).  Interestingly enough, some of Bayer’s studies have shown that ILeVO may also have some effect on SCN as well as SDS. We’re researching ILeVO this season in our proprietary Latham SuperStrip research plots and you can be sure we’ll let you know if there is a correlation in our tests.

Q: Is ILeVO a new seed treatment that Latham Seeds is testing this season. What other seed treatments are available for 2017?

A: As an independent, family-owned seed company, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is all about options! New for 2017, we now have 5 different formulations available of our trademark SoyShield seed treatment:

1. SoyShield^TM
2. SoyShield Plus
3. SoyShield with IleVO
4. SoyShield Plus with ILeVO
5. And our brand new SoyShield Select

Q: What is SoyShield Select?

A: SoyShield Select is Latham Seeds’ new seed treatment offering that contains a different fungicide and insecticide formulation that is more value-priced.  To qualify, customers must order a minimum of 250 units or increase their order by 100 units over 2016 purchases and these orders must be postmarked or received by August 25, 2016, to receive an additional $4/unit discount. Orders of SoyShield Select received between August 26 and October 15 will receive an additional $2/unit discount.

Q: What else would you like to add?

A: Learn more about Seed Treatments, New Corn and Soybean Technologies and Corn Hybrid Stress Research at Latham’s home farm on Wednesday, Aug. 31. We’ll be giving tours of our research plots, and farmer Phil Pitzenberger will demonstrate how Drone Technology is improving operations on his family farm. Visit LathamSeeds.com for more details!