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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Reports: Sept. 20

Northeast Iowa & Southeast Minnesota

Craig Haaland

Here are two of our Double PRO numbers from southeastern Minnesota. With nice kernels and very consistent ear placement, both LH 4727 VT2 PRO RIB and LH 4955 VT2 PRO RIB both are looking good in the field.

Soybeans are starting to drop leaves, so harvest will be underway in a couple years.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

Harvest is coming on quickly! If you would like help calibrating your yield monitor for either corn or soybeans, my weigh wagon is available. This week’s featured product is L 2368 R2 FX. This super new 2.3 maturity Roundup 2 Xtend soybean has looked great in our plots. This soybean is loaded with pods and is standing great. Check with your local Latham® dealer to see if this variety fits your field.

North Central Iowa & South Central Minnesota

Cory Greiman

Here’s a bird’s eye view of Latham® corn SuperStrip plot near Garner on September 17.

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

This field of LH 5215 VT2 PRO was planted May 29, 2017 at a population of 35,000 in Humboldt County.

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

An up close view of soybeans near Boone, IA. Harvest is near for this field!

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

Farmers in Northwest Iowa are getting their combines ready for 2017 harvest! I can’t wait to see this LH 4727 VT2 go through the combine! Plus, Latham 2184 R2X soybeans are showing a lot of 4-bean pods.

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

Ear pinching results from severe stress during the 7 to 10 leaf collar stages (V7-10) may result in reduced numbers of kernel rows. The more stress from the summer dry spell, the more apparent the pinching. This is not hybrid specific as it is effecting several hybrids to the degree of stress the corn was put under.

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

Harvest is officially underway on soybeans as I received my first harvest report yesterday. Latham’s L 1438 R2 yielded 75 bu/Acre at 14% moisture. With yield reports like this, you can’t help but get excited for #harvest17!

Latham products are set to finish the year strong in Wisconsin. While walking a Latham(R) Corn SuperStrip in Utica, I couldn’t help but notice the consistently large ear size on this LH 5245 VT2PRO. I am excited to see where yields come in this fall.

Another new product I am excited about this year is L 1845 R2X. In both locations, it has excellent standability with lots of pods on lateral branches. It appears to be a great defensive Soybean against White Mold.

Eastern North Dakota

Brian McNamee

It’s silage chopping season here in North Dakota. I’m happy to report that in some areas the yields are exceeding last year’s banner year! Fields under moderate to severe drought stress are showing rapid dry down and, as expected, poorer than average yields.

One thing to note: If your farm experienced early drought followed by average to above average rainfalls, there might be as much as a 3-week delay on maturity.

Pictured here are Latham customers in front of a field of LH 4532/RR LFY. Honestly, this picture doesn’t do justice for how good that crop really looks!

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

One of our Latham® dealers is harvesting silage near Emeradro, ND this week!

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Silage chopping is in full swing! L5062LFY running 24-30 ton/acre in South Dakota. Have been some really goo 4th cuttings of hay as well. A few soybean fields off in drier regions 18-28 bu/acre.

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

Two hybrids, two fields, miles apart, both 22 rows around. The field of LH 4242 VT2 PRO RIB was planted near Arlington, SD, and the field of LH 5339 SS RIB is near Montrose, SD.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

Yesterday we harvested the Latham Silage research plot near Emerado, North Dakota. Our leafy hybrids have twice as many leaves above the ear, which adds to tonnage. New genetics, with native drought and insect tolerance, allowed these plants to grow very tall and for high-yielding silage.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

Here’s one cluster of 4-bean pods that I found on a plant of 2184 R2X in southern Minnesota! I’m really excited to start harvest!

Webspec Admin

September 20, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Report: August 30

Northeast Iowa & Southeast Minnesota

Craig Haaland

This week’s crop report is a “mixed bag.” The good news is we’ve received moisture, but temperatures have been cooler than normal. The month of August brought lots of cool temperatures, so let’s hope early September is usually warm!

Soybeans are looking pretty good, but they could really use some heat. This field of soybeans in Mitchell County was planted to our popular L 2084 R2. As you can see, there 4-bean pods in there.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

John McGillicuddy, independent agronomist, addresses the group at our South English, IA field day last night. Thanks John for coming to speak to our dealers and customers!

North Central Iowa & South Central Minnesota

Cory Greiman

Scouting crops all season long is especially important because different insect and disease pressures become evident at this time of year. Any type of stress greatly enhances the likelihood of opportunistic insects such as corn leaf aphids, European corn borer and army worm to feed upon plants. This week I noticed corn aphids in a field near Estherville.

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

It’s that time of year when farmers ask themselves what they can do differently to improve yield for the next season. Seed selection is certainly a major factor – some some might argue it’s the most important consideration – to increasing yield. Soil fertility and reducing weed pressure also are among the Top 10 Tips for increasing yield.

I am encouraging farms to look at hybrids that either have a strong drought score or to plant Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds in 2018. The longer you can keep plants alive, the more ability they have to do their job. Health corn dies from the ground up, so I’m sure we’ll see an ROI on fungicides this year due to keeping plants health long enough to finish their jobs.

Good plant health is also key to increasing soybean yields. Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is starting to show up in Central Iowa soybean fields. The time is right to start watching any side by sides with ILevo and without ILevo. Also, it is a good time to make notes for future years seed treatment plans if SDS is showing up in your fields.

Soybean product selection is key. Prevention is the best defense against SDS. Soybean Cyst Nematodes (SCN) are associated with SDS. The best way to combat SCN is to plant resistant varieties or avoid susceptible varieties. Be sure to keep Latham IRONCLAD™ soybeans in mind when mapping out which varieties will be used on different fields for 2017.

The time is right to also start noting results from studies using ILeVO treated seed. Latham Seeds’ research staff to conduct 2016 studies using ILeVO treated seed side-by-side with seed that was not treated with ILeVO. We saw an average yield advantage of 3.64 bushels per acre across 26 plots, so ILeVO definitely provided a return on the investment.

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

Silage harvest is underway near Alta, Iowa.

Producers often ask what the most important characteristics are when selecting corn hybrids for silage or grain. To pick the best hybrids for his situation a farmer should follow 3 basic steps: (1) Consider the end use first; (2) Keep crop rotation in mind; and (3) Minimize yield-limiting factors.

Click here for more silage selection details from Latham Forage Products Manager Corey Catt.

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

Latham® Dealer Brian Schafer and his son, Adam, prepare for area farmers to show up to their Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds plot tour.

Everthing is looking good here in Northwest Iowa. The ear in the center is LH 5505 VT2 PRO, which has looked consistent in Latham’s SuperStrip plots all season long. I’m really looking forward to seeing yield results this fall!

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

Last silage crop of the year being harvested near Emerson, Nebraska. Click here if you would like tips for selection corn silage products for next year!

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

The Latham Technology Tour stops in Platteville, Wisconsin tonight, Aug. 30. The plot is located at 3775 State Road 80 between Platteville and Cuba City. Tours are at 5:30 and 6 pm. We’re excited to offer our customers so many options in our lineup for 2018! We would love to see you there.

Despite not having the desired heat units, the corn is still moving along. LH 5245 VT2 PRO appears to have great yield. With ears of 16×33 and 16×36 planted at over 36,000 plants per acre (ppa), it’s sure to catch your eyes this fall.

Eastern North Dakota

Brian McNamee

Is this some new type of nurse crop?

This season, across my territory in North Dakota, I have been taken aback by the number of semi-resistant or fully-resistant weeds I have been seeing. I had no idea that marestail was as bad as it is and spread so far west. This particular field is the worst infestation I have ever seen. You can just barely make out the soybeans planted in this field.

A full grown marestail can have upwards of 200,000 seeds per plant. Just think of how many seeds are in this field… Crazy!

This year was the perfect storm for these issues to arise: pre-emergence not working; droughty conditions with slow and poor seed emergence; and periods of late-season rains that produced flushes of all weeds.

This now has the potential to be an epidemic problem not only for this farmer but all the adjacent landowners, as well. It’s going to be a challenge and will have to be monitored especially closely.

Herbicide rotation is important, but mixing herbicides with different sites of action makes weed resistance 83 times less likely to occur. Click here to learn more about weed management, including how and why herbicide resistance occurs.

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

Despite very dry conditions on the Red River Valley, the corn and soybean plots we viewed at the plot day are still in good condition.

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Another widespread rain event this week will benefit the crops. Early corn is denting and converting to starch. Soybeans are filling pods. Early soybeans are beginning to yellow, signaling harvest just around the corner.

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

With all the rain we’ve been getting, growers are getting a nice 2nd and some 3rd cuttings of alfalfa and hay.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

Congratulations to Latham rep Ryan Skaug of M&R Seed for hosting a successful plot day yesterday in Beltrami, Minnesota! The main topics of discussion among growers in attendance was weed management plus corn and soybean technologies.

Weed management is certainly more challenging! Plants that develop resistance to herbicides are simply following the age-old process of “survival of the fittest.” That’s why seed product selection and herbicide rotation are more important than ever.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

Latham 2084 R2 is looking great in southern Minnesota! Now is a great time to scouting soybeans for things White Mold and Sudden Death Syndrome. The best defense is a great offense! Be sure to note problem areas and look at disease ratings when selecting future products. Also know that IRONCLAD soybean products are exclusively available from Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.

Webspec Admin

August 29, 2017

Corn, Insects, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Reduce Risk by Planting a Portfolio of Products

Mother Nature threw us some real challenges during the 2017 growing season. While the conditions vary by region – and even within a state — there is one thing we all have in common and that’s “risk management.” We can spread our risk by planting three different Latham® hybrids of different maturities. Planting 1/3 of our acres to an early hybrid, 1/3 to your typical relative maturity (RM) and 1/3 to a little later maturity will help us improve overall yield!

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.

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 farmers shouldn’t choose their seed portfolio based only on top-yielding varieties in F.I.R.S.T. Trials. 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.

The stakes are too high to not manage risk. Latham Seeds’ Seed-2-Soil® program helps corn growers determine which hybrids will help minimize risk while maximizing returns.

Planting a “Portfolio” of Corn Hybrids has Multiple Benefits:

1. HEDGE RISK WITH DIFFERENT GENETICS.
As an independent seed supplier, Latham provides you with more seed product choices — more genetic options — than
companies that rely on a single supplier for their genetics.

2. PLANT HYBRIDS WITH VARYING MATURITIES.
Different flowering dates help reduce yield loss due to heat during pollination. Some years hybrids don’t want to dry down
and the earlier products can really pay off while the exact opposite happens in other years.

3. BALANCING OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE CHARACTERISTICS.
Each year presents its own set of challenges: weed pressure, insect pressure, heat stress, moisture stress, emergence issues, disease pressure, overall yield. That’s why planting both “offensive” and “defensive” products is advantageous.

Webspec Admin

August 22, 2017

Corn, Crop, Tech Tuesday
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Report: August 16

Northeast Iowa & Southeast Minnesota

Craig Haaland

We got a much needed rain. Last Wednesday 0.4” fell, and then we received another 0.8” on Sunday night into Monday morning. It looks like more is on the way, too.

This corn pictured here is Latham’s popular LH 5215 VT2 PRO RIB. Due to dry growing conditions, it’s showing a little tip back but is still a nice looking field in Grundy County.

The soybean field in Floyd County was planted to Latham’s popular L 2084 R2. We haven’t seen aphid pressure yet here, but keep an eye on your fields. Soybeans are starting to finish out the top of the plant, so hopefully August rains will come and we’ll see some good yields again this fall.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

Be sure to come to the Latham® Seed-to-Soil Technology Plot at South English on August 29 at 5 pm. Independent agronomist John McGillicuddy will be speaking at the event. Click here for more information about this field day!

North Central Iowa & South Central Minnesota

Cory Greiman

LH 5339 SS looks pretty good, considering the dry conditions. This war measures 18 kernels around by 30 long at 34,000 population.

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

Full maturity Latham Liberty Link soybeans doing well in Pella!

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

Check out the power of waterhemp kill with Xtendimax on Xtend soybeans!

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds and its dealers understand the importance of service after the sale. That’s why Latham® Seed Representative Andrew Perry used his drone to uncover issues in a grower’s field. We could see where some Nitrogen applicator knives must have been plugged and talked about different tillage practices.

Click here for ideas on how drones may be used during each season of the year.

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

Tonnage and Digestibility are two very important criteria used when selecting Corn Silage Hybrids. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds “Leafy” hybrids offer the perfect package. Leafy hybrids generally have two times more leaves above the ear, increasing both tonnage and digestibility. These soft starch kernels offer the best in starch digestibility for maximum energy intake.

This variety in the photo has tonnage. You can see this leaf has a width of more than 6 inches. This plant is taller than 10 feet and is still stretching. To get the right balance of starch, leafy hybrids perform best for corn silage when planted at populations between 29,000 to 30,000 plants per acre.

If you’re looking for heifer feed, push the population to 32,000 or 34,000 plants per acre. Contact your local Latham Sales Rep or shoot me an e-mail for more information on these leafy genetics.

Eastern North Dakota

Brian McNamee

This Latham® seed rep in training is standing in a field of our LibertyLink soybeans. He likes these experimental 0.7’s the best and thinks they will take the plot. This little guy was such a trooper! He “helped” us sign the plots and even kept that smile when rain started to fall.

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

Check your fields for white grubs and Iron Chlorosis.

Iron Chlorosis is a serious threat to soybeans. There is no such thing as complete resistance to IDC, however, some soybean brands (i.e. varieties) are better than others at handling this condition. Because Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is headquartered right in the heart of North Central Iowa where Iron Chlorosis is a familiar challenge to us, we have always tried to choose soybean genetics that have the best possible scores against this condition. Latham IRONCLAD soybeans are your best defense. Talk to your local Latham® dealer to find out what products are best suited for your fields.

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

We experienced cooler than normal temps again this week. While more rain fell, it came with hail. Corn is in the milk to dough stage. No insect pressure but starting to see some aphids.

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

The skies are cloudy and dropping some moisture as we kickoff Dakota Fest in Mitchell, SD.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

This field in Clay County Minnesota is severely damaged by white grubs, which are sometimes called May/June beetles. As the picture shows, the damage is wide spread in this quarter section. There is no rescue treatment available for white grubs in soybeans.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

We have been blessed with ample rainfall this season so far in southern Minnesota. This is a picture of 5025 VT2 DroughtGuard, planted on sandy soils at a lower population.

Look at both of those ears on one stalk! I’m looking forward to weighing this corn.

Webspec Admin

August 16, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Soybeans, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Report: August 9th

Eastern North Dakota

Brian McNamee

Wow what a difference a week and 2.5 to 3 inches of rain makes. Phone calls went from customers calling asking about mycotoxins, poisonous nitrates and whether to bale or cut for silage to asking if they should now spend the extra money to push yield with all the lost fertility. Made the job way more enjoyable! I am amazed how much better these new corn hybrids and soybean varieties take adverse conditions.

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

This photo was taken yesterday of our experimental conventional silage hybrid. It’s 11 feet tall and green.

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Leaves are puckering from lack of moisture in this Enlist demonstration plot. Most of the corn in my territory is done pollinating and is in the milk stage. Soybeans rea beginning to fill pods with little to no insect pressure so far. Some rain has fallen in drought-stricken areas, however, the damage has already been done to crops.

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

This week has been quiet in Southeast South Dakota. Recent rains and cooler temperatures have allowed the crops to do what they do best, produce. Some of those rains came very timely for many acres where others it was a bit to late already. This next week I look forward to visiting with many of you at Dakota Fest in Mitchell and learning about how your acres are looking.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

Latham’s corn and soybean research plots help us evaluate products to bring into the product lineup. Latham Seed Product Manager Mark Grundmeier and Gary Geske, our Northern Product Specialist, are pictured here evaluating potential products on August 8 in Grand Forks, ND.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

The Latham regional plot in Minnesota is signed and ready to go! You’re welcome to join us in Mountain Lake on Tuesday August 22, at 5 PM.

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

Herbicide-resistant weeds becoming a growing problem in Wisconsin, so farmers and custom applicators have begun switching up herbicide programs. With the changes in herbicide programs, come changes in the sprayer tank cleaning procedure. A rinse or flush with water may have worked in the past for glyphosate, but it does not work for all herbicides. I’ve seen numerous soybean fields this year affected by improper tank cleaning when switching chemistry or fields, such as this one showing affects of ALS-inhibiting herbicide damage.

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds provides leadership to Upper Midwest farmers when choosing the right products for their specific geographies. We understand that precision agriculture plays a big part in helping us make these decisions. This is why we are doing research with our multi-hybrid planter to really micro-manage product placement.

South Central Minnesota & North Central Iowa

Cory Greiman

Aerial view of our dealer’s super strip plot near Garner, IA. It had some hail damage back on 7/10/17.

Southeast Minnesota & Northeast Iowa

Craig Haaland

Corn and soybean crops are looking really good throughout my territory. This picture of Latham’s 2358 Liberty soybeans was taken in Mitchell County.

The Mitchell County cornfield was planted corn-on-corn in late April to our popular LH 5509 SS RIB. Fungicide was applied to this field about 10 days ago, and it’s looking extremely good.

We could use a shot of rain this week, which is in the forecast. We also need to keep scouting fields to stay ahead of pest problems. At this point, I haven’t seen any aphids in soybean fields, but as we all know, they can move in quickly. Keep a watchful eye on them!

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds has a strong lineup of IRONCLAD soybeans, which offer the toughest defensive package. These soybeans are selected for “defense,” but they still pack a yield punch. Click here to see why IRONCLAD is your best defense against Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC).

If you’re looking for a soybean with outstanding IDC tolerance, then L 1882 R2 is the product for you! This photo was taken of a field located 3 miles west of Gilmore City Iowa on Highway 3. Some areas in this field have a pH ranging from 8.0 to 8.3, but there’s no yellowing. High PH causes iron to be unavailable to plants, leading to stunted growth.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

Keep scouting soybean fields for aphids and Sudden Death Syndrome. Keep an eye on corn for diseases that can rob yield. Gray Leaf Spot starting to appear in some Eastern Iowa corn fields. Crop stage and amount of infection make a difference when making the decision to apply fungicide.

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

In spite of hot and dry weather there doesn’t appear to be any pollination issues!

Webspec Admin

August 9, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Soybeans, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Report: August 2nd

Eastern North Dakota

Brian McNamee

Test plots are starting to show well. Varieties are starting to stand out and separate themselves. Some of the newer products, especially 0263 R2x, look exciting.

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

You can’t scroll through Facebook or Twitter or tune into the radio this summer without hearing talk about herbicide-damaged crops. The buzz has been so centered on dicamba that many people are quick to make assumptions.

In this photo, dicamba was blamed for the damage when it actually resulted from an HPPD-inhibiting herbicide like Balance or Callisto.

How can you tell the difference? Check out this injury summary from Penn State, and learn the four signs of dicamba drift from the Prairie Farmer.

Crop consultants and college diagnostic labs can aid in proper diagnosis. Correct diagnosis is needed, so the correct actions may be taken to correct the problem in the future. Correct diagnosis is also important for insurance purposes.

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Milder temperatures prevailed this last week of July, which coincided with much of tasseling. Many farmers are still waiting on rain. Pastures and crops have been damaged due to lack of rain. Soybeans are beginning to fill pods as some are now waist high. August rains can make a soybean crop, so we’re hoping precipitation is on the way!

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

The last two weeks have brought some much needed rain to South Dakota. Rain fall amounts ranged from one to 11 inches. These two photos were taken only a few miles away and 6 days apart. Wheat harvest is well under way, and yield reports are variable. Some wheat is coming out with good yields, test weight, and protein; other fields got hit by the drought. I have a feeling we’re going to see variable yields across the board this crop year, depending on where and when fields got rain.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

This is 160 acres of Latham’s LH 4242 VT PRO planted April 18 in Clay County near Moorhead, Minnesota. This field is currently in the R2 stage (blister stage) where the kernels are white on the outside, with clear liquid inside. This is a great looking field of corn, but we could use rain to finish out strong at harvest!

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

We’re having a great time at FarmFest! Be sure to stop by Latham Seeds’ booth (#4106) on Wednesday and Thursday to see the exciting new products we’re offering for 2018.

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

In Wisconsin, we have been spared the waterhemp resistance issues up until now. Waterhemp is showing up in full force including the northwest, southwest, and northeast corners of the state.

Latham® Seeds Rep Clinton Buss discusses weed escapes with a customer in Southwest Wisconsin. Ignoring weed resistance issue will only create more resistant weeds. Now is the time to evaluate your herbicide program and plan ahead for next season. Keep in mind that Latham’s product lineup includes options such as LibertyLink and Xtend Soybeans. Contact a Latham® Seeds rep to discuss the best option for your fields in 2018.

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

These future Latham® Seed reps are excited to try flying the drone over their family farm! We took good look at our Northwest Iowa Regional Plot.

South Central Minnesota & North Central Iowa

Cory Greiman

These photos remind us of the importance of properly rinsing sprayer lines and tanks.

Southeast Minnesota & Northeast Iowa

Craig Haaland

August is a key time for soybean fields to receive moisture. Soybeans in southern Minnesota are really taking off and growing rapidly now. It’s important to keep scouting as aphid populations are growing.

Managing your corn and soybean fields is critical now. Planes, helicopters and ground sprayers have been really busy this past week putting on fungicide.

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

This field of LH 5939 SS was planted April 12 near Humboldt, in a corn-on-corn situation at 33,000 plants per acre. This field had some pollination issues due to very little rain in the last month in a half. Corn ears don’t look too bad, considering the lack of rain during grain fill.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

Japanese beetles have been a problem in Eastern Iowa this summer, and some farmers are spraying for them now. The economic threshold is 20% defoliation a reproductive growth stage in soybeans and 30% for pre-bloom soybeans. Also check your corn for silk clipping by the Japanese beetles.

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

Japanese Beatles are showing up in fields near Madrid, Iowa. It’s important to scout fields and note defoliation as treatment might be warranted. Also look in corn fields for leaf clipping.
Lack of moisture has been a problem for many fields across my territory this season, and we’re seeing signs of heat stress. For example, this field of corn near Cambridge is showing little tip back.

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

Just as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey states last week, much of the state is very dry. Farmers are hoping for a good soaking rain as we enter August, which is a critical time for soybeans. Pastures also are in desperate need of rain, and livestock producers hope much needed moisture will fall soon.

Webspec Admin

August 2, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Soybeans, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Podcast: Corn Rootworm

Welcome back to our Ask the Agronomist podcast! This week, Phil and Kilah discuss corn rootworm and how scouting now can help you plan for #crop18. Tune in for a 10-minute from the field agronomy update!

Do you have #crop17 growing questions? Submit them to us on either Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat. Thanks for tuning in!

Webspec Admin

July 27, 2017

#AskTheAgronomist, Corn, Crop, General, Insects, Podcast
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Report: July 26

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

Despite the many growing challenges we’ve had this season, Latham® Dealer Wayne Niemi’s SuperStrip plot on corner of Highway 9 and County Road 26 near Felton, Minnesota, looks great!

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

This field of Latham LH 5885 VT2 PRO RIB withstood recorded winds of 103 miles per hour on June 28 in Livingston, Wisconsin! This field is currently at R1 and has plenty of moisture for successful pollination.

R1 stage corn is fully tasseled and beginning to green silk. The largest yield reductions occur at this time when it is under stress. Applying a fungicide at R1 improves disease control and protects the plant through harvest, meaning now is the optimum time for application.

South Central Minnesota & North Central Iowa

Cory Greiman

Weather challenges continue. This spring farmers in this area had a hard time finding a window of dry weather to get seed in the ground, and now they canâ€™t buy a rain to make the crop grow. These photos show a drought-stressed field of corn near Emmetsburg.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

Picture from the regional plot location in South English. Go to www.lathamseeds.com/events to learn more about regional plots this year!

Central Iowa

Bryan Rohe

Pollination was good in Central Iowa despite the lack of rain most areas experienced. There is still potential for good yields as long as we don’t start seeing tip back.

The ear in this photo is 36 kernels around and 18 kernels long.

Areas in the fields with sand knobs are showing most stress in the bean fields.

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

It’s that time of year for fungicide applications! My wife shot this video from our deck, so you might say we had a front row seat to the action.

Due to weather events earlier this season that made some fields of corn more susceptible to disease, fungicides are being applied. Even without hail, some hybrids just perform better with fungicide. That’s why you’ll see fungicide recommendations for some products in Latham’s seed guide.

Western Iowa Crop Report Video

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

Thanks to this father-son Latham® dealer team for helping me sign this test plot near Rembrandt, Iowa. Mike and Chuck Specketer planted hybrids, ranging from 107 to 111 days, in this SuperStrip plot on May 6. We also put up 12 other signs in Buena Vista County. It was a very hot job to say the least, so I really appreciate their dedication.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

This Latham SuperStrip corn plot in Vernon Center, Minnesota, features hybrids in maturities from 94 day to 105. Everything has tasseled and looks great. I can’t wait to get into this one in the fall!

Northeast Iowa & Southeast Minnesota

Craig Haaland

Pictured below is Latham’s popular L2084R2 is treated with SoyShield® Plus and the other half is treated with SoyShield® Plus with ILeVo.

A few planes and helicopters have been spraying fungicide this week. We’ve had plenty of rain in the last week, totaling about 4 inches with some damage being done by 60-70 MPH winds.

Keep scouting your fields to stay on top of issues and to try and keep every possible dollar in your pocket.

Latham 5062 versus a competitors grain corn. We will be testing to see how a true leafy silage corn does at tons per acre versus a standard grain corn. This field like most of my region is under considerable drought stress. The grain corn is tasseling, and the leafy silage has a lot of growth still to come. We will be putting the natural drought stress of our leafy lineup to the test this year!

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Storms rolled through Northeast South Dakota last Friday night and again on Tuesday. Although the rain was welcome, there was damage to crops both times. Some green snap and gooseneck was observed in corn due to 60- to 80-mph winds. Hail also fell in some areas. Much of the corn is now pollinating and normal temps are forecast for this week.

LH 4454 VT2 PRO RIB at Big Stone City, SD is pollinating and looks tremendous. Precipitation has been perfect in this location.

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

Pollination is very uneven this year due to many early season challenges. Excessively warm nights during silking and/or lack of pollen when the tip silks emerged could lead to poor kernel set symptoms. Combine settings will be important this fall.

Webspec Admin

July 26, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Podcast: Corn Diseases

Welcome back to our Ask the Agronomist podcast! This week, Phil and Kilah discuss corn diseases and the need to scout now. Tune in for a 10-minute from the field agronomy update!

Do you have #crop17 growing questions? Submit them to us on either Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat. Thanks for tuning in!

Webspec Admin

July 20, 2017

#AskTheAgronomist, Corn, Disease, Podcast
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Field Crop Reports: July 19th

Southeast North Dakota

Gary Geske

Does anyone know what this is? I haven’t seen one of these for over 2 months! We finally got ¾” rain overnight without a lot of hail and this was the only puddle.

Northeast South Dakota

James Keltgen

Scattered rain fell again in Northeast South Dakota, leaving from a trace to 2 inches. It wasn’t widespread but some was in areas that needed it. Corn is beginning to tassel and soybeans are gaining height and flowers

Southeast South Dakota

Ramie Coughlin

Latham® Dealers Matt and Taylor Sinkie took a balloon ride over their South Dakota farm this past week.

Northern Minnesota

Ken Highness

This is Latham’s SuperStrip plot in Morris, Minnesota. What a great looking plot by a new dealer here.

Southern Minnesota

Brandon Wendlandt

Unsatisfied with you weed control in soybeans? Well maybe it’s time to try a different trait! Contact me to find out more details on our Roundup Ready 2, Roundup Ready Xtend and Liberty lineup!

Southern Wisconsin

Greg Mair

Today was a good day to take crop report pictures!

The Latham Corn SuperStrip in Ripon, Wisconsin, is nearing the VT stage. Latham’s new 99-day SmartStax LH 4919 SS is showing off its excellent roots and stalks in this plot.

Meanwhile, across town in Ripon, the L 2482 R2 Soybeans are flowering and look excellent. Timely rains in this area, while missing most of the heavy rains, have the area farmers hoping for another bin-busting crop in 2017.

Northwest Iowa

Darin Chapman

Maximum corn water usage occurs during tasseling, and we could use some rain in Northwest Iowa. Growers will be starting to think about fungicide application. I have heard a 20 bushel advantage the last couple of growing seasons!

South Central Minnesota & North Central Iowa

Cory Greiman

This field of LH 5505 VT2 PRO in Mitchell County Iowa, and many other local fields, are starting to tassel. Corn fields have really taken off the past 7-10 days. A few fields are being sprayed with fungicide. Soybean fields are starting to fill there rows.

We actually could use a little moisture since we’ve been getting these hot and humid days.

West North Central Iowa

Bart Peterson

Yesterday I put up field signs with Latham® dealer EJ Wolter from West Bend, Iowa. His plot looks very nice.

Eastern Iowa

Jerry Broders

One advantage of working with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is access to seed options. You can see in this one plot that our dealer is showcasing Latham® soybean with these traits and technologies: Balance GT, Roundup Ready 2 and Roundup Ready Xtend. We also have seed treatment options including SoyShield, SoyShield Plus, SoyShield Plus + Ilevo treated soybeans and Nemastrike.

Western Iowa & Eastern Nebraska

Larry Krapfl

Fields of Latham 5405 and 5509 are looking pretty good by Castana, Iowa.

Webspec Admin

July 19, 2017

Corn, Crop, Season, Soybeans, Summer