With corn pushing $6 to $7 per bushel, many farmers will look at pushing corn populations to increase yield even more this year.

“Trying to uncover the mystery behind plant populations” is the focus of a recent Wallaces Farmer article, featuring Latham’s own Nick Benson.  As corn product specialist and Northeast Iowa regional sales manager, Nick had the opportunity to share his thoughts with Rod Swoboda.

There are multiple factors corn growers should consider when looking to push plant populations, but Nick says the highlights include:

1) Reviewing the true data – not the skewed data.

2) Avoiding planting populations that are too high and thus risking decreased yield.

3) Remembering that all growing conditions are different, from grower to grower and from field to field – plant populations aren’t a “one size fits all” practice.

Click here to read the full article and to get Nick’s complete list of factors to consider when pushing plant populations.

With corn markets where they are today, are you planning to push population in your field(s) this year?

Warm, wet conditions during the 2010 growing season created a favorable environment for several corn diseases, including Goss’ Wilt.  While this disease has historically been more of a problem in Colorado and western Nebraska, this year Goss’ Wilt was reported in 43 Iowa counties.

Iowa State University Extension Plant Pathologist Alison Robertson says unusual corn diseases, like Goss’s Wilt, are trending in Iowa. 

“The only way we currently have to protect crops against Goss’ Wilt is through hybrid selection,” says Latham Corn Product Specialist Nick Benson.  “Remember that traits protect yield, so some of today’s traited hybrids have been bred to offer great defensive packages.”

These Latham hybrids have exceptional ratings for Goss’ Wilt:

LH 4943 3000GT = 2 rating    (also LH 4940)

LH 5266 3000GT = 1  (also LH 5262 GT)

LH 5494 3000GT = 1  (also LH 5492 GT, LH 5493 GTCBLL)

LH 5877 VT3Pro = 2

LH 6068 VT3 = 1

LH 6202 3000GT = 2

LH 6448 VT3 = 2   

For more hybrid product information, contact Nick Benson at nickb@lathamseeds.com or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (465.2842).

I can still remember sitting in 7^th grade Biology class, learning about dominant and recessive genes.  Honestly, I was fascinated by Punnett squares.  I thought it was fun to predict the outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment.

A recent Dairy Herd Management Forage Resource Center article took me back to my school days, but I promise it won’t end with a test for you!  The research being highlighted in this article holds some incredibly exciting possibilities for our industry.

Researchers from Iowa State University, China Agricultural University and the Beijing Genomics Institute in China have re-sequenced and compared six elite inbred corn lines, including the parents of the most productive commercial hybrids in China. One goal of the research is to identify how heterosis, or hybrid vigor, works.  Heterosis is the phenomenon in which the offspring of two different lines of corn grow better than either of the two parents.

Knowing just which genes are important would provide a shortcut for breeders to produce hybrids with specific traits. For example, crossing an inbred line that is drought susceptible with a line that includes the gene for drought tolerance could lead to a better hybrid. Patrick Schnable, director of the Center for Plant Genomics and professor of Agronomy at ISU, cautions there is much work left to do, but the potential for improvement in corn hybrid performance is incredible.

To read this article in its entirety, click here.

With so many great products in the Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids 2011 lineup, it’s easy to overlook some numbers that weren’t showcased in our 2010 SuperStrip plots.  That’s why I’d like to take this opportunity to explain why my favorite hybrid is LH 5494 3000GT.  Latham 5494 3000GT is a great hybrid north of Highway 30 in Iowa, as well as for farmers in Wisconsin. 

I love the adaptability of this hybrid!  Latham 5494 3000GT is also available in a GT (LH 5492GT) and a GTCBLL (LH 5493 GTCBLL).  It’s a sister to LH 5498 3000GT, which performed very well in our 2010 SuperStrip plots. 

Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids LH 5494 3000GT dominated the 2009 Latham Group B SuperStrips, but it’s best known for producing well in real field conditions.  It’s a taller hybrid with great standability and very good late-season intactness.  It has excellent vigor for tough field conditions with high drought tolerance.  It produces excellent tonnage for dairymen with good digestibility to boot.

This hybrid yields consistently up and down the hills.  It does a great job of bringing up the low ends of fields.  This will translate to whole-farm yields that are above average due to the ability of Latham 5494 3000GT to handle tough portions of fields, while producing top-end yields.  Plant some in 2011 and see what it can do for you!

Hybrid selection is a critical component to maximizing yields.  Each year new trait options and different stacked products become available, making it more challenging to determine which hybrid is the right hybrid for each of your fields.

To make it easier, we’ve assembled a list of three key things to keep in mind as you choose hybrids for 2011 planting:

1. Mix up the maturity in your seed selection, which allows you to hedge against the effects of mid-summer heat during pollination and to capture genetic gain due to increased maturity.
2. Look at your seed portfolio the same way you look at your financial portfolio: shoot for balance. For instance, you wouldn’t want to place every penny you have in overseas stock accounts. You also don’t want to put all of your bets on one particular hybrid only because it’s known for high yields or on another hybrid because it’s known for root and stalk strength. Planting both defensive and offensive hybrids helps manage your risk and increase your overall yield potential.
3. It’s smart to have a portfolio that is diverse in genetic sourcing, so you can balance performance and help manage risk.

Overall, the best way to manage your risk is by planting more than one hybrid on your farm and by selecting more than one trait package to maximize overall yield.

It’s important to note that yield comes from genetics and traits help protect the plant against the presence of stress or pests.  Without that pressure, however, non-traited varieties can also perform well. While traits are extremely important and heavily recommended, we consider it our responsibility to make the best recommendation for your soil and your business. 

At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we take pride in working with our customers to help them choose hybrids that will help maximize yields and increase profitability. If you have questions about what trait might be best for your soil, please contact us with a comment in the field below, send an email to service@lathamhybrids.com, or call
1-877-GO-LATHAM (1-877-465-2842).