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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fair Highlights: Award-Winning Tractors and Blue-Ribbon Muffins

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds was well represented in Grandpa’s Tractor Cruise on Wednesday, July 14, during the 151^st Franklin County Fair in Hampton, Iowa. Latham® soybean grower Vernon Van Horn of Latimer earned “Best Original Tractor.” Of the more than 25 entries, Gary Bennett of Latimer was awarded a trophy for Best Restoration.

Gary, who has worked at Latham Seeds for 25 years, obviously applies the same patience, care and attention to detail when restoring tractors as he does to researching soybeans. He’s spent the past two years working to restore this 1953 Super M Farmall; Gary first learned to drive a Farmall that same year on his parents’ farm.

County fairs create fond memories for folks of all ages. As a 4-H alumna, I can’t help but remember the countless hours I spent getting both my livestock and food projects ready. I baked batch after batch of cookies and muffins just to get enough – evenly browned, perfectly shaped and uniform in size – to fill a plate.

To this day, I find myself going through these same steps if I’m hosting company or delivering food as a neighborly gesture. Thank goodness the ready-to-bake Nestle Tollhouse® cookies are consistent, or else I’d probably find myself going through these same neurotic steps just to serve my kids an afternoon snack! (If you feel up the challenge, you can link to the original Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe here: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/specialty/nth-detail-occc.aspx)

On a more serious note – in honor of the life skills I gained through 4-H and in recognition of the new generation this organization continues to serve – today I’d like to share with you the first muffin recipe that I entered at my county fair. What a feeling of accomplishment I gained when I received that blue ribbon!

Now you can be the judge: try this recipe and let me know whether it meets your blue-ribbon standards. Also feel free to share with me your own award-winning recipes or your favorite county fair memories.

Team Latham

July 16, 2010

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A week of Recovery Helps Iowa Crops

Wallaces Farmer recently reported that a week of drier weather following the July 4 holiday was welcome across the state of Iowa after an abnormally wet June. Farmers were finally able to apply herbicides in soybean fields and harvest their second cutting of alfalfa. Some farmers were even able to replant areas of fields affected by flooding.

The information shared came from The Iowa Crops and Weather Report released July 12 by the Iowa Office of USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service providing the latest update on Iowa’s 2010 corn and soybean crops. The report stated in areas not affected by flooding, the corn looks good, but despite the week of drier weather and sunshine, crop conditions still vary greatly from field to field. Excess moisture and possible nitrogen deficiency have been attributed to the inconsistent growth.

Watch for symptoms of corn leaf diseases

Mark Licht, field specialist with ISU Extension says corn diseases are starting to show up. He’s seen some eyespot and grey leaf spot, and also heard of Goss’s wilt showing up in some fields.

Licht recommends considering the following points when making a decision regarding fungicide applications (click here for Monday’s post on foliar fungicide application).

1. How susceptible/tolerant to disease is the hybrid?
2. Are weather conditions conducive for disease pathogens?
3. What past field management has occurred; i.e. tillage, crop rotation?
4. Are foliar disease symptoms present in the lower canopy?
5. Do you expect enough yield response to pay for the application costs?

What about soybean diseases? Licht says soybean diseases are currently limited to Septoria brown spot in the lower canopy and bacterial blight in the upper canopy of soybean plants. “Fungicide applications on soybeans should not be applied until R3 (beginning pod set) for best results,” Lict advises.

Click here for the full article.

Enter Latham’s Tall Corn Contest to Win!

Also, congratulations to last week’s Tall Corn Contest winner, Chelsea Ewen! Thanks so much to everyone who participated.

Enter this week’s Tall Corn Contest by guessing the height of the corn in Uncle Jim’s corn in the above photo. Simply visit www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds and enter your guess in the comments below the photo! For a list of contest rules, click here.

Team Latham

July 15, 2010

General, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Visit Latham Seeds at the Franklin County Fair

One of my favorite events of the year happens this week: the Franklin County Fair, Iowa’s second largest county fair. Ever since I joined 4-H in the third grade, I’ve loved going to the fair. Fair- time brings together a few of my favorite things: family, friends, fun and food. (Not to mention the annual corn dogs, mini donuts and funnel cake!)

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds will have a booth at the Franklin County Fair and would love to have you stop by for a visit! We’ll share information about our exciting new product lineups for the 2011 season and invite you to join us on this year’s Latham Freedom of Independence Ride. We’ll also have giveaways available for those who take a minute to sign up for our Facebook page or register for the Freedom Ride.

The Franklin County’s 151^st fair runs July 14-18 in Hampton. It includes a lineup of great artists including Luke Bryan and David Nail Friday evening at 8 p.m. and activities for all ages to enjoy. Visit http://www.franklincountyfair.com/ for a schedule of events and more details on the Franklin County Fair.

Team Latham

July 13, 2010

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Should Iowa farmers apply foliar fungicide to corn?
Wallaces Farmer recently reported a summary of a study conducted by the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network, the ISU Corn and Soybean Initiative, and the ISU Northwest On-Farm research program regarding the use of foliar fungicide on Iowa corn. Below are results and recommendations based on the study’s findings.

Is applying foliar fungicide to Iowa corn worth the cost?
- For the total 574 observations included in the above study, the overall mean yield response was 4.04.
- Yield response of small plot trials (173 observations) was 4.39bu/A, compared with 3.89 bu/A for on-farm strip trials (401 observations).
- Applications at the corn growth stages VT, R1 or R2 resulted in the highest mean yield response (4.12 bu/A, 4.21 bu/A and 4/17 bu/A, respectively).
- Based on the price of corn of $3.72 and $24 product + application cost, the breakeven yield response is 6.45 bu/A.
Click here for the full list of study results.

Should you apply fungicide this year?

Alison Robertson and Daren Mueller with the Department of Plant Pathology at Iowa State Extension recommend doing some homework before applying foliar fungicide. Consider the price of corn, price of product plus application, and drying costs. Scout fields to determine disease pressure, consider hybrid susceptibility and the disease history of the field. If you see several spots, and you are growing a susceptible hybrid, you may want to consider spraying a fungicide.

Mark Grundmeier, seed product manager with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds says to remember that fungicides are effective only on fungal diseases, including Northern and Southern Leaf Blight, Northern Leaf Spot, Anthracnose Leaf Blight, Gray Leaf Spot, Eyespot, Common and Southern Rust, and Common Smut.

For more information about foliar fungicide, and possible best dates for application, click here.
Team Latham

July 12, 2010

Agronomics, Fungicide, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Enter the Tall Corn Contest Today!

Thanks to everyone who entered last week’s “Tall Corn Contest” on Facebook. Congratulations to Keesia Wirt! Winner of the first official “Tall Corn Contest” with a guess of 3’9” — just two inches off from the actual corn height in Uncle Jim’s field at 3’7”. We’ll send a prize your way by mail and you will be entered for the grand prize drawing in September.

Enter today!

Below is an updated picture of the corn in Uncle Jim’s field — as you can see it’s gotten so tall we can’t take pictures of him standing “in” the field anymore or guessing would prove pretty difficult. (You’d have to find Uncle Jim first!)

Simply visit www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds and enter your guess answering the question, “How tall is the corn in Uncle Jim’s field?” The person with the closest guess will win a prize and be entered to win the grand prize in September. (Winners will be selected every Thursday between now and September). For a list of contest rules, click here.

We also wanted to share recent news from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, on crop conditions in Iowa. While some welcome sunshine helped many fields suffering from too much moisture, rain over the weekend meant many areas in Iowa are still threatened by flood water. Click here for the full June 6 Iowa Crop and Weather Report released by the USDA.

Team Latham

July 9, 2010

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Water, water, everywhere: Flooding hurts Iowa’s corn, soybean prospects

Wallaces Farmer recently reported how flood waters are impacting Iowa’s 2010 corn and soybean crops, particularly in southeast and west central Iowa. Overall, Iowa fields are on their way to a profitable season, however, wet conditions and standing water remain an issue for many farmers trying to replant before it’s too late.

The article stated Iowa’s 2010 corn crop has fallen from 72% in the good-to-excellent category to 66% due mainly to flooding and excessive rainfall this past week. Similarly, the state’s soybean crop has dropped from 66% in the good-to-excellent category to 64%, according to the government’s weekly weather and crop conditions report released July 6.

The article adds that approximately 8% of Iowa corn crop is tasseled and silking and 27% of Iowa’s soybean crop has bloomed, proving to be good news for soaked Iowa farmers.

Northeast and North Central Iowa areas had a moderate spring but were soaked when they received large amounts of rain this week — the Waterloo area receiving 7 inches in two days.

John Holmes, an Extension field agronomist for Iowa State University, says that in northern Iowa, “We have anything from really nice looking corn that is now tasseling and silking to corn that is probably just over knee-high and is pale yellow and really looks marginal. Not very pretty at all.”

Holmes added, “It’s easy to drive down the road and see the problem fields—and get a distorted picture of the whole county. Keep in mind we do have areas in Iowa, even here in the soggy parts of north central and central Iowa, that are going to produce some tremendous amounts of corn this fall. Some of these fields this summer are indeed looking very nice. However, in other areas of the state—such as in southeast and south central Iowa—they’ve have had one problem after another this year, mainly due to the very heavy amounts of rainfall they received throughout June and into July.”

Click here to read the full article.

Team Latham

July 9, 2010

Flooding, General, Weather
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Profitability Calculator for Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture is certainly changing the landscape of modern agriculture. We’ve heard many farmers having online conversations recently about precision agriculture, how it’s changing the way they work in the field and how they’re finding the added benefits of saving on fuel and fertilizer. So when PrecisionAg Works shared this tool with us, we wanted to pass it along in case it proves helpful for anyone considering the adoption or expansion of precision agriculture on their farm.

Kansas State developed a calculator to project the profitability of precision agriculture. Simply click on the link below and type in your information to see how you could benefit.

http://www.precisionag.com/works//profitcalculator/

Team Latham

July 6, 2010

Agronomics, General, Precision Ag
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Is In-Season Soybean Fertilization Effective?

Oftentimes questions surrounding emergency or catch-up fertilization for soybeans arise in June, as highlighted in a recent e-newsletter from the Iowa Soybean Association. We’ve seen a lot of conversations on Farmers for the Future and New Ag Talk surrounding this question, as well. Most producers don’t have to worry about this since adequate amounts of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) are usually applied before planting. In a year like this, however, excessively wet conditions alter the crop nutrient uptake and affect fertilization.

Is applying dry, granulated fertilizer a viable post-emergence option?

The short answer is “probably not” for two main reasons: First, both P and K (but especially P) are needed at early growth stages to enhance plant cell multiplication when the number of nodes, leaves, and potential seed numbers are largely determined. Second, the application of fertilizer to the soil surface or banded/injected between the rows will be of low efficiency, mainly due to the common low, or infrequent summer rainfall (which hasn’t been the case for many areas this season). There is one situation in which an in-season application of granulated P and K fertilizer might be considered, and that’s when soil tests are very low, and for certain the producer will have to apply a high fertilizer rate for the following year’s corn crop to assure adequate P and K levels.

What about foliar fertilization?

Some producers ask if foliar fertilization could help improve soybean growth and grain yield. While it’s a possibility, the chances are low for fields that have been well fertilized or where growth is limited by factors other than nutrient supply.

Thus, the article concluded in-season fertilizer application for soybean will seldom prove cost-effective in Iowa production systems. The exception might be when soil samples confirm that the soil tests very low or low and there was insufficient pre-plant fertilization. A large application of granulated fertilizer to soil during the very early growth stages may result in some yield increase and will begin to build up soil test levels that will have to be increased for the next crop anyway, but the economic benefit for this year’s soybean is very doubtful. The probability of an economic response to foliar fertilization is small, but this practice may be justified when nutrient deficiency symptoms are obvious, with confirmed deficient-testing soil, or when soil or climactic factors (other than drought) limit nutrient uptake in early summer.

Source: Iowa Soybean Association, Gold Standard

Team Latham

July 5, 2010

Agronomics, Fertility, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Celebrating independence with good food and good company

This weekend families nationwide will celebrate our country’s independence with good food and good company. At Latham, we certainly think independence is something worth celebrating. In fact – as an independent company – we have a hard time thinking of something more worthy of celebration.

One of the ways Latham customers benefit from our Freedom of Independence is through true genetic diversity. Thanks to our partnerships with industry leaders, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ product lineup offers the widest variety of genetics, traits and technologies available in the marketplace. Combining an unsurpassed number of options with product expertise let’s Latham customers incorporate true genetic diversity to minimize risks throughout the growing season.

May you and your friends enjoy a safe and fun holiday weekend as you celebrate your independence, too!

It’s become our annual tradition to attend a potluck supper and watch fireworks with friends on their farm north of Sheffield. Each year the crowd – and the fireworks display – gets bigger. That’s one of the reasons I’m considering making a big batch of brownies. It might not be as all-American as apple pie, but when topped with ice cream and hot fudge, it’s equally delicious. This “fix it and forget it” recipe will have adults and children alike coming back for seconds!

If you need an activity or two to keep your kids busy while you’re packing the camper or barbecuing the burgers, below are some fun activities from Disney’s website.

Fourth of July Activities for Kids – CD Spinners

Disney shares a lot of fun Fourth of July activities for kids! Click here for an easy-to-make party favor! You’ll want to have a printer nearby for this one because it has design templates, but there are plenty of other activities shared on this site that don’t require a printer. (We picked this one for its great reviews). http://familyfun.go.com/4th-of-july/4th-of-july-crafts/cd-spinners-890164/

Team Latham

July 2, 2010

Agriculture, General, Industry News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Nose-high by the fourth of July: Enter Latham’s “How Tall Corn Grows” Contest

There’s an old Midwest saying that if corn is going to “make it,” or mature before the first frost, then it needs to be knee-high by the Fourth of July. ISU Extension Corn Specialist Roger Elmore says that with progressively earlier planting dates, as well as improved genetics and management, we’re more accustomed to at least “nose high” by the Fourth of July. Depending on planting date and growing conditions, as well as the hybrid itself, some corn is oftentimes over our heads at this time of year. Regardless of planting date, it always depends on the farmer!

Let me further explain: No one has ever clarified whose knee was used as the measure or whether he or she was wearing boots with a heel. (Honestly, I don’t think my knee caps would be even with my husband’s if I was wearing stilettos and standing uphill.) No one, at least to my knowledge, has ever documented the height of the farmer doing the measuring. That is, no one has until now …

To consistently measure corn growth weekly on one north central Iowa farm, we’ve asked Uncle Jim to serve as our “measuring stick.” Uncle Jim is undoubtedly one of Latham Hi‑Tech Hybrids biggest fans — and with good reason! He’s been achieving bin-busting yields since he started planting Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids five years ago.

Despite threats from hail, wind and floods, Jim’s corn crop is once again standing tall. That’s why we’ve decided to have a little fun with this by sponsoring a Tall Corn contest. After all, there’s a reason that Iowa is nicknamed “the tall corn state”!

Enter today! See directions below. A winner will be picked each week from here to September with a grand prize winner being selected at the end of September. Our first Tall Corn Contest “winner” will be named one week from today, on Thursday, July 8. Below are the contest details.

Tall Corn Contest Rules

1) How to Enter/Eligibility: To enter, visit www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds and type in your guess to those entries asking “How tall is the corn in Uncle Jim’s field?” Comments must be received by submitted weekly by midnight on Wednesday.

2) Eligibility Restrictions: Entrants must have their own valid Facebook account. The contest is not open to Latham® employees or their spouses.

3) Selection of Winners: A weekly winner will be selected at random from those Facebook users who commented with a guess to the question, “How tall is the corn in Uncle Jim’s field?” The winner will be notified by direct message on Facebook each Thursday. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

4) Prizes: All weekly winners will be entered to win the grand prize ? a Latham jacket. All weekly winners will also be given a Latham® corn mug valued at $5 dollars. In the winner notification message, we will ask for a mailing address where the prize can be shipped. The grand prize will be awarded in September.

5) Publicizing the Winner: The winner’s name will be posted on the Latham’s blog, www.thefieldposition.com, Facebook, www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds, and Twitter page, www.twitter.com/LathamSeeds. All entrants agree to having their name publicized on these accounts.

6) Miscellaneous: By entering, entrants agree to the above terms and conditions.

Team Latham

July 1, 2010

Agriculture, General, Industry News

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fair Highlights: Award-Winning Tractors and Blue-Ribbon Muffins

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A week of Recovery Helps Iowa Crops

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Visit Latham Seeds at the Franklin County Fair

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Should Iowa farmers apply foliar fungicide to corn?

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Enter the Tall Corn Contest Today!

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Water, water, everywhere: Flooding hurts Iowa’s corn, soybean prospects

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Profitability Calculator for Precision Agriculture

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Is In-Season Soybean Fertilization Effective?

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Celebrating independence with good food and good company

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Nose-high by the fourth of July: Enter Latham’s “How Tall Corn Grows” Contest