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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Notes from the Field – PreHarvest 2021

I’m very hopeful that – even with the dry weather – our production fields can achieve an overall average year for production with sufficient seed for soybean sales in 2022.

Most soybean farmers’ biggest concern across Latham Country has been lack of moisture. Many have noticed aborted flowers, dropped pods, and restricted pod fill. Thankfully, our production fields in South Central Minnesota received a nice two-inch rain during the first week of August. Most of the growers in our area around Alexander, Iowa, got a nice one- or two-inch rain on August 20-21. That rain will help those fields fill out pretty well. Some of our fields in northern Minnesota also got a nice inch or more that weekend.

Rainfall has been extremely variable throughout the summer. On August 20, the Des Moines airport reported no rain but most cities throughout the metro got about 1.5 inches! “Spotty” rains have been the norm rather than the exception this season.

Besides the drought, infestations of two-spotted spider mites are popping up almost everywhere across Latham Country. This is common in periods of dry weather. Most growers seem to be willing to apply pesticides for control, especially when the market price for soybeans is high. Farmers in a few areas have reported Bean Leaf Beetles and Soybean Aphids at very low levels, so insecticide applications have not been necessary. Grasshoppers also flourish in dry conditions, and I have heard of farmers spraying to control this pest.

On the disease side, I’ve seen and heard of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and White Mold this season. Dry weather usually hinders huge outbreaks of diseases, but it’s not unexpected that some areas will see things like this. Remember, SDS CANNOT be controlled with a foliar application of fungicide but there are some that can help on White Mold. I’ve also seen some Frogeye Leaf Spot (FLS) in a few fields but not enough to warrant a fungicide except in Southeast Iowa. I’m hearing about and seeing FLS in regions further north than usual, which is evidence this disease is moving farther north every year.

Call the Latham Team if you need help to diagnose situations or to recommend solutions. Be sure to keep field notes from these problem areas because that will be useful when you select seed in the future.

Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

September 24, 2021

Agronomics, Crop, Disease, Drought, Fall, Fungicide, General, Insects, Season, Soybeans, Weather
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

2021 Latham Field Day

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Join us for Latham Field Day LIVE!

Like all farm families, we know what it feels like to win big. We also know the agony of defeat. We watched helplessly, like so many of you during the last week of August, as winds reaching 92 miles per hour wreaked havoc across the Upper Midwest. When the skies cleared, we saw that our brand NEW Premier Agronomy Center had taken a terrific beating. Which was so unfortunate for our traditional live-on-the-farm Field Day.

The spirit of agriculture and America’s farmers is strong. Thankfully, technology allows us to share some of those research highlights with you. The program lineup includes our premier agronomy center, discussion on what we are seeing around the Midwest and new technologies and how to best use them.

Webspec Admin

September 10, 2021

Agronomics, Crop, Fall, From the Field, General, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

AlfaShield Gives Seed a Competitive Edge

What gives you a competitive edge?

There are many clever practices that can give athletes an edge. When drug testing became a standard, athletes had to discover legal ways to get an edge. It was noted that athletes who trained at higher elevations tended to perform better. As science progressed, they discovered the oxygen concentration is less at high elevations. Over a long period of time, our bodies will release a hormone to stimulate the production of more red blood cells because red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood. When the athletes returned to lower elevations to perform, they had more capacity to perform because they had significantly more red blood cells.

How in the world does this relate to alfalfa? Think of the seed as an athlete of the acre, competing to germinate quickly and yield more. When we add AlfaShield seed treatment, the alfalfa seed has a performance-enhancing advantage. AlfaShield provides a distinctive winning edge as it combines a list of highly researched ingredients and incorporates them into an osmotic protective type coat.

Think of AlfaShield as wrapping your alfalfa seed in a sponge. It helps protect the fragile germ of the seed. It also helps draw moisture to the seed, which is particularly important when seeding into moisture-stressed soils. Summers-seeded alfalfa is up against the time clock to get four to six weeks of significant growth to develop the crown. That’s why it’s so important for the seed to germinate quickly. If there isn’t any rain, this delay could be costly. You’ll see in the 2022 Latham® product guide that we have added a dry matter (DM) ton advantage of AlfalfaShield compared to the old industry standard. AlfaShield has a bigger advantage in moisture-stressed soils.

We had scheduled alfalfa research trials, including seed treatments, for 2021. Unfortunately, this has been delayed because the university was unable to run it due to Covid-19. Because I already had the seed, I did a quick home study. All the seed came from the same lot: raw seed, old industry-standard treatment, and AlfaShield. I got three flower pots and used regular potting soil for consistency. Then I counted 100 seeds of each.

Note that in the first 65 hours, AlfaShield had ten times more seeds emerge than the other two treatments! Seeds with the other two treatments eventually emerged because this was an ideal situation. However, a farm field is not ideal. We know Mother Nature can be brutal, and the risk to the seed is high. AlfaShield is a tough seed treatment. It helps manage the risk of the acre better than the rest, and it shows up in the yield and quality. Emerge fast. Grow strong. Yield more!

Webspec Admin

August 27, 2021

Agronomics, Alfalfa, Crop, Drought, General, Seed Treatment, Soil, Weather
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Latham Seeds Unveils its New Mission Statement at Annual Dealer Meeting
Latham® Dealers from six Upper Midwest states recently gathered in Sioux Falls, SD, to kick off the start of the 2021-2022 sales year. This year’s Latham Dealer Kickoff event marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of our family-owned seed company’s 75^th anniversary.

“I’m sure my grandfather, Willard Latham, never thought about his legacy when Latham Seeds was founded on his family farm back in 1947. His business got a humble start when Grandpa literally answered a call from a neighboring farmer with an oats smut problem. It was such a widespread problem that Grandpa retrofitted a piece of equipment to clean oats, which led him to start selling certified oats seeds,” says third-generation seedsman John Latham, president of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.

Today Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds sells hybrid seed corn, soybeans, alfalfa and cover crops across six Upper Midwest states. The company has continued to innovate by providing services like Data Forward^SM that helps farmers use their own data to make more informed management decisions. Data Forward can help determine whether a new piece of equipment will provide a return on investment (ROI) or whether another corn hybrid is better suited for a particular field.

“Farming today is certainly much different than when my grandfather founded Latham Seeds. It’s even much different than when my father, Bill Latham, served as president of Latham Seeds,” says John Latham. “While each generation has had its own challenges to overcome, we believe it’s becoming harder for multi-generational families to stay on the farm. We understand what it’s like to want to preserve your family’s legacy, and that’s why we’re committed to working with our seed dealers and our farmer-customers to live their legacies with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.”

Latham Seeds is so committed to helping family farmers preserve their legacies that in 2021 it unveiled its new company mission:

At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we know family farming is only getting harder. We believe farmers should have trusted partners who provide personalized solutions today, so they can grow even stronger legacies tomorrow.

We can’t “be on a mission” alone, says John Latham, so we’re looking for people who share our values. We need farmers to represent our company across Iowa and into Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. We’re looking for farmer-dealers who:
- Have a passion for rural communities
- Are self-motivated
- Have an entrepreneurial mindset
We’re also looking to add members to the Latham Team, from truck drivers to regional sales managers, who understand the importance of delivering five-star customer experiences.

Shannon Latham and Scott McKain, a bestselling author and Professional Speakers Hall of Fame member, delivered the keynote address during the kickoff event.

“Ultimate Customer Experiences® don’t just happen,” is a trademark of bestselling author and Professional Speakers Hall of Fame member Scott McKain. During his keynote address at the Latham Dealer Kickoff event in Sioux Falls, McKain reminded us that no one stays loyal to a generic brand. “How can you differentiate yourself? How can you provide such an exceptional experience that your customers remain loyal?”

McKain certainly provided food for thought. Speaking of food… no Friday blog on “The Field Position” would be complete without a recipe! Did you know that South Dakota’s culinary heritage is a combination of indigenous peoples and the German/Russian immigrants who came to the region? Of course, its food scene is influenced heavily by the foods produced in the area like top-quality beef. Today we’re sharing with you a recipe from the South Dakota Beef Industry Council that is perfectly fitting for National Grilling Month.

Latham Seeds General Manager Ryan Schon and his wife, Meg, embrace our annual Kickoff location by dressing the part. They wore Kentucky Derby attire when this event was held at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Des Moines, and they were outfitted in western wear for Sioux Falls.

The event included a smores bar.

The “Dueling Fiddles” duo based out of Des Moines, Iowa, provided evening entertainment for our annual awards banquet.

Related Posts:
- Latham Dealer Kickoff 2018 (Mall of America)
- Latham Dealer Kickoff 2019 (Prairie Meadows Racetrack)
- Latham Dealer Kickoff 2020 (Virtual broadcast from Ames, Iowa)
Shannon Latham

July 15, 2021

Agriculture, Beef, Food & Family, General, Industry News, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

It Pays to Follow the Crop Plan

One of the most important to-do items for each of us this spring is following our Field X Field™ crop plans.

If a particular field dries out and is ready to plant, it’s extremely tempting to plant the seed that’s in the front of the shed even if that isn’t the hybrid intended for that field. It pays to take the time to plant the right hybrid in the right field.

How many other decisions do you make every year that account for up to $200/acre?

Planting the right genetics in the right field accounts for up to 20% of the yield. We can’t predict the weather, so we plant more than one hybrid/variety to mitigate that risk. We also do our best to make sure the genetics are planted into the environment where they will thrive.

If you have the technology to capture planting data from the planter, make it happen! Equipment dealers can check your monitor systems and install updates. Then you can enter the hybrid/variety information as you move from field to field. The two minutes it takes to enter the information will pay you back all season long as you track progress on how you manage your farms the rest of the season. Remember, if you’re running a Case IH planter/monitor, plug in a USB stick or it will not record any data. Most other monitors have internal memory that records data until it’s full.

It’s important to note where the hybrid “breaks” are during planting. If you don’t have a planter monitor that can map where you start and stop different hybrids/varieties, then drop a pin in your monitor or even just draw a picture with landmarks. This allows you to go back and compare genetics as they emerge and grow. Another option is Latham’s Data ForwardSM app, which allows you to easily split a field based on landmarks of where a hybrid/variety ran out and where the next one began.

For best success, the crop plan process shouldn’t stop when the planter leaves the field. Take time to walk your fields during emergence. Corn establishes the girth of the ear during the 5-7 leaf stages. If you see stress during emergence, it will likely affect ear development in a few weeks. The premium version of Latham’s Data Forward app provides satellite imagery after planting. This can help narrow areas of focus by noticing different hybrid/variety performance. I’ll talk more about how satellite imagery can be used in upcoming articles because it is a very unique tool. Diligence in keeping records today means more opportunity to move the Data Forward in the future.

Latham Seeds Precision Agronomy Advisors

April 16, 2021

#AskTheAgronomist, General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Mitigate Weather Risks with Best Management Practices
Weather concerns are top of mind as farmers across Latham Country look ahead to spring 2021 planting. Customers frequently ask us how to mitigate the risk of 2021 drought forecasts.

While we want to take the potential for drought into consideration, we should not let that forecast dictate every decision we make on the hybrids we place in a given field. Review the hybrid characteristics and look for best drought tolerance. For fields with a long history of drought, select a Latham® DroughtGuard® VT Double PRO® product for additional protection on those acres.

Consider these factors to successfully mitigate potential drought on a broad-acre basis:
1. Start with and maintain a weed-free environment. Weeds use a substantially higher amount of water than corn to produce a pound of dry mater.
  1. Corn uses 42 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of dry matter.
  2. Lambsquarter uses 79 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of dry matter.
  3. Ragweed uses 109 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of dry matter.
2. Conserve moisture during field preparation.
  1. A uniform seed bed creates the best opportunity to plant your crop with precision.
  2. Minimize passes in the spring while working hard to create that uniform seed bed.
3. Plant your corn crop with precision. We want all plants to emerge within 72 hours of first emergence. This creates the best root system to maximize water use through the entire growing season.
  1. Plant a consistent seed depth.
  2. Check for consistent seed spacing.
  3. Ensure great seed-to-soil contact.
4. Promote a healthy root system with fertility. Good fertility programs maintain a healthy, strong root system to effectively use available water.
  1. Starter fertilizer gets corn plants off to the best start possible.
  2. Side-dress Nitrogen in a timely manner to nurse optimum plant health.
  3. Maintain a good fertility balance, using soil testing as a guide.
We suggest staying with a hybrid selection plan that does not vary significantly from previous years. A couple management changes at planting time to get your crop off to the best start will result in more success than a total change of hybrid selection. Get your plants off to the best start possible, so they can take advantage of any moisture throughout the season. Remember, the bulk of your yield is created during July and August when plants use moisture to produce grain.

Latham’s Corn Team is here to help you maximize yield in 2021! We’re just a phone call or an email away.
Latham Seeds Precision Agronomy Advisors

February 16, 2021

General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Warm, Dry Winter Could Cause More Insect Pressure
by Phil Long, Precision Agronomy Advisor

Many farmers are wondering about spring 2021 after the dry year we had in 2020 and lack of moisture so far this winter across Latham Country. Fall 2020 brought little relief in terms of additional moisture and this winter has been mild in terms of snowfall. What repercussions will we see as we head into this spring? An increase in insect pressure is one thing we will need to keep an eye out for going into spring, especially if we don’t see low enough temperatures to help winter mortality rates in those that overwinter.

Let’s begin by dividing insects into two groups:
1. Survivors, or insects whose life cycle is directly affected by the weather patterns.
2. Opportunists, or insects that can take advantage of warmer, drier weather pattern like we are experiencing.
Group 1 – Survivors

Corn Flea Beetles belong in the first group because the warmer-than-normal weather might allow for more of these pests to survive. They typically overwinter in our area, and their survival rate depends on the temperatures in December, January and February. When the mean temperatures for these three months add up to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, then there will be a greater number of survivors that will be ready to attack corn fields in the spring.

Likewise, overwintering Bean Leaf Beetles can become an economic pest in soybeans when there is a larger-than-normal percentage of survivors. Both types of beetles will feed directly on young plants just as soon as they emerge. And adding to the degree of injury, both beetles have been known to infest the young seedlings with diseases while feeding on them. Corn Flea Beetles have been known to vector Stewart’s Wilt, and Bean Leaf Beetles have been known to vector Bean Pod Mottle Virus.

Seed treatments that include an insecticide like Cruiser®, Poncho® or Gaucho® can help prevent these insects from attacking young plants and seeds. We know seed treatments prove to be a good investment during a cold, wet spring. Just because it looks to be a dry spring, don’t be fooled into thinking seed treatments won’t pay for themselves this season!

Group 2 – Opportunists

The second group of insects includes all species that can or will eventually feed on the crop. If we have a dry spring and early summer, then crops may suffer moisture stress. ANY kind of stress can be greatly enhanced by insects (or any diseases for that matter) that feed upon those plants, including, but not limited to: Corn rootworms, corn aphids, stalk borers, European corn borer, cutworms and armyworm for corn. In soybeans, there would be the 1st and 2nd generation Bean Leaf Beetles, soybean aphids, two-spotted spider mites, Japanese Beetles and Soybean Cyst Nematode (even though they are not an insect).

Most of the pests mentioned above can be controlled by applications of insecticides if done at the proper time; the exceptions to this are rootworms (because they are below-ground) and SCN (also below-ground and not an insect.)

The good news is that although it takes months for evaporation and evapotranspiration to deplete our heavy prairie soils, it only takes a few weeks to replenish it. With adequate snowfall and early spring rains we should see the rest of those dry regions be back at field capacity and ready for 2021 planting. As we approach the planting season keep in mind which of your fields may be at a higher risk to insect pressure due to minimum tillage, cover crops, or past management practices, and plan ahead with seed treatments, insecticide options, or simply plan to walk your fields a little more to stay on top of insects or other pests.
Webspec Admin

January 13, 2021

Agronomics, General, Insects, Season, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AsktheAgronomost: Is variety resistance the only way to fight SCN?

Join us on December 7 at 8 AM as we discuss a new way to fight SCN. Learn about the importance of harpin protein and how this new method can translate into more yield in the field.

Laura Cunningham

January 7, 2021

General
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” Celebrates 55 Years

As a young child, I always looked forward to the annual showing of animated classics like “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Charles M. Schulz. My mom would read “TV Guide” and note when each special would air since “movies on demand” didn’t exist at the time. No wonder these specials were so special!

The Peanuts gang made its debut 55 years ago on Dec. 9, 1965. Schulz had to work hard to convince network executives at CBS, the special’s original network, that they should use actual children to voice the young characters. He believed the audience would respond to the special’s message about the true meaning of Christmas, and although they were concerned, CBS executives finally agreed and aired it as the creator wanted it.

The response to that network debut was even better than anticipated, and through the years, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has received both Emmy and a Peabody Awards. To commemorate its 50^th anniversary in 2020, the network aired the movie only for one night. Click here to learn How to Watch and Stream ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ This Holiday Season with your family yet this season.

I love “A Charlie Brown Christmas” so much that I even purchased a Charlie Brown Christmas tree for my son to use as a night light when he was a child. Although she is now a young adult, my daughter still looks forward to decorating her own tree for the holiday season and sleeping as it glows throughout the night. I got the idea for the Christmas tree night lights by reading the “ADVENTure of CHRISTmas” by Lisa Welchel. (Some of you may remember her as Blair on “The Facts of Life.” Oh, how I loved watching that sit com when I was growing up!) This book is filled with many great ideas on how to celebrate true meaning throughout the season.

In honor of the Peanuts Gang’s 55th anniversary, and in celebration of National Brownie Day on December 8, I’m sharing a recipe for Charlie’s Brownie Cupcakes that I got years ago from a lady in my church circle. How fun are personal-sized brownies?

Winter break sounds like the perfect time to bake a batch or two of brownies. Just think of them topped with a small scoop of Blue Bunny® Peppermint Stick Ice Cream and homemade hot fudge sauce…

Cue the “Linus and Lucy” theme song and dance around the kitchen as you bake this season!

Shannon Latham

December 28, 2020

Desserts, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Dan Miller Joins Latham Seeds as DSM in Minnesota

Ask children under the age of 10 what they want to be when they grow up and they will likely give you one of these answers: professional athlete, doctor, veterinarian, firefighter, police officer or teacher. It’s no surprise a kid’s answer is heavily influenced by the adults in his or her life.

Dan Miller of Mapleton, Minnesota, says he has wanted to be a seed seller from the time he was old enough to accompany his father, Ron, to plot days and on sales calls. In addition to operating a seed dealership, Ron has raised corn, soybeans and hogs since 1979. He and his wife, Cheryl, also have raised four children. Their oldest son, Lance, is a production agronomist. Their daughter, Amy, is a financial planner. Their son Alan farms with Ron and raises hogs. Alan also recently became a Latham® Seeds dealer. Dan, the youngest, also is following in his father’s footsteps.

“I’ve always wanted to work in agriculture, and seed is the area I enjoy most,” says Dan, who enjoys helping on the family farm. He graduated with a degree in Ag Business from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. His first job after college was working for a cooperative in southeast Minnesota for five years. During that time, he earned his Certified Crop Advisor. Following that he worked another three years for a cooperative in South Central Minnesota. He also interned for a crop consultant for two years.

While living in southeast Minnesota, Dan met his wife, Clarissa, in Rochester where she was working as a registered nurse in the medical cardiac progressive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital. They realized they had much in common. She also has three siblings and they both grew up with farming families in rural communities in Mapleton, Minnesota, and Odebolt, Iowa. Their parents were both married within a few weeks of one another, so they celebrated their families when he and Clarissa were married on November 30, 2019. Now Clarissa is a cardiac device nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

Both Dan’s and Clarissa’s families enjoy spending time at the lake. In fact, Dan proposed to Clarissa while cruising on a pontoon. When Dan was growing up, his family vacationed for a week every summer at the lake. They still enjoy fishing up north. In addition, Dan and Clarissa have started a tradition of spending a week at Lake Okoboji in Northwest Iowa with her family.

Dan and Clarissa enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, whether its golfing or walking their dog. The couple welcomed a German Shorthair Pointer in January 2020. Dan is training her to hunt pheasants.

As another new year approaches, Dan has welcomed another change. He joined the Latham Team on December 1, 2020, as a District Sales Manager. He serves the Minnesota counties of Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Waseca, Watonwan, Martin, Faribault and Freeborn.

“What drew me to Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is its family atmosphere. Some of my customers have had planted Latham® products, and I’ve seen the great performance. I see opportunities here for Latham, and it excites me to be a part of it. I look forward to just focusing on selling one brand of seed. I enjoy using technology to place hybrids. That’s how I differentiated myself from the competition in the retail setting, and I’m looking forward to putting my background and experience to work for Latham.”

With a focus on family, Dan is looking forward to enjoying holiday traditions. One of his family’s traditions is to enjoy soup and snacks on Christmas Eve. Today he is sharing a recipe for Chicken Wild Rice Soup.

Shannon Latham

December 18, 2020

General, Poultry, Recipes, Soups