Thank you to the more than 100 individuals who joined us Aug. 30 for the second annual Latham Freedom of Independence Ride!  If only we could ride our bikes every Monday and call it “work”!The ride kicked off at Jack Trice Stadium, where Iowa State University Head Football Coach Paul Rhoads gave a rally speech and ISU’s mascot, Cy, roamed the crowd taking photos. (I must admit, he didn’t have to try too hard to get me to pose with him.)  After a tailgate lunch in Tent Row, there was a shot-gun start for all riders.The Independence Ride included stops at three showcase plots, where riders learned about technologies including LibertyLink® corn and soybean products, Agrisure® Viptera 3111, and the Genuity® family of traits including Genuity SmartStax^TM corn hybrids and Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans.  The fourth stop was a tour of the new Fareway Distribution Center where riders saw how new technology has increased the speed and efficiency at which the Boone-based grocer gets its products from the warehouse shelves to the delivery trucks.

At the end of the ride, everyone was treated to a a delicious hog roast at the Boone Country Fairgrounds.  Cool prizes like customized motorcycle helmets donated by Agrisure and a Harley-Davidson grill donated by Zylstra H-D were awarded to some lucky riders.  Following dinner, world record-holding motorcyclist Bubba Blackwell and his protégé, Chris Rayburn, fired up the crowd with some heart-stopping stunts. (Really, my heart nearly did stop when Rayburn sat on his handlebars and stood on his bike seat while popping a wheelie – we’ll share some video later this week). By the way, taking a picture with two motorcycle daredevils is as close as I’ll ever get to performing a stunt myself!

Thanks again to the many individuals who joined us last Monday on the 2^nd Annual Latham Freedom of Independence Ride around central Iowa! We were reminded yet again of what great company we’re in when we’re surrounded by our customers, dealers and associates! We’re already planning next year’s ride, so check our blog and Facebook to be among the first to know when new details become available!

Thanks again, Independence Riders! We hope you’ll join us next year, too!

Another week of favorable weather has helped push crops ahead of the one- and five year averages, according to a recent Wallaces Farmer article.  Farmers began harvesting corn for silage and could be harvesting for grain in early September.

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) continues to be a concern for soybean growers throughout the Upper Midwest.  This year has had one of the worst epidemics since SDS was found in Iowa in 1994, says XB Yang of Iowa State University’s Department of Plant Pathology.

Mark Grundmeier, Latham’s soybean product manager, agrees that SDS is the worst in 2010 that he’s seen in his career.  Click the below video to listen to Mark talk about why SDS is so much more prevalent this year.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQYwdnU788[/youtube]

Northwest Iowa

Because 1,000 variables affect yield – seed bed preparation, weed pressure, type of bean planted (Cyst resistant, trait packages, etc.), plant health protection used, etc. – Tom Larson says it’s not easy to predict how SDS might impact yield.  Soybeans that have been infected with SDS continue to decline and drop leaves.  A majority of the corn in his northern Iowa territory has entered the early stages of dent.  Tom has noticed increased populations of corn aphids on the upper leaves, as well as around the ear.  If these numbers continue to increase or are already at populations over 1,000 per plant, an insecticide application might be necessary.  Studies show that at least ½ bushel per day can be lost to corn aphids.

 

Northeast Iowa

Nick Benson reports that corn silage harvest has begun in earnest.  Overall, farmers are positive about this year’s silage crop although there are a few obvious tough spots from excessive moisture.  Rainfall has been so variable:  one area got hit very hard by total rainfall throughout the summer, but just 20 miles to the north, fields there received just the right amount.  While SDS has been capturing everyone’s attention lately, Nick believes farmers here will be pleasantly surprised with this fall’s soybean yields.  In areas without SDS, he’s predicting record-breaking crops. Yesterday he randomly walked into a field planted to Latham® L2440 Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybeans and pulled two plants with five, four-bean pods!  He says he’s having a hard time finding L2440 R2’s without four-bean pods.  On the corn side, Nick believes areas without excessive moisture will produce extremely high yields.  From viewing Latham® showcase plots, he believes the new Latham LH 5622 3000GT will be the hybrid to beat this coming year.  It’s throwing a very nice ear with some great plant health.

 

Wisconsin

Steve Bailie reports corn silage harvest began this week, and many of the fields being harvested for corn silage are coming out at 65 to 70% moisture.  The majority of ears of corn in the fields have reached full dent, and many of the husks have already started to loosen up.  Anthracnose is showing up inside the corn plant if you cut it to look at the nodes. Many nodes are starting to turn brown.  Some of the soybean fields are showing symptoms of SDS, white mold and brown stem rot. Even though disease is present, Steve predicts that yields will still be adequate simply because the diseases didn’t show up until late in the growing season. Latham® Hi‑Tech Soybean L1936R has once again proven its value by as not white mold is present in these fields.

South Central Iowa

Travis Slusher’s region is still receiving weekly rainfall, with another 1.5 inches recorded in the past week.  Corn and soybeans are progressing nicely despite all of the moisture this growing season.  SDS is still the main topic of conversation on the soybean side, and fortunately Latham® brand soybeans have handled the pressure better than others throughout the majority of his area.  Corn is denting nicely with Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids LH 6167 VT3Pro, LH 5877 VT3Pro, and LH 5645 3000GT looking like some powerful new hybrids for South Central Iowa.

Central Iowa

Kevin Meyer says seed corn harvest began last week in his territory, which is a good 10 to 14 days earlier than normal.  Kernels depth and test weight continue to be a concern due to hot weather.  Corn earworm damage should be evaluated this fall as earworm moth flights were very high this year.  Fortunately, Latham has some great new technologies in the 2011 product lineup to help control above- ground insects in the field.  SDS is the hot topic at local plot days.  He encourages farmers to take crop notes and see how SDS is affecting different soybean varieties.  As these fields return to soybean production in 2012, good management decisions will help eliminate this problem in the future.

East Central Iowa

In a year when disease is prevalent, Brad Beatty said some corn numbers from Latham Hi‑Tech Hybrids are displaying a sound defensive package.   The following new hybrids are looking good in his plots: LH 5426 VT3Pro, LH 5494 3000GT, LH 5645 3000GT, LH 6167 VT3Pro, and LH 6068 VT3.

These new Latham® hybrids appear to be fending off is anthracnose, which is one disease that is becoming a problem this season in Brad’s territory.    Anthracnose is related, favoring wet periods and warm nights.  Disease severity can be increased by extended periods of overcast conditions and high humidity.  It’s also more problematic in corn-on-corn situations because the fungus over-winters in corn residue.  Crop rotation is a way to help control anthracnose, so keep this in mind as you order seed for the 2011 planting season.

 

Minnesota

Jason Obermeyer reports that soybeans and corn are progressing nicely in his area. The first signs of maturing corn are a welcome treat for those who can’t stand the summer heat because we know cooler temps on the way!  One local dairy producer said yesterday that he will be chopping corn in two weeks. Soybeans still look good, although about an inch of rain would be welcome in South Central Minnesota now. Some of the hills are dipping back, indicating that moisture is needed.

 

Eastern Nebraska

Crops are about 10 to 12 days ahead of last year’s, says Mike Lorenz.   Cattle Feeders have been cutting silage.  Beans are getting closer to coloring; corn is in full dent stage and early black layer.  The concern now is disease.  He’s seeing a variety of diseases affecting soybeans in his region.  Sudden Death Syndrome is prevalent in central Nebraska while Stem Canker is affecting the northeast corner of the state.  Despite these challenges, he says it will still be a relatively good year for crops.

Central Nebraska

Steve Edwards says it looks like an early harvest this year.  The corn crop is fully dented.  Farmers have been chopping for a week in areas where silage is put up.  Symptoms of SDS are showing up in the soybean crop where there was excess moisture and compacted soil.  Beans also have been expressing some heat stress because they’re in their peak demand for moisture as the pods fill.

Northern Missouri

Rick Foster reports that soybeans are looking good except for areas where they drowned out.