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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Tips for Harvesting Lodged Corn
Hail, straight-line winds and other stressors throughout the 2011 growing season has caused corn to lodge in several fields across the Midwest. As a result, it won’t be “harvest as usual” for many corn farmers. They’ll need to reduce speeds and take extra steps to prevent as much loss as possible. With corn prices around $7 per bushel, it doesn’t take long for harvest losses to mount. Each pound ear on the ground per 436 square feet equals a loss of one bushel per acre, according to a recent Wallaces Farmer article.

In this same article, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Ag Engineer Mark Hanna reminds farmers to keep these tips in mind when harvesting lodged corn:
- If harvest speeds are significantly reduced, the amount of material going through the combine is reduced. Fan speed may need to be reduced to avoid blowing kernels out of the combine. Rotor speed may need to be reduced to maintain grain quality. Check kernel losses behind the combine and grain quality to fine tune cleaning and threshing adjustments.
- Operate the corn head as low as practical without picking up rocks or significant amounts of soil.
- Single-direction harvesting against the grain of leaning stalks may help. Evaluate losses though before spending large amounts of time dead-heading through the field.
More tips for machine operation to reduce harvesting losses is available from Wallaces Farmer online. Click here for the full article, “Harvesting Tips For Lodged Corn.”
Team Latham

September 13, 2011

Corn, Crop, Fall, General, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Prioritize Fields for Early Harvest

Crisp, cool mornings remind us that fall is just around the corner. The crop continues to move quickly towards maturity, and harvest will be in full swing across Latham Country in a couple of weeks.

According to a Sept. 6 crop report by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, 96% of the state’s corn crop has reached dough stage. Eighty-six percent of the corn is at or beyond the dent stage, and 14% of the corn crop is mature.

Time is of the essence! Plan a successful harvest by scouting fields and evaluating standability. Identify potential problem areas. Note crop progress, as well as insect and disease pressure. Pay particular attention to fields that were damaged by wind and hail, promoting stalk rot.

Stalk rot is caused by stress, including extreme heat and a lack of moisture. Many acres were stressed this season, so standability could be an issue in several fields. Note the severity and prioritize fields for harvest. Implementing a strategy of “harvesting the worst first” could really pay off this fall when you keep kernals off the ground and in your hopper. You’ll want to get as many bushels as possible with corn at $7 or more!

For more information on how to detect stalk rot, watch my two-minute video and click here to read a related blog post.

Webspec Admin

September 12, 2011

Fall, General, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Making a Harvest Checklist

Corn silage harvest is already underway and grain harvest will soon follow. Are you ready for an early harvest? Keep these three things in mind when putting together your harvest checklist:

1. Develop a plan. A good plan will outline in order of importance which fields to harvest first. The main consideration when contemplating your harvest order is focusing on fields exhibiting potential for Stalk Rot and subsequent Stalk Lodging. Secondary concerns include hybrid maturity, crop residue management and logistical concerns.

2. Get in your field. Once a harvest plan is developed, get out in your field and assess crop progress and identify potential problem areas. Being aware of crop progress and insect and disease pressure at all times is the best way to ensure maximum yield. If challenges do arise, you might have to harvest early. I am available to help in determining which fields may need to be harvested first. Please don’t hesitate to call!

3. Prepare equipment. Make sure you check machinery and conduct necessary maintenance prior to harvest. I have witnessed growers who, due to conditions like Stalk Rot, should have been harvesting a week earlier than they actually did. They simply weren’t prepared for an earlier harvest, and as a result, they lost thousands of dollars worth of crops that could have been saved.

Webspec Admin

September 8, 2011

Fall, General, Season
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Too hot for corn?
Peter Bixel, Seed-2-Soil powered by Sci Max Team Leader

The effects of this past’s week heat wave on this fall’s corn yields is a main topic of conversation in the countryside. Farmers are wondering if consecutive days of excessive heat will cut yield. It’s true that stress during pollination and silking may result in shorter ears, increased tip back and fewer kernels per ear – all of which contribute to less yield potential. Sometimes.

Fortunately, the availability of pollen is usually not a problem with modern hybrids for a couple of reasons:
1. At its peak, a plant produces 500,000 pollen grains per day! There is usually more than enough pollen to go around.
2. Most pollen shed occurs during the morning when temperatures are cooler and moisture stress less evident.
Breeding efforts have significantly improved the stress-tolerance of today’s hybrids. The time between pollination and silking – also known as the anthesis-silk interval (ASI) – is very short with modern hybrids. This shorter ASI results in few barren plants. In older hybrids, however, silking always followed initial pollen shed by at least several days.

The good news is current soil moisture conditions are excellent throughout much of our territory. Likewise, the crop moisture index shows that all of Iowa sits at the midpoint, “Slightly dry/ Favorably moist.” A good share of our soils have high water holding capacity. As the heat spell continues, the differences in mid-afternoon corn leaf rolling between soils with better moisture holding capacities than others will be evident.

High temperature impacts on corn

This heat wave may have a double impact on the crop. The first is the increase in rolling of corn leaves in response to moisture deficiency. By rule-of-thumb, the yield is diminished by 1 percent for every 12 hours of leaf rolling – except during the week of silking when the yield is cut 1 percent per 4 hours of leaf rolling. Unfortunately, most of our crop will be silking next week. The second impact is less obvious initially.

When soil moisture is sufficient, as it is for the most part this July, the crop doesn’t have a measurable yield response to one day of temperatures between 93 F to 98 F. The fourth consecutive day with a maximum temperature of 93 degrees or above, however, results in a 1 percent yield loss in addition to that computed from the leaf rolling. The fifth day there is an additional 2 percent loss; the sixth day an additional 4 percent loss. Data are not sufficient to make generalizations for a heat wave of more than six days, however, firing of leaves becomes likely and very large yield losses are incurred. Generally a six-day heat wave at silking time is sufficient to assure a yield not to exceed trend (Iowa trend yield is near 174 bushels per acre).

Hopefully, this hot-weather trend will end soon! Everything – plants, people and pets – could use a break.
Webspec Admin

July 21, 2011

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

Rain Makes Corn, but Wind Makes a Mess!

It’s no wonder that farmers always have one eye on the radar and both ears tuned to the next weather report. Weather is the number one factor in determining yield, said Dr. Fred Below, professor of Plant Physiology for the University of Illinois.

During a July 15^th presentation to a group of farmers enrolled in Latham’s Seed-2-Soil® program, Dr. Below said that rain in July and cool night-time temperatures in August make grain. His data shows that about 70 bushels of yield can be attributed to weather.

Unfortunately, the weather last Monday was out of control! Straight-line winds of 75 to 100 mph struck many corn fields in Latham Country, including our WHO Crop Tour Stop on Johnny Wilson’s farm near Laurel in Central Iowa. These photos by John Latham show damage in the area, including a new bin that collapsed, and downed corn.

Yield loss to the maturing corn crop may be large, reports Rod Swoboda in a recent Wallaces Farmer article entitled “Severe Storms High Winds Flatten Iowa Corn.”

This bin located north of Johnny's field didn't fare quite as well.

Despite the damage that occurred July 11, ISU Extension Corn Specialist Roger Elmore says we can be thankful the damage wasn’t more extensive. Wet soils caused more root lodging from the derecho winds, explains Dr. Elmore in a blog posted July 15 by Iowa Farmer Today. Drier soils would have cause more greensnap, and thus higher yield losses. Read Elmore’s blog post for more information about yield loss from root lodging, greensnap and pinching.

Corn in Johnny Wilson's field near Laurel, Iowa after 80-100 mph straight-line winds passed through.

Derecho winds on Monday, July 11, damaged fields in Marshall County, Iowa. This competitor hybrid was located in a field just to the North of Johnny's LH 5376.

Team Latham

July 18, 2011

Agronomics, General, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Tune into WHO News Radio Today for Round 2 of Crop Tour Update

We’re preparing to go on air shortly for the second round of the “From the Field” Crop Tour Series with News Radio 1040 WHO, and wanted to provide you with an update from each of the four producers’ fields being featured in the crop tour series. Tune into News Radio 1040 WHO today between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., when we’ll provide live on-air updates including plant growth stages and growing conditions.

Meet each of the featured producers below and receive updates on their growing season progress.

Scott Jencks’ field in Hawkeye, Iowa

The Jencks’ field of Latham® hybrid LH 5877 VT3PRO was scouted on June 6, and the crop is looking great. Ninety-five percent of the corn plants are at the V4 stage. Plant population is ranging from 32,000 to 38,000 – and that’s right where we want it to be in this variable rate field. Recent warm, dry weather has helped give crops here a boost, but it’s getting to the point where a little moisture is needed. The soil here is dry enough that it’s starting to crack.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGfZUX1BU_Q[/youtube]

Scott Mandernach’s field near Odebolt

As of June 6, Latham® hybrid LH 6167 VT3PRO that Scott Mandernach planted May 4 is at V5 stage with great stand and great root structure. The corn is about 18 inches tall throughout the field. The field has been pretty dry for the last week and a half, but that dry spell was needed to force the roots to dig down a little deeper after a wet spring. There is no disease or insect pressure at the moment.

Johnny Wilson’s field near Laurel, Iowa

Scouted on June 9, Latham® hybrid LH 5877 VT3PRO is looking good right now. Recent dry weather let the roots establish themselves, but yesterday’s rain was welcome. There seems to be a good hold on stand. The field was planted on May 3 at a population of 36,000 plants/acre. There is no sign of disease or insects in the field at this time.

Mike Aldinger’s soybean field near Iowa Falls, Iowa

This soybean field was scouted June 9. The soil has been dry for the past 10 days but it started to rain as we were scouting. This crop looks good for the most part. Plants are at the V1 stage, working on V2. Population looks good, and the plants have developed a good root system. There are a few bean leaf beetle marks on the leaves, but insect pressure is minimal throughout the field.

Team Latham

June 10, 2011

General, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

What stage is your crop in?

All too often, agronomists provide crop recommendations according to stages of crop growth. For corn and soybeans, this is referred to as the “V” stage. While a plant’s progression through these stages can’t be determined by days on the calendar (due to varying hybrid types, environments, planting dates and location,) they are standardized by visual plant development.

Corn Plant at Stage "V3"

The V stage of the corn plant is determined by the number of collars present on the plant. The leaf collar is the light-colored collar-like “band” located at the base where every leaf blade connects to the stem of the plant. Leaves within the whorl, (those not fully expanded to allow for a visible leaf collar) are not included. For example, the photo at left has three collars so it’s considered a “V3 plant”, even though there are 6 leaves present. If this example were to be converted to a whole-field recommendation, the field would be considered at stage “V3” when 50% of the plants are determined to show three fully developed collars.

The soybean version of this identification system divides plant development into vegetative (V) and reproductive (R) stages. With the exception of the first two stages, the (V) stages are designated numerically as V1, V2, V3, through V(n), where (n) represents the total number of nodes that develop (fluctuates by variety and environmental influence). The V stages following VC are numbered according to the uppermost fully developed leaf node. To determine the correct stage, start with the unifoliolate leaf node. A leaf node is fully developed when the leaf above it has fully unrolled, meaning the leaflet edges are no longer touching. The eight R stages are simply designated numerically and describe the stages of flowering, pod production, pod fill and maturity.

Click the photo below for an expanded and printable visual of all growth stages in both corn and soybeans. We’d love to hear how the crop is progressing on your farm. What stage are your crops currently in?

Gary Geske

June 7, 2011

General, Season, Summer
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Corn Planting Gains Ground

What a difference a week can make! Iowa farmers can plant slightly more than 20 percent of our state’s corn acres in one good week, according to ISU Extension Corn Specialist Roger Elmore. This figure is based on the five-year average, which includes one of the fastest planting seasons on record, 2010, and also one of the slowest on record, 2008.

Only 3% of Iowa’s corn acreage had been planted compared with 61% at this time last year, according to the April 25 crop report by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. In this week’s crop report, however, reportedly 8% of the state’s corn acres have been planted.

Lots of seed went in the ground over the weekend, thanks to a few dry days with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Even better news… soil temperatures statewide are averaging 52 degrees and the short-term forecast calls for a few more dry days with rainfall forecast for the week’s end.

Even if rainfall delays planting later this week, Elmore says there’s still plenty of time to plant corn without significant yield losses. There is no need now to switch hybrid maturities for May planting. Adapted hybrids adjust to later planting by shortening the time necessary to reach silking. To view Elmore’s research on the effect of planting date on days to maturing (R6), click here.

Team Latham

May 3, 2011

General, Season, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Work Your Crop Plan – Don't Switch Maturities Yet
With saturated soil conditions and more rain in the short-term forecast, some farmers are talking about switching maturities or even making the switch from corn to soybeans.

Producers are questioning whether longer season maturity hybrids should be swapped for shorter season hybrids, says Iowa State University Extension Corn Specialist Roger Elmore, and the quick answer is “no.”

There are several good reasons why farmers should wait at least until mid-May before making any changes to their current crop plan:
- We’re still within the window of opportunity for maximum yields. Although corn is not being planted as early as last year, it’s still “early.” There are literally weeks of optimal planting dates remaining. Since hundreds of acres of corn can be planted in just one good day, take the time to wait for suitable planting conditions. Iowa State University research shows there is very little yield difference between hybrids planted April 20 and May 20. Corn planted between April 20 and May 5 resulted in 100 percent yield potential, however, 99 percent yield potential was achieved with a planting date up to May 20.
- Hybrids adjust to delayed planting dates. Adapted full season corn hybrids can compensate somewhat for later plantings. As planting is delayed, hybrids shorten the time between planting and silking. Research shows that development and final yield of these hybrids will not be largely affected unless frost occurs especially early in the fall. That’s why ISU field agronomists recommend waiting until May 25 before switching to an earlier maturing corn hybrid.
- In general, fuller season corn hybrids out-yield shorter season hybrids. Expected corn prices can significantly affect one’s decision to switch maturities or even crops. Consider the yield potential and the cost of production before making your final decision. With corn at $7, it could be worth sticking with a fuller-season hybrid in hopes of increased yield.
For these reasons and more, there’s no need to switch hybrids at this point. Patience is the key word this planting season!
Webspec Admin

April 28, 2011

General, Season, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Window of Opportunity Still Exists

Farmers, who are concerned with getting their crops planted early, don’t need to panic yet! We’re still well within the window of opportunity to achieve optimal yields.

“Early planting” is really a subjective term. Some farmers define it as getting corn in the ground on April 15; others define it as getting corn planted by April 30. However, during my 32 years as an agronomist, I’ve learned that the date on the calendar isn’t nearly as important as the seedbed conditions at the time of planting and the short-term forecast that follows.

The years when farmers have achieved the best yields are when they had the best planting conditions and the best weather in the days that followed. Soil need only reach 50 degrees for corn to germinate, but it must be able to maintain that 50 plus-degree temperature for an extended period to encourage proper seed growth and plant development.

The unseasonably cold weather that we’ve experienced over the past two weeks has caused most soil temperatures to actually decrease. That’s why corn planted on April 15, 2011, isn’t guaranteed to out-yield corn that will be planted on May 5.

Waiting for soil conditions to reach – and maintain – 50 degrees Fahrenheit for corn and 55-60 degrees for soybeans will help with emergence and will contribute to better seedling development and overall plant health. For these reasons and more, it pays to plant when conditions are better suited.

Shannon Latham was recently interviewed by Mark Pearson for The Big Show regarding planting dates and the best steps growers can take now to help achieve optimal yield. Click the link below to listen to the interview.

Shannon Latham Discusses Planting Dates with WHO Big Show

As Shannon said, patience is key this season. At Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we know first-hand that waiting is easier said than done. We’re still waiting to plant, too!

Webspec Admin

April 26, 2011

General, Season, Spring