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Latham Hi‑Tech Seed’s Corn Plot going in Northern Iowa!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
#FromtheField – Week of May 1, 2023
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
This Could Be THE Year!
Optimism and grit are two qualities every farmer I’ve ever met has in common.
Family, farming, food and faith are the four themes that kept emerging as Iowa author Darcy Maulsby wrote the book, Iowa Agriculture: A History of Farming, Family and Food.
“For generations, American farmers have lived by an unwritten code centered around hard work, courage, perseverance, teamwork, personal responsibility and concern for the community,” Maulsby says.
This unwritten code is also the Latham way. You’ll find the words “teamwork” and “community” hanging on the wall of our company’s conference room, which is in the former home of Latham Seeds’ founders Willard and Evelyn Latham. We’re proud that our company headquarters is located on the Latham family’s Iowa Century Farm in Franklin County. Our office is surrounded by crops, which are our products.
My husband John, my brother-in-law Chris, and I are proud to be the third generation to own and operate our family-owned seed business. Each year we enter the spring planting season filled with hope and optimism. Each spring John says – and truly means it – that he is more excited than ever to watch our products emerge from the ground and see the crop develop throughout the growing season.
Keep in mind that a seed company grows its products one year in advance. This year we announced our 2024 product lineup to our local Latham® dealers earlier than ever because we’re so excited! All growing season long, our dealers will help us take product notes and evaluate performance. Latham Product Manager Steve Sick will be traveling across the Upper Midwest, meeting with our dealers and taking more notes on our products throughout the growing season. Our product selection begins with YOU, the American farmer.
From our family to yours, we wish you a safe planting season. To help you power through the long hours ahead, we’re sharing links to a few recipes that are easy to eat in the field or in the cab:
- 7 Tractor-Friendly Meal Ideas from This Farm Girl Cooks
- On-the-Go Lunch Ideas from This Farm Girl Cooks
- Farmer-Approved Tractor Meals from Prairie Californian
- Six Week Muffins from Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
- Sweet & Salty Corn Chips from Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
I’m also including a bonus recipe featuring pecans because today is National Pecan Day. Did you know a snack of one pecan serving (about 19 halves) provides loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals?
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Tips for Assessing Winterkill in Alfalfa
When soils thaw in early spring, we can see how our alfalfa crop fared. You can get a pretty good indication of your alfalfa crop’s health from the road. If your field is still brown and the neighbor’s field is green, check for injury or death.
The best way to diagnose winter injury is by digging four to six inches deep and then examining the plants’ roots. Healthy roots should be firm and white in color with little evidence of root rot. Winter-killed roots will have a gray, water-soaked appearance early.
If your alfalfa stand has suffered winter injury, assess the field’s yield potential by determining the number of stems per square foot:
Yield (tons/acre) = (Stems/ft2 x 0.1) + 0.38
This calculation should only be used as a guideline as many factors determine yield. Factors that influence winter injury and yield in alfalfa stands include:
- Stand age. Older stands are more likely to winterkill than younger ones.
- Variety. Varieties with superior winter-hardiness ratings and a high disease resistance index are less likely to experience winter injury.
- Soil pH. Stands growing on soil with a pH about 6.6 are less likely to experience winter injury.
- Soil Fertility. Stands with high fertility, particularly potassium, are less likely to experience winter injury than those with low fertility.
- Soil moisture. Alfalfa grown on well-drained soils is less prone to winter injury.
- Fall soil moisture status. As dehydration is the primary means of tolerating freezing temperatures, stands that go into winter with low soil moisture are better able to lose moisture and are less likely to winterkill.
- Cutting management. Both harvest frequency and timing of fall cutting affect alfalfa winter hardiness. The shorter the interval between cuttings, the greater the risk of winter injury. Stands where the last cutting was taken between Sept. 1 and Oct. 15 are at greater risk, as plants are unable to replenish root carbohydrate reserves before winter.
- Snow cover. Snow is an excellent insulator. Four inches of snow can result in a 10°F difference in soil temperatures. Stands that were not cut after Sept. 1 or that have at least six inches of stubble retain more snow cover and are less susceptible to winter injury.
While we cannot control what Mother Nature delivers during the winter months, we can take steps to control or reduce alfalfa winter injury. Contact your local Latham® dealer or call our office at 877-GO-LATHAM (877-465-2842); we’d love to assist you with any questions you may have.
Did you enjoy this article? We want to (TECH)talk with you! Sign up for our newsletter to receive agronomy articles (and delicious recipes) in your inbox! We’ll talk soon.
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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 2023 planting. Customers frequently ask us how to mitigate risk from the 2022 wet planting season.While we want to maximize the yield potential of early planting, 2022 data shows us that delayed planting can result in very good yields — and better yields than planting when conditions are unfit.
Consider these factors to successfully mitigate potential risks of delayed planting:
- Minimize compaction during field preparation.
- A uniform seed bed creates the best opportunity to plant your crop with precision.
- Minimize passes in the spring while creating a uniform seed bed.
- Be careful not to cause sidewall compaction of seed trench at planting.
- Plant your corn crop with precision. We want all plants to emerge within 72 hours. This creates the best root system to maximize water use through the entire growing season.
- Plant a consistent seed depth.
- Check for consistent seed spacing.
- Ensure great seed-to-soil contact.
- Delay planting if cold temps or cold rain is forecasted within 72 hours after planting.
- Promote a healthy root system with fertility. Good fertility programs maintain a healthy, strong root system to effectively use available water.
- Starter fertilizer gets corn plants off to the best start possible.
- Side-dress Nitrogen in a timely manner to nurse optimum plant health.
- 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 a great start will result in more success than totally changing your hybrid selection.
Remember, most corn yield is created in July and August. Get your plants off to the best start, so they can take advantage of that part of the growing season. Don’t get discouraged if you encounter a bit of a delay. Stick to the hybrids in your original plan through the end of May.
Did you enjoy this article? We want to (TECH)talk with you! Sign up for our newsletter to receive agronomy articles (and delicious recipes) in your inbox! We’ll talk soon.
- Minimize compaction during field preparation.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Latham Seeds Welcomes Kody Trampel as Regional Sales Manager
Sometimes, the best opportunities present themselves at just the right time. That was true for Kody Trampel, who joined the Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds team earlier this fall after working as an agronomist in ag retail for 12 years. Kody knew the Latham family even before he graduated from Iowa State University 10 years ago, and always kept an eye on the company’s go-to-market strategy.
“One thing Latham does really well is bringing options to customers and letting them pick the trait packages that best fit within their operation,” Kody says. “Being an independent seed company gives us the ability to do that. Most other companies can’t.”
While he didn’t grow up on a farm, Kody helped his grandpa mix feed at the Klemme (Iowa) Co-op every week. He participated in FFA and 4-H; and majored in Agricultural Studies at ISU. He met his wife, Vanessa, while working as an agronomist in one of her grandpa’s bean fields.
Kody and Vanessa Trampel with their children Pierce and Finley. Today, Kody and Vanessa raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa, cattle and hogs. They also represent District 2 for the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Advisory Committee. Kody is involved with the Hancock County Extension Council and Hancock County Farm Bureau, as well. Vanessa is an Iowa Central nursing graduate.
Kody says he’s most excited for the opportunity to “focus on seed only” in his RSM role at Latham Seeds — while also using his experience in ag retail to help grow his dealer network.
“Bringing real-life experiences to the farm gate is something I’m really looking forward to,” he says.
Kody knows how committed Latham Seeds is to its customer base because of a single, short statement that company President John Latham always drives home: “We are a genetics-first company and a trait company second.”
“That comment from John truly shows that no matter where the traits are sourced from, we won’t bring them to the table unless we have a need from our customers,” Kody says. “That just proves how important they are to us.”
When he isn’t working, Kody enjoys camping with family and friends, and raising and showing livestock. He and Vanessa have two children, Pierce (3) and Finley (2). They also love their four mini Aussies: Paisley, Bentley, Sage and Mila.
Here is a delicious family recipe from the Trampels!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
The Future of Agriculture
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is committed to the future of agriculture – and that includes investing in the next generation of farmers and students who care about the future, too.
We’re proud to participate in the largest agricultural career fair in the nation, which is held annually at Iowa State University. Every year we are blown away by the caliber of students that we get to visit with from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). But this year, it was a whole new game: ISU’s career fair broke its own record for the largest number of businesses and organizations present! How many? 289 to be exact. We know, because we were there.
The CALS career fair boasts at least a 98% placement rate for student internships and full-time jobs. If that’s not impressive enough, consider this: students from 61 different majors at ISU were drawn to this event on a mid-October day. That’s 1,600 students passing by our booth, which means the competition is fierce – and not just for them. As a company, we must compete. And we do because we always want the best of the best on our team.
You can learn more about Iowa State’s CALS career fair here.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
It’s Porktober!
It’s National Pork Month! Want to know how to make the perfect pork tenderloin? Leon Sheets has all the deets. Leon lives in Northeast Iowa and is a past recipient of the National Pork Board’s “Pig Farmer of the Year” award. Check out his tips:- Fresh, never frozen tenderloin, cut to the chef’s (or home cook’s) specifications.
- Handmade on site.
- Tenderized at least once, hand pounded, or both.
- Batter dipped at least once.
- Frying time and temperature are key. The tenderloin should come out golden brown, not too dark, not too light, with uniform even coloring and texture.
- Breading should be moist, not dry, not brittle and not falling off.
- Condiments are optional. It all comes down to your personal preference or taste.
To help you celebrate October Pork Month celebration at home, we’re sharing a recipe for Food & Swine’s Classic Iowa Tenderloin, which is available from the Iowa Food & Family Project.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Tailgating Tradition Continues at Iowa State
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds continues its tradition of supporting Iowa State University (ISU) Cyclones football by hosting our annual tailgate and sponsoring the Latham Locker Room Report on Cyclone Radio Network. Be sure to tune into the Latham Locker Room Report after each game – whether it’s home or away – for exclusive interviews with ISU coaches and players!
Tomorrow the Cyclones play at home, and we will host our annual tailgate for Latham® dealers and customers. We’re looking forward to gathering with Team Latham members and fellow Cyclone fans! You can bet we will serve our signature cocktails, including CyRitas and Hail Mary’s with beef sticks in place of stir sticks.
Latham ISU Tailgate with Matt Campbell, Head Football Coach Although we always “Tailgate Victoriously,” we have especially high hopes for winning tomorrow’s game. Iowa State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) comes into this game on a high after claiming the Cy-Hawk Trophy over in-state rivals the Iowa Hawkeyes for the first time since September 2014.
Coach Matt Campbell’s winning percentage is the best of any Iowa State head coach since Charles Mayser won .647 percent of his games from 1915-19. In addition, Campbell was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year Award in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Chris Latham, CFO, Matt Campbell, ISU Football Coach, John Latham, President The Cyclones are breaking in a new quarterback this year, but redshirt freshman Hunter Dekkers is one to watch. The Cyclones also lost their main running back after the 2021 season to the NFL draft, but Jirehl Brock returns to the starting lineup. His performance has been solid in the first two weeks.
Another fun fact is a new playing surface was installed in Jack Trice Stadium on May 3, 2022. The sod was grown at the ISU Horticulture Research Station.
If you haven’t driven past the stadium recently, you’re in for a treat. Football fans no longer have to dodge traffic and drivers should have less stress avoiding pedestrians thanks to the completion of the $10 million East Gateway Bridge. This bridge connects the Jack Trice Stadium area to expanded parking east of the stadium, including a new donor RV parking/tailgating area.
College Game Day tailgates feature everything from trail mix and Buffalo Chicken Dip to chili and ribeye sandwiches. Click here for a link to some of our favorite tailgating fare. We’re also featuring a recipe for crowd-pleasing Fall Snack Mix. It also makes for a great snack during fall harvest. Enjoy!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Salute to the Farmers
Labor Day is an annual celebration of American laborers – the people who truly keep our country moving. At Latham Seeds, we know farmers are the stewards of agriculture. Yes, they help feed the world. But they also help clothe us. They strengthen our global economy. They partner with Mother Nature in a way that’s not for the faint of heart.
We understand the work that goes in to everything they do. Every. Single. Day.
Saluting farmers is something family-owned Latham Seeds has done ever since Willard Latham started the company back in 1947. And as we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, we’re especially proud to tip our hat to the laborers of agriculture. The stewards of our world.
Don, Tom, Bill and Willard Latham in the 1980s -
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Harvest Corn Silage at Optimal Milkline to Add to Your Bottom Line
Corn silage season is approaching quickly, so it’s a good time to review basics like how to determine when to harvest.
As the kernel matures from the dented cap, the milkline moves toward the kernel tip where it attaches to the cob. Harvesting at 50% milkline generally achieves approximately 65% whole-plant moisture. Optimal harvest for bunks/bags is 65 to 70% whole-plant moisture, or one-half to one-fourth milkline. Optimal harvest for stave upright silos is 63 to 65% whole-plant moisture, or three-fourths to one-half milkline.
Think of the kernel as a sponge. As the milkline develops, the kernel absorbs more moisture from the chopped residue. If you harvest silage corn that is too wet, juicing can occur. Inadequate fermentation and mold development also may result. It is advantageous to do a formal moisture check using a koster crop tester, for example.
One of the biggest drivers for milkline development is weather. Moisture, fertility, heat and plant health are four big drivers affecting milk line movement. When the plant is at full photosynthetic capacity, the corn silage whole-plant moisture can decline daily from 0.5 to one percent. Photosynthetic activity slows when the weather is cold, wet or cloudy, causing the corn plant to mature slower. Look at the forecast as harvest approaches because many changes can occur in five days.
Another way to improve the quality of corn silage is by raising the chopping height as most lignin accumulates in the lower portion of the stalk. Lignin is the structural component that helps plants stand. It’s a tradeoff to find the correct cutting height to maximize forage quality and to capture the most tonnage.
Some forage producers increase cutting height to help reduce moisture, so they can get started earlier. Raising the chop height 12 inches in a Penn State study left about 0.6 ton in the field but forage quality improved. Improved quality produces more milk for dairy farmers!
If you have any questions feel free to reach out at coreyc@lathamseeds.com.
