Eastern Iowa has been lucky enough to have ideal weather for spraying fungicide and insecticide! Below is a video from this week.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
While scouting corn fields in Central Iowa, Goss’s Wilt has been spotted. Now with the cooler weather in the north, it is starting to show up.
Did you spray fungicide? It looks like the growers who did will be happy with their decision. Enjoy this nice weather!
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Perfect evening for fungicide and insecticide application on soybeans in Western Iowa.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
Signs are up on this FieldxField trial plot in Janesville, Wisconsin. The brands in this plot were selected by maturity for the soil type and environment on this farm. As an independent seed company, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds has the opportunity to try different technologies and genetics from year to year. Without on-farm research trials across the region, we wouldn’t have product performance data to support new traits or varieties such as the L 2187 GT27 soybeans that were released last year.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
Our late-planted Latham® soybean plot in northern Wisconsin, which was planted on heavier ground, looks pretty good. On the flip side, the soybeans in the second photo were planted just 15 minutes south on sandy soil. In my July 11 crop report, I posted about the drought across our region. Now we’re seeing more fields were plants appear gray and leaves are curling. Our region has some good crops, but more rain would be a blessing. On a side note, every year I see a few field with deer damage. In photo 3, you can see where the tops of the soybeans in the middle row were clipped.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
This picture was taken July 30 on the farm of Riverton Seed where they’re preparing equipment for wheat harvest that will start by the end of this week. Crystal Sugar Company also announced it will start opening fields the Week of August 12, which is a week earlier than last year. This picture was taken in the shop where the beet lifter is being prepped for opening week.
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
Soybean traits are all the buzz. When it comes to deciding what trait to plant on your farm, my advice to do what you need to control weeds. FieldxField crop planning is key. Don’t worry about what your neighbors are doing. And no matter what program you choose, start with a pre-emerge herbicide! This field of Latham® Liberty Link soybeans is practically picture-perfect clean.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
Now is the time to begin scouting for soybean aphids. I’ve only seen low numbers that don’t require spraying, but it’s important to keep checking your fields because populations can explode in only a few days. Some insects, such as spider mites, are so small that you need to shake the plant over a piece of white paper to see them. Keep scouting but spray only when necessary. Click here for more mid-season crop scouting tips.
Pollination is nearly complete in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Gray Leaf Spot is showing up with the hot, humid conditions we have had in the last few weeks. Scout for GLS and make fungicide decisions.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
We had a great turnout at an in-field agronomy training in Central Iowa. Dealers were thrilled to gain tangible agronomic information to bring back to both their customers and their own farm.
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
The soybeans in this LibertyLink® SuperStripTM plot in Mitchell County are coming along really well. Fungicide is going on a lot of corn fields. Some fields look spotty after all the rain we received earlier, which caused nitrogen lost.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
Last week Jon and Jenna Ricklefs signed their Latham® SuperStrip plot. It looks awesome!
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA & SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
Cory Greiman
This nice looking field of Latham® 1787 LL soybeans were no-till drilled into cereal rye on June 20 near Garner, Iowa.
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
The 2018 growing season has been a challenge in Northwest Iowa. Initial crop planning and seed placement didn’t necessarily come together due to weather conditions. With the help of Climate FieldView, we can make sure we scout fields and place signage appropriately. These L 1958 LL are well worth showing off with a field sign!
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
An estimated 30,000 RAGBRAI riders rode past on Sunday past Latham® corn and soybeans plots on Hwy 37 east of Turin in western Iowa.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
Pollination has mostly wrapped up in this SuperStrip Corn Plot in Cambridge, Wisconsin, that was planted on May 8. You can see the different varieties on the left of the picture. So far LH 5742 RR is visually the clear standout, but I’m looking forward to seeing what tops this plot for yield when the combine rolls.
Up to this point in the growing season, I haven’t seen much for disease pressure in the fields. The crops continue to impress me in fields where there was not excessive moisture.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
Crop conditions are still good across the bluffs of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Areas to the north across Wisconsin Highway 10 are very dry. Fungicide applications have been in full force on both corn and soybeans. While checking on a Latham® SuperStrip in Menomonie, WI, I took some footage of an aerial application of fungicide on corn with a helicopter. The tender truck driver was very kind and answered all my questions. He said the helicopter has about a 200-gallon tank and sprays 5-7 gallons per acre. They spray several fields in the area but are very selective of which ones. That same day I saw a Haggie covering a corn field in Minnesota where the corn was equally as high as the floor on the cab.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
Our Latham® dealer’s SuperStrip plot by Felton, Minn., looks great!
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
This farmer near Wessington Springs, South Dakota, flew on a cover crop of radishes and turnips into standing corn just before tasseling. At the same time, he applied nitrogen. You can see emergence was great, and his cover crop will have plenty of growth well before the corn will be harvested. Farmers in this area have had ample rain fall this year, so there are some amazing looking crops. This year is a huge turn around after last year’s drought.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
More rain fell this past week in parts of Northeast South Dakota. Six to seven inches fell at Brookings and Gettysburg, causing flooding. Unfortunately, other areas are still very short on moisture. Most corn has pollinated and kernels are beginning to fill in the blister to milk stage. Soybeans are nearly canopied and pods are starting to form.
LH 5175 VT2 PRO DG looks great even with abundant moisture. Although this area has been dry, 6.5 inches of rain caused flooding at Gettysburg.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
Looks like a double crop, doesn’t it? This is a perfect example of a “resistant weed” that we deal with in North Dakota that is unique to our rotations and climate. Roundup Ready® Canola has become a trouble weed for corn/soybean growers throughout the region. Just like our more standard resistant weeds, the tiny seed of canola can remain in the soils for seasons and germinate at will. Fortunately, this problem can be controlled with a proper pre-emergence and weed control system.
Fields like this lose yield to weed competition. That’s why it’s important to keep previous crops, like Roundup Ready Canola and LibertyLink Canola, in mind when you’re crop planning for soybeans. Don’t just think about what crop you planted in that field last year; note whether you had a canola shatter event within the past seven years to avoid volunteer crops from growing. It’s important to talk about trait rotation and “weed control” with your seed rep or agronomist to keep your fields clean.
Latham® Hi‑Tech Seeds field signs are popping up across Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. The crops are ahead of schedule due to maximum heat units per day. It’s time to be making decisions on fungicide treatment on your corn and soybeans.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
Latham 6175 VT2 PRO RIB, shown here, is a very healthy hybrid that works well on many soil types without much management.
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
Keep scouting your fields for pests and disease. We got 2.5 inches of rain late last week. Overall, crops look pretty good. Soybean fields are starting to close up in some areas while other areas have a ways to go. Corn fields are all pretty much all tasseled. Fungicide is being applied, so we’re seeing lots of planes and helicopters flying.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
This beautiful field of L 2684 L near Arthur, Iowa, is weed free.
Latham’s LH 5245 VT2 PRO RIB and LH 5215 VT2 PRO RIB really pair well together. With all the weather events we’ve had in Northwest Iowa, these two hybrids look great! I look forward to the yield analysis.
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
As you can see, LH 6425 VT2 PRO RIB looks beautiful. This ear is 18 kernels around and 40 long.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
Scouting fields during the growing season is beneficial to determine if there are any yield-limiting factors that can cause even thinner margins.
Risk management needs to be in the forefront of every decision on the farm when margins are this thin. This field of glyphosate-resistant corn in Green County is infested with armyworms. This field was sprayed pre-emerge with an insecticide and then sprayed again with a pesticide last Friday. Armyworm presence still exists and will need to be addressed again.
Planning ahead to 2019, this farmer will likely be plant fully traited genetics to limit exposer to insect pressure.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
The soybean plot of Latham® dealer Bruce Sellent’s in Almena, Wisc., looks great! Here are a few things that I noted while walking this plot:
L 0838 R2 is the check.
L 1184 R2 X looks really good. It’s a tall, bushy plant that filled in the 30-inch rows with ease.
E 1159 R2 is also a tall, bushy plant with a distinct darker green appearance.
We received some much needed rain last week and more is in the forecast for this week.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
Gary Geske conducts a root dig for Latham® Dealer Steve Gades and one of his customers from Morris, Minn. It’s important to evaluate corn root worm pressure in fields and start making plans for 2019 seed needs.
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
Most South Dakota crops are looking great! We have had good heat units with some nice cool days and nights, along with good moisture. The rains have taken a bit of a break, so growers have had a chance to spray soybean fields. Many producers are finishing up second cuttings of hay, and the spring wheat is ripening.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
Lighter soils are starting to show stress in the Watertown area where pollination is in full swing. Rain is still badly needed in many areas. Corn in the Northern areas is further along and nearing the end of pollination. Soybeans are beginning to set some pods and continue to near canopy. No disease or insect pressure is showing up yet.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
Wild flowers, like those planted in this two-acre prairie plot that has been restored to long grass, help pollinators remain healthy. My wife, Sandy, and I planted and care for this Prairie Restoration Plot in cooperation with the United Prairie Foundation. Seed costs for this complete mixture of grasses and flowers costs about $2,000 per acre.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
It looks like we’ll have a perfect weather pattern for tasseling and pollinating corn. Highs will be in the low 70s to mid-80s, and night-time temps will get down to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We have a terrific corn crop across the entire region. Yield predictions and assessments have already started.
Harvest is coming fast. Small grain harvest likely will begin next week.
Things are looking good in Eastern Iowa! This Latham® corn plot was planted April 29, and the 114-day hybrid has already tasseled. This soybean plot was planted May 16.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
These photos were taken this week at a Latham plot near Oskaloosa, Iowa. It’s time to start looking at plots and planning for next year’s seed needs. “Independent Options” will make the difference! Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds will offer six different soybeans technologies and many different corn hybrids to maximize your profit per acre.
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
It’s important to keep scouting your fields. Here’s a field of our popular LH 5245 VT2 PRO RIB in Black Hawk County. It’s been a dry week, so farmers were able to finish spraying. Soybean fields are finally starting to come around and looking better.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
Latham® Dealers are busy putting signs in corn and soybean SuperStrip plots.
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA & SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
Cory Greiman
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
Weather events just keep happening in Northwest Iowa. Just as we finished with replants, Mother Nature delivered hail.
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Soybeans have begun to flower in my territory and we are beginning to see a lot of sprayers in the field with the dryer weather conditions this week.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
LH 5495 3122 EZR has excellent plant health at flowering in southern Wisconsin. This field’s end use will be corn silage this fall because of the tonnage and flexible use of this product. I have not noticed much for corn diseases in the fields in 2018.
The only pests I have seen in fields are Japanese Beetles. The Japanese Beetles are just starting to chew on soybean plants as seen in this field of L 2228 R2. Now is the time to scout your fields for weed and pest issues. It’s also time to start planning for 2019.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
Overall, crops are still in pretty good condition across Northern Wisconsin. However, signs of drought are present on lighter soils. As leaves curl and turn gray, farmers are becoming more concerned about yield loss. This link to an Iowa State University article includes some very good information about yield loss in both corn and soybeans: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2017/07/influence-drought-corn-and-soybean
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
As I’m looking at crops, it’s apparent that Latham products are awesome. This Field was split planted and LH 5245 stood strong against some heavy wind. This area also received 11 inches of rain over three days.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
This picture was taken July 7 near Morris, Minn. This field of LH 455TQ RR was planted this spring and spayed twice with Roundup®. You can see the great weed control in this first cutting.
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
This week winter wheat harvest has kicked off in South Dakota. With some long awaited dry warm weather, the wheat finished drying and combines started rolling. Little Jett looks on while his dad, Jim, unloads a hopper full of wheat.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
Warm weather has pushed the corn crop along. Even with late planting this spring, corn development is ahead of average. Tassels will pop on much of the corn this week, and cooler temps will be beneficial to pollination. Soybeans have been coming along slowly due to wetter conditions, and Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC) is showing up this year. Research has proven that planting IDC-tolerant soybean brands is really the best management practice. To help farmers better identify those soybeans that have high tolerance to IDC, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds has designed a lineup of soybeans as IRONCLAD™.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
Growing conditions have been pretty good this spring, so Kyle Geske is applying more nitrogen to help maximize yield in some of his fields. Crop scouting is important this time of year even if you don’t plan on applying more fertilizer now as next year’s fertilizer maps can be adjusted based on areas that are insufficient this season.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
Latham® LH 4940 CONV/LFY continues to impress everywhere its grown. I can’t wait to do pre-harvest tests for tons per acre and silage quality. It looks to be an exciting new addition to our Latham portfolio.
When I was growing up, farmers would say, “Knee high corn by the 4th of July will make a good crop.” This year corn in Eastern Iowa is tasseling by the 4th of July! The corn looks phenomenal in most of my territory as you can tell by this field of LH 5885 VT2 PRO RIB that was planted April 29. If we can continue to pick up timely rains, fall harvest should be great.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
Wind storms on June 28 reached 60+ mile an hour in areas, causing this corn field (not planted to Latham) in Indianola to green snap in a large part of the field. Ponding is greatly damaged corn and soybeans fields in the central region. Ten inches of rain fell Saturday in Ankeny from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM. What a crazy year!
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
The rain just keeps coming! Last week’s rainfall totaled more than five inches, so farmers are struggling to get spraying done. This Latham® Hi‑Tech Soybeans SuperStrip in Steele County Minnesota is coming along pretty good considering all the rain. In the Black Hawk County Iowa, some corn fields are starting to tassel.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
More rain fell Saturday night in Humboldt County, and this photo was taken July 2. Wherever there is ponding, the corn is dying and starting to smell like silage.
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA & SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
Cory Greiman
Happy Independence Day!
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
Rainfall hasn’t created favorable conditions for scouting. Hopefully, we’ll have a dry week to finish spraying and to do some scouting.
Scouting is much more efficient for farmers, who are using Climate FieldView. We can scout crops together. Their entire operation is at our fingertips before we even step foot in the field. This photo shows a farm using Climate FieldView Plus, which gives the farmer satellite field health images throughout the growing season. You then can look at a split view, as pictured here, which shows the hybrids on the left and the field health imagery on the right. It works well to view entire field, acre by acre, rather than trying to see it all on foot.
We look forward to gather yield data this fall, so we can layer it with all of this information throughout the year to make more informed decisions for the future.
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Flag leaves are showing, which means this field of LH 6224 3120 EZR will reach tassel is three to four days.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
It’s a winning combination for this customer in Cambridge, Wisc.! Latham® hybrid LH 5739 SS RIB and Latham brand L 2084 R2 soybeans have had a tough spring with all the excess rain in the area, but they are still growing.
Latham 2084 R2 soybeans are one of my go-to products for soybeans in Wisconsin as this soybean performs in even the toughest environments. It is one of 20 (exclusive) IRONCLAD™ soybean brands featured in Latham’s product guide. To bear the IRONCLAD distinction, each soybean variety must be Soybean Cyst Nematode resistant and carry an Iron Deficiency Chlorosis rating of 2.2 or better. Depending on your specific needs, IRONCLAD varieties must also protect against either White Mold or Sudden Death Syndrome with a rating of 2.2 or higher. Furthermore, these products must have strong defensive ratings against Phytophthora Root Rot and Brown Stem Rot.
A new product for corn this year, LH 5739 SS RIB, looks like it will be a new top performer in the 105- to 109- day maturity range for Wisconsin. As a GLADIATOR™ product, it combines the best genetics and traits (including a mandatory rootworm event) available in the market today to help farmers maximize yields from corn-on-corn acres. Each designated GLADIATOR product goes through rigorous testing and evaluation by Latham’s team of regional corn experts before earning its designation as a Latham® GLADIATOR hybrid.
We can’t wait for the results from these fields this fall!
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
The soybean plot was planted June 7 in Cadott, Wisc. Soybean maturities range from 07 to 1.7, and the plot check is L 0982 R2.
These photos show the importance of seed treatment. Untreated L 1438 R2 was planted as the outside 12 rows of the plot. Treated L 1438 R2 was planted as one of the strips. In the first picture, the four plants on the left were treated with Latham® Soyshield Plus™, which is a premium formulation that gives superior control of most seed and soil-borne diseases, as well as includes a systemic insecticide. The four plants on the right were untreated. You can see the treated plants are taller with bigger root mass and more nodules. This is also shown in the second photo.
The last photo is a comparison of treated versus untreated. Can you tell which ones are treated and the one that isn’t?
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
Soybean development is extremely variable across my territory. We’re seeing everything from V1 to R1 because there has been so much replanting. Due to all the rain, spraying also has been extremely challenging. This field is located near Clements, Minnesota. As the waters recede, we’re seeing more drowned out spots.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
Last Friday Latham’s Northern Product Specialist, Gary Geske, and I scouted a field of our silage-specific LH 4940 CONV/LFY. It looks great!
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
It’s safe to say our corn made it to knee high and beyond before the Fourth of July! Although many fields across Southeast South Dakota are saturated, much of the corn is in a healthy state. Many of the fields I have been in this past week are shoulder-high and look great!
This photo is of our Latham SuperStrip plot at Estelline, SD. It has been a struggle getting fields sprayed between the wind and rain, but most corn fields are clean. Farmers are having a tougher time getting soybeans sprayed. The main weed I’m seeing in soybean fields is volunteer corn.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
After more than 13 inches of rain fell, Western South Dakota is actually wetter than Eastern South Dakota. Drought is expanding in Spink and Brown Counties, two of the largest producing counties. Good widespread rains are predicted to fall Wednesday night. Soybeans are flowering and filling rows quickly. The second cutting of alfalfa is down and looks to yield well!
LH 5175 VT2 DroughtGard® got hailed on a week go at Hermosa.
LH 5175 VT2 DroughtGard® one week later
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
While this week’s crop report doesn’t include any pictures of crops, it still has everything to do with agriculture. This week Kyle and Bobby had the chance to host around 40 people from as far away as California, Washington, and east to Wisconsin. It was a gathering of distant relatives celebrating a 90th birthday party. What made it unique was the fact that 90% of them had no idea what a farm even was. They were all very attentive on the history of the farm. They listened as we explained how farmers produce crops and care for the land. Hopefully, they left with a new appreciation for farmers and what it takes to feed the world.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
More storms hit our area this week, and we are way past the point of replanting. It seems like there has been a significant hail storm every other night, and high winds have caused lots of property damage in the Stanton/Underwood area. Farms were destroyed by winds in excess of 120 miles an hour. Many farms lost equipment, buildings, bins and a few even their homes.
The 2018 crop is moving along quite well in Eastern Iowa. Most post-emerge applications of herbicide are complete. Pictured is a great looking field of Latham® L 2228 R2 soybeans by Princeton, Iowa. Watch for our field signs going up on plots and fields in your area. If you want a plot tour, just give me a call and we will make it happen!
Here is our LH 5025 VT2 PRO DG RIB. This Latham® DroughtGard hybrid is coming along well in Southeast Minnesota. We received more rain here last week, which is delaying spraying.
All too often this is sight this growing season. It seems like there’s a permanent rain cloud over North Central Iowa!
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
Crop conditions across Northwest Iowa are all over the board. This spring we received rain of 4 to 7 inches per event, so farmers were lucky to get seed in the ground. Now it’s a struggle to get everything sprayed before the plants grow too tall. Weed pressure is high, and conditions are not fit to get sprayers in the field.
It’s been a rough season so far, so it’s good to see the great performance potential from great Latham® products like L 1958 L!
Notice in one photo, you can see the two different hybrids from Latham Hi‑Tech Seed’s on-farm, multi-hybrid research. We’re looking forward to seeing these results!
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Major flooding in Pender Bancroft regions of Nebraska.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
Our Corn SuperStrip in Cambridge, Wisc., looks fantastic! We planted 100- to 107-day corn hybrids with traits including Roundup Ready, VT2 PRO, and SmartStax.
The product that really stands out is LH 5742 RR (dark green entry on the left). It had perfect emergence for the cold and wet spring in this area, and it is 9 inches taller than any other entry. I have seen this hybrid in every field it was planted, and it looks great everywhere. I can’t wait to see what the monitors say this fall!
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
This Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids SuperStrip was planted May 16 near Menomonie, Wisconsin. Overall, this plot looks very good. It’s no till and the previous crop was alfalfa.
The first picture shows LH 4517 is a showy, big leafy plant with excellent plant growth.
The second pic is LH 4692 RR, which also is a very showy plant with a big leafy appearance. This hybrid is doing very well on the no-till alfalfa. The check for this plot is 4454 VT2 PRO, which is looking very good across the maturity range (90-96).
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
The crop is progressing nicely. Field conditions in many places are less than ideal, so it’s a challenge to get crops sprayed.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
This 160-acre field of Latham’s LibertyLink product L 1238 L was planted May 11 in Wilkin County near Foxholm, Minnesota. It’s looking very good!
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
Lots of rain has fallen this past week, causing flash floods. Many rivers and creeks are flowing outside their banks. Crops that are not under water look fabulous. Yesterday I even found a couple flowers in a soybean field.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
The weather sure has been crazy this year! Rains continually fall in the same areas, but dry areas just can’t seem to catch a break. Another 6.5” of rain fell this past week in Marshall County. Soybeans are beginning to flower. Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC) is showing up, but Latham® IRONCLADTM soybeans are showing their strength. Early planted corn is in the V9-V10 stage and shading the rows nicely.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
As we transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage (R1 beginning flower) of soybeans, we need to make sure we are properly following all herbicide labels. Many labels have changed recently, and improper applications could lead to the elimination of some of the new herbicides available now for use on resistant weeds.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
Weather patterns have been holding steady. Rains continue to be timely and temperatures pleasant. The past week and a half has been excellent conditions for spraying, so fields that were especially weedy are starting to clean up. We continue to trend upward with above-average GDU’s (growing degree units) at 30% higher than normal.
Pictured here is Latham® LH 3695 VT2 PRO in northwest Barnes County. These plants are almost 5 feet tall and this field was planted less than 6 weeks ago. Last year this hybrid excelled in the F.I.R.S.T. trials and placed #1 overall in the central data set. Our planting notes are spot-on so far: Excellent early vigor, check. Showy plant type, check. Fantastic-exciting new hybrid? So far so good!
The 2018 crop is moving along quite well in Eastern Iowa. Most post-emerge applications of herbicide are complete. Pictured is a great looking field of Latham® L 2228 R2 soybeans by Princeton, Iowa. Watch for our field signs going up on plots and fields in your area. If you want a plot tour, just give me a call and we will make it happen!
Here is our LH 5025 VT2 PRO DG RIB. This Latham® DroughtGard hybrid is coming along well in Southeast Minnesota. We received more rain here last week, which is delaying spraying.
All too often this is sight this growing season. It seems like there’s a permanent rain cloud over North Central Iowa!
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
Crop conditions across Northwest Iowa are all over the board. This spring we received rain of 4 to 7 inches per event, so farmers were lucky to get seed in the ground. Now it’s a struggle to get everything sprayed before the plants grow too tall. Weed pressure is high, and conditions are not fit to get sprayers in the field.
It’s been a rough season so far, so it’s good to see the great performance potential from great Latham® products like L 1958 L!
Notice in one photo, you can see the two different hybrids from Latham Hi‑Tech Seed’s on-farm, multi-hybrid research. We’re looking forward to seeing these results!
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Major flooding in Pender Bancroft regions of Nebraska.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
Our Corn SuperStrip in Cambridge, Wisc., looks fantastic! We planted 100- to 107-day corn hybrids with traits including Roundup Ready, VT2 PRO, and SmartStax.
The product that really stands out is LH 5742 RR (dark green entry on the left). It had perfect emergence for the cold and wet spring in this area, and it is 9 inches taller than any other entry. I have seen this hybrid in every field it was planted, and it looks great everywhere. I can’t wait to see what the monitors say this fall!
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
This Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids SuperStrip was planted May 16 near Menomonie, Wisconsin. Overall, this plot looks very good. It’s no till and the previous crop was alfalfa.
The first picture shows LH 4517 is a showy, big leafy plant with excellent plant growth.
The second pic is LH 4692 RR, which also is a very showy plant with a big leafy appearance. This hybrid is doing very well on the no-till alfalfa. The check for this plot is 4454 VT2 PRO, which is looking very good across the maturity range (90-96).
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
The crop is progressing nicely. Field conditions in many places are less than ideal, so it’s a challenge to get crops sprayed.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
This 160-acre field of Latham’s LibertyLink product L 1238 L was planted May 11 in Wilkin County near Foxholm, Minnesota. It’s looking very good!
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
Lots of rain has fallen this past week, causing flash floods. Many rivers and creeks are flowing outside their banks. Crops that are not under water look fabulous. Yesterday I even found a couple flowers in a soybean field.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
The weather sure has been crazy this year! Rains continually fall in the same areas, but dry areas just can’t seem to catch a break. Another 6.5” of rain fell this past week in Marshall County. Soybeans are beginning to flower. Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC) is showing up, but Latham® IRONCLADTM soybeans are showing their strength. Early planted corn is in the V9-V10 stage and shading the rows nicely.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
As we transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage (R1 beginning flower) of soybeans, we need to make sure we are properly following all herbicide labels. Many labels have changed recently, and improper applications could lead to the elimination of some of the new herbicides available now for use on resistant weeds.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
Weather patterns have been holding steady. Rains continue to be timely and temperatures pleasant. The past week and a half has been excellent conditions for spraying, so fields that were especially weedy are starting to clean up. We continue to trend upward with above-average GDU’s (growing degree units) at 30% higher than normal.
Pictured here is Latham® LH 3695 VT2 PRO in northwest Barnes County. These plants are almost 5 feet tall and this field was planted less than 6 weeks ago. Last year this hybrid excelled in the F.I.R.S.T. trials and placed #1 overall in the central data set. Our planting notes are spot-on so far: Excellent early vigor, check. Showy plant type, check. Fantastic-exciting new hybrid? So far so good!
Crops are looking pretty good in Eastern Iowa. Post applications are being applied. Always follow label instructions with all herbicides.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
Growers north of Highway 210 have experienced heavy rain, causing extremely soggy soils. The rain we have got has come extremely fast, dumping three to six inches at a time.
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
Crops look pretty good overall as you can see from this field of Latham® L 2228 R2. We’ve received a total of about an inch of rain over the past few days, which is making it challenging for farmers to get spraying done.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
Farmers in my territory received a large amount of rain last Thursday. A dealer near Palmer, IA had 5 inches on his farm. As you can see from the pictures, there is a lot of standing water in this area.
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA & SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
Cory Greiman
Excessive spring rains in North Iowa means some ground, like this field near Cylinder, didn’t get planted to corn as planned.
NORTHWEST IOWA
Darin Chapman
We look forward to seeing the results from these Latham® SuperStrip plots! Judging by the looks of our Latham LH 5245 VT2 PRO RIB and LH 5635 VT2 PRO, they might be repeat winners just like in the 2017 F.I.R.S.T. Trials.
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
We could have done without the three to five inches of rain that fell overnight on Monday across southern Wisconsin. Excessive moisture this spring has growers replanting some acres around the state. Keep in mind, Latham offers a great replant program on corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. Many growers found it a real value this spring. Call me to learn more about the 100% replant policy.
At V8, LH 5095 VT2 PRO is standing strong in the hills of Hazel Green. Armed with good roots and even better stalks, it is a solid product to have on your acres when margins are tight and you must manage risk.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
Northern Wisconsin crops have been under stress this past week due to lack of rain. Corn is starting to curl in most areas of the region. Now is a good time to get out and scout for unwanted weeds, as well as for equipment malfunctions. In the picture below, the technology in the tractor and planter had a glitch. When they started planting, the planter would roll several feet before it would plant but the monitor would show it planting. If detected early enough, this can be fixed to prevent all of the fields from looking like this. Unfortunately for this grower, all of his acres have skips.
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
Soils are wet from Svea to Slayton, Montevideo to Mountain Lake, and Cosmos to Comfrey. Such a long time with saturated soil has resulted in corn that is yellow and stunted. We’re also seeing compaction and poor rooting where seed were planted in unfit soils. Some of these fields may require additional nitrogen. Your best bet is to start with a healthy plant like our tried-and-true LH 5215 VT PRO RIB and the newer LH 5245 VT PRO RIB.
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
At M&R Farms in Beltrami, Minnesota, Mike Skaug loads the sprayer for a post-pass on a field of Latham® L 0739 R2X before the June 20 deadline.
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
A shift in the forecast has brought us back to normal temperatures with chances of rain all week. This week many farms in Southeast South Dakota (SESD) got some much needed rain while others received way too much. Some areas are forecast to receive as much as 5 inches, and farmers in those areas are still trying to get crop in the ground. On the brighter side, many crops are looking fantastic. Most corn fields are taller than knee high and canopied. Also this week, we saw a lot of hay/alfalfa down and picked back up. Because we missed getting a late frost and received great moisture early this spring, the first cuttings are awesome! Many soybean fields are starting to look pretty. Notice the white flash in the corn. It’s just cosmetic and was likely caused from chemical coupled with hot weather that caused the plants to grow really quickly. I have seen many fields with flashing throughout the state. The good news is that it’s not yield robbing.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
Beautiful picket fence stand in this field of LH 4452 RR and LH 4454 VT2 PRO RIB that was planted in drought conditions on May 6 in northern Hand County.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
Over the weekend, my grandson and I did a little crop scouting. Now is a great time to get ready to side dress additional nitrogen if needed. You can tell by the big smile on our agronomist in training that he approves of Latham 3397 VT2 PRO RIB.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
What a difference from last year in western North Dakota! At this time last year, farmers were abandoning their wheat due to drought. Hay cuttings were 10 to 20% of normal tonnage, and corn fields were barely alive. Precipitation has been very good recently, and GDUs (growing degree units) are presently higher than the 5-year average. After last year’s drought, this is setting up to be just the year we need.
Crops across Eastern Iowa are growing by leaps and bounds. Rainfall varied from half an inch to 7 inches last weekend. Prior to the rainfall, corn here was rolling due to lack of moisture. These pictures were taken of the Latham® Hybrid SuperStrip plot planted April 29 by Bart Paulsen of Stockton. All the corn stands between 36 to 46 inches tall, so next week Bart plans to side-dress nitrogen.
CENTRAL IOWA
Bryan Rohe
Farmers cutting alfalfa, corn is between V5 to V8 stages, and soybeans are growing nicely. Rain has been spotty in areas of the region. There are some areas that could use a little more rain.
NORTHEAST IOWA & SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
Craig Haaland
Latham’s popular L 2084 R2 is coming along great in northern Iowa. Corn and Soybean fields were coming along great before last weekend’s storm hit. Last Friday this area received another 4 inches of rain plus another 1.5 inches and hail on Saturday. Now the attention has turned to replanting soybeans.
WEST NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
Bart Peterson
Hail hit Webster and Wright Counties on Monday, May 28. Check out the photos in the last crop report to see how the corn is progressing. I took these pictures June 12 at the same location of the same corn plants. This corn is knee high or better.
After a long drawn out spring, it rewarding to see good stands from these two hybrids. Latham’s LH 6045 VT2 PRO RIB and LH 5635 VT2 PRO RIB look to have a bright future!
WESTERN IOWA & EASTERN NEBRASKA
Larry Krapfl
Knee high by the Fourth of July…this field of LH 5965 VT2 PRO RIB corn in Moville, IA is waist high. The corn is progressing well in my territory with this field at stage V6 to V7.
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
Greg Mair
The 2017 rock star in Wisconsin, LH 5245 VT2 PRO RIB, is living up to the hype so far in 2018! Some soils were cold at planting time, but it didn’t take any extra time for this hybrid to come out of the ground. I stopped to check on this perfect field here at V4 in Ripon, Wisc.. It was planted May 8. Nice weather and a heat wave forecast for this weekend will make it a race to get this field sprayed and side-dressed before the corn gets too big. Strong emergence and uniform stands have my heart set on another solid year of performance from this hybrid!
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Joey Salter
The last soybean plot went in the ground on Friday in Cadott, Wisc. Planting across the region is nearly finished. Now the race is on for weed control! Many of the corn acres have been covered, and the sprayers are going strong on soybeans. Giant ragweed is becoming an issue to the south and yellow nutsedge in the north. The northern half of the state could use a little rain as shown in the second photo. You can see late planted soybeans are struggling to break the surface.
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Jay Nelson
The corn condition was rated 90% good to excellent in Minnesota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybean condition was rated 86% good to excellent. Soybeans acres are 98% complete and 87% emerged. Unless, your ground happens to be in the areas that received 3 to 7 inches of rain during three days. Then your crops are submerged.
Photo Courtesy of Mike Chippewa Valley Corn & Soybean Growers
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Ken Highness
A severe storm moved through Cass County on June 8. Unfortunately, it caused lots of damage to corn and soybeans fields around Kindred, North Dakota.
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
Ramie Coughlin
This spring as been an interesting to say the least. South Dakota has experienced heavy rain, flooding, slow/poor planting conditions, stretches of hot dry weather with strong winds, and areas of drought. As you can see from the pictures, we have many corn fields that have canopied and others are in very early growth stages. There are still people planting soybeans in this area.
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
James Keltgen
Much needed rain fell this week across Northeast South Dakota (NESD)! The areas that are dry could still use more moisture, but at least they received some rain. Areas in the east received 1 to 2 inches and drier areas received closer to a half inch. Last week a storm rolled through the area. Winds of more than 80 miles per hour blew corn stalks and covered soybean fields with trash, which cut off young soybean plants. Planters have been back in full force replanting these areas.
Latham customers, who planted at least 120 units of treated soybeans, are get the benefit of free replant. The corn is really growing quickly with the above-average temps and rainfail. Much of the early corn is nearly knee high. Soybeans are starting to take off as we’re nearing the longest days of the year!
Young soybean plants were cut and broken off from 80+ mph winds last week.
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
Gary Geske
Last weekend I got some “windshield time” while disking up a few acres of CRP ground on which the contract had expired. I believe this will be the first crop planted on this ground in 30 years.
Since I was driving at slow speed, I had time to reflect. I believe the first CRP contracts were signed in the mid-80s. It made me think about the legacy that is passed on from generation to the next. Our family picked up this piece of ground in the mid-70s while I was transitioning from high school to college. At that time, I was picking up on the wisdom of my father and my grandfather. I remember thinking how much respect they had for the land.
Last weekend I was thinking about how my grandson, who is 2 and a half, could be the 5th generation on this farm. He enjoys riding with me and his dad in tractors and trucks. So here we are, taking care of the land that we have been given an opportunity to manage so that we may pass on our legacy to future generations.
Stay safe. Happy Father’s Day to all of you who are passing on the farming tradition!
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
Brian McNamee
Last week a very bad hail/wind/rain event hit about a 30-mile stretch in eastern Stutsman and western Barnes Counties of North Dakota. Tens of thousands of soybean acres needed to be replanted, so it was a scramble to get the appropriate seed to growers. We got Latham® seed delivered to our customers in less than four hours of a phone call, while some of our competitors took 24 to 48 hours to service the calls. I am very proud of customer service and am thankful for the Latham Team members who helped!
