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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

A Picnic Epiphany
Guest post by Anita McVey of Picnic Life Foodie

Tis the season for bundling up in coats and hats to go outside and build a snowman, sled down the hill or have a snowball fight. Suggesting a winter picnic might cause even the most amiable of midwesterners to question your sanity. Make that same suggestion to kids and watch their eyes light up! Everyone will be happy to learn a winter picnic can be warm and cozy, right inside your home.

Calling this idea an “epiphany” may be a bit of an exaggeration. If, however, the rejuvenation and relaxation typically associated with an outdoor picnic can be achieved indoors when the weather is frightful, it’s not just an epiphany … it’s a miracle!

Set the Stage

The only prop needed to create an indoor picnic is a blanket. Choose one that is easy to wash (especially if kids are involved) so the inevitable spills cause minimal concern. An old quilt urges people to sit and relax. Seldom used seasonal tablecloths make family feel like the special guests they are.

Place the blanket, quilt or tablecloth near a fireplace or in an unusual room of the house. Turn off the overhead lights and add candles (monitored closely, of course) or a string of lights on or near the blanket.

Choose a Menu

As with any picnic, choose simple foods that are easy to transport and eat. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Sliders (like these Ham and Cheese Sandwiches): can be made ahead, kept warm and require no utensils to eat;
2. Wraps: easy to customize, packaged individually and secure the meat, cheese and veggies in one tortilla;
3. Skewers/Kabobs: meatballs (like these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs), lunch meat, cheese, fruit and even desserts are more fun on a stick!;
4. Pizza: fresh from the oven or delivered to your door.
Pack a Basket or Tray

Just as the sight of a blanket on the floor will draw attention, the approach of a picnic basket or tray is sure to pique curiosity. Pack extra napkins (or a roll of paper towels), any required plates/utensils, drinks (individual servings can be poured into Mason jars with lids for easy transport) and a trash bag for easy clean up.

Encourage Conversation

Think of a few questions to encourage conversation and extend the occasion. If the picnic happens around Christmas, ask everyone about their favorite moments or the best things they ate. Ask about goals for the New Year. Find a list of trivia questions or conversation starters online and choose a few that relate to your family/guests. Ask each person to share memories of a favorite picnic or ideas for a future one.

Be Creative

During those cooped up winter days when time outside is limited, engage the imagination and create a summer oasis. Turn up the furnace a little, spread out beach blankets or towels, and tell everyone to put on swimsuits (or shorts and t-shirts). Pick up some fried chicken from the grocery store or a restaurant, add some potato salad and drink lemonade! Start dreaming about an ideal summer vacation (in detail) and finish with some ice cream or a S’more snack mix (honey graham cereal, marshmallows, chocolate chips).

Who doesn’t love to hang out in their pajamas? A breakfast picnic would be a great way to start a day. Some excellent options for food would include: muffins and fruit, breakfast burritos, egg casseroles, and yogurt parfaits. Ask each other questions about dreams (literal and figurative), look up information on constellations, or watch some old cartoons.

Please do not assume a winter picnic is for children. Couples can have a quiet meal together with some adult beverages and charcuterie, fondue or a favorite pizza.

Warm and Cozy Winter Picnic

The picnic in these photos features the comfort food of winter: tomato soup. Poured into individual containers, the soup can be eaten with a spoon or sipped right out of the cup. Breadsticks, cheese rounds and clementines are all easy finger foods, requiring no additional utensils. Some cranberry sparkling water with a few fresh cranberries makes a festive drink. For dessert, leftover frosted sugar cookies were crumbled and layered into plastic cups with pudding, raspberry jam and fresh raspberries. A trifle like this can be made with any leftover cake, brownie, cookie or bar. Whipped cream or vanilla yogurt can be used instead of pudding and some fruit will add texture and freshness.

A New Tradition

This could be the start of a new tradition. Once a year, on January 6th, have a winter picnic … an Epiphany picnic. Celebrate the close of the Christmas season. Pack up some good bread, grapes, olives, cheese and wine (or sparkling grape juice). Read about the arrival of the Wise Men in Matthew 2:1-12. Talk about the significance of gift giving. Say a prayer asking for guidance and protection in the New Year.
Shannon Latham

January 6, 2021

Appetizers, Poultry, Recipes, Season, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Managing Soil Erosion

Soil erosion resulting from heavy rainfall events and wind leads to the loss of essential soil nutrients and soil carbon. Eroded soil and the loss of organic matter essential for supporting crop growth can damper corn and soybean production and reduce yield. Across the Corn Belt, an observed 20% increase in rainfall has led to a 40% increase in soil erosion. Record breaking flooding across the Midwest has further exacerbated erosion.

Identify Soil Erosion

Gully erosion is one of the most pronounced forms of erosion and its large grooves that form in the soil following heavy rainfall make it easy to identify. Less evident to the naked eye are signs of erosion that can be identified by looking for standing water in the field. Puddles of water seen after a rainstorm that are clouded with sediment suggest erosion is occurring whereas puddles of clear water are a sign of minimal erosion. Lighter colored soil seen overtime is also a sign of erosion but can be more difficult to identify.

In Iowa, the average rate of erosion has been five tons of soil per acre every year with intense weather events worsening rates, in some cases reaching 100 tons of soil per acre per year. The loss of natural vegetation can lead to greater rates of erosion from both wind and water. Using cover crops and no-till are the most effective methods for reducing and preventing erosion, increasing soil water holding capacity and boosting moisture content.

Take Action with Promising Solutions

Annual cover crops such as winter rye can be planted in the fall to preserve the soil over the winter and reduce erosion. PROTECTioN™ Cereal Rye, DRILLER™ Daikon Radish and FIXatioN Balansa Clover can be planted in the late summer and early fall to enrich organic matter and reduce soil loss. Perennial cover crops including legumes and fescue have established root systems that can prevent the loss of soil nutrients to rain or weather erosion. Legumes are also nitrogen fixing and can support crop growth.

In addition to integrating cover crops and no-till, terracing or planting grasses near waterways can prevent the formation of gullies. Buffer and filter strips can reduce the loss of soil nutrients and runoff of fertilizer and pesticides. Prairie strips can be implemented by planting perennial grasses to protect topsoil and prevent the loss of organic matter. Integrating a combination of these methods with cover cropping can combat soil erosion and offer great protection for your corn and soybean crops.

Latham Seeds Precision Agronomy Advisors

January 14, 2020

Corn, Cover Crops, Crop, Soybeans, Spring, Tech Tuesday, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Looking Through Latham’s Lens

Looking Through Latham’s Lens: Wishing safe travels to our truck drivers delivering seed and farmers hauling grain as another fresh blanket of snow fell over the weekend.

Laura Cunningham

January 13, 2020

Agriculture, Industry News, Season, Winter

delivering seed, hauling beans, Hauling corn, winter driving
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

#AskTheAgronomist: Seed Treatments

Tune in to hear the top three reasons to use our SoyShield soybean seed treatment this spring. #AskTheAgronomist

0:30 — Topic introduction

3:14 — Early planting & cool soils

3:34 — SDS protection

5:30 — Soybean Gall Midge protection

Laura Cunningham

January 9, 2020

#AskTheAgronomist, Agronomics, Crop, Season, Seed Treatment, Soybeans, Spring, Winter

benefits of seed treatment, cold spring, seed protection, Seed treatment, soybean seed treatment
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Our “Secret Sauce” is Saltro® Fungicide

One of the reasons we use Saltro is because it protects early-season plant health, plus protects plants against Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS). Soybeans treated with Saltro have strong emergence, better stands, healthier leaves and develop more robust early-season root mass. As a result, soybean plants treated with Saltro can reach their full genetic and yield potential.

Saltro also doesn’t cause additional plant stress, like the halo effect we’ve seen with older chemistries. Soybeans can outgrow the side effects from early-season, above-ground stress, but they may not fully recover from the lower yield potential caused by below-ground stress.

While touring the Syngenta Seedcare Institute in Minnesota, a group of Latham representatives were told Saltro is safer and more effective than the current standard seed treatment. More than three years of research shows that soybeans treated with Saltro have a 3-bushel per acre yield advantage over the leading SDS competitor in heavy SDS pressure and a 1.8-bushel yield improvement under low SDS pressure.

Another advantage we saw first-hand on our tour is that Saltro has 22% better wet seed flow than its leading competitor. Saltro has a much lower use rate. In addition, the leading competitor creates 63% more buildup and 100% more dust than Saltro.

Improved handling and treatment efficiency, higher yields, no plant stress, as well as superior SDS and SCN protection are the reasons why Latham Seeds is making our unique Saltro blend available for the products we’re selling for next planting season. Ask your Latham® representative for more information!

Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

September 17, 2019

Agronomics, Cover Crops, Crop, Season, Seed Treatment, Spring, Tech Tuesday, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Cutting Costs in Production

As prices have dropped over the last two months, farmers are second guessing planting intentions. They are looking to cut costs, and often times cost cutting starts at cutting seed costs. Keeping the hybrids with top yield and proven performance versus picking up a cheaper option is key to end-of-year profit. Cheap seed options can be older genetics, poor performing genetics or even discontinued genetics reaching the end of their life and viability.

It doesn’t take much to make up for inferior genetics as in perceived seed savings. Cutting $50 a bag is only saving $20 an acre, or roughly seven bushels. One cost savings that may be applicable to North Dakota farmers would be changing from a VT2 PRO to a Roundup Ready 2 trait. Keep the genetic that performs on that particular field and save the difference in trait costs. However, It may require more attention to pests throughout the growing season and an additional cost of an aerial application with insecticide. Check with your Latham® dealer on availability and your agronomist about the rising potential for future pest issues in your area.

Farmers can add fertility after the crop is established. They can also add weed control after the crop. However, there’s only once chance to place the right seed on the right acre. Seed is truly the foundation for every successful crop. Why limit net farm profitability from the onset?

Laura Cunningham

April 17, 2019

Agronomics, Corn, Crop, Industry News, Season, Seed Technology, Spring, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Alfalfa Winter Survival

Click below to hear Phil Long address winter survival in alfalfa! #AskTheAgronomist

https://www.facebook.com/LathamSeeds/videos/577684892726656?sfns=mo

Here we can see slight discoloration coming into the crown, but overall, a very healthy plant.

Laura Cunningham

April 11, 2019

#AskTheAgronomist, Alfalfa, Crop, Season, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Evaluating Winter Kill
Evaluating alfalfa stands is a spring-time ritual for every alfalfa grower. This winter presented several challenges to strong, hardy alfalfa varieties. This includes above average soil moisture going into winter, soil temps that dipped below 15 degrees Fahrenheit in areas without snow cover and below average snowfall followed by above average snowfall in February.

Remember, patience is a virtue. Winter-injured plants are often slow to recover in the spring, so avoid making a quick decision to destroy a winter-injured stand. Allow the alfalfa to green up.

Tips for evaluating alfalfa stands:
1. Select at least four areas of the field and count stems. Wisconsin research has shown that counting stems provides a more accurate yield estimate.
2. Dig plants from four locations of the field, including top 6 inches of the root. Examine the crown for size, symmetry, and number of shoots present.
3. Cut the root of these plants lengthwise. Check for rot or discoloration of the crown and root. Healthy stands have fewer than 30% of the plants in categories 3 and 4. (Seed tables.)
Additional considerations when deciding whether to tear out existing alfalfa stands:
- You have heavy weed pressure but a light alfalfa stand.
- You have adequate alfalfa or hay inventory, so you can use the nitrogen credits and rotate that field into another crop.
- If the alfalfa stand is more than a year old, you may have high concentrations of the autotoxicity compound present. That will reduce the effectiveness of interseeding alfalfa, so producers can interseed Italian ryegrass, clover, or oats as a temporary solution to thicken the stand.
For additional information, feel free to contact me or your Latham regional manager. We’d also love an opportunity to talk with you about the placement for Latham Seeds’ outstanding lineup of high-quality forage products.

While we obviously can’t control the weather, there are other factors we can manage to help reduce the risk of winter kill in the future.
1. Stand Age – Older stands are more likely to winterkill.
2. Soil Fertility – Stands with high fertility, particularly potassium, are less likely to experience winter injury.
3. Cutting Management – Both harvest frequency and timing of fall cutting affect winter hardiness. The shorter the interval between cuttings, the greater the risk of winter injury.
4. Variety – Varieties with superior winter-hardiness ratings and a high disease resistance index are less likely to experience winter injury.
5. Soil pH – Stands growing on soils with a pH above 6.6 are less likely to experience winter injury.
Team Latham

April 9, 2019

Alfalfa, Crop, Season, Tech Tuesday, Winter
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Protect Soybeans from Cold Temperatures
Many of our minds are already on the upcoming planting season. This week someone posed the following question, “How hard of a frost can soybeans withstand?”

It’s a great question, so I wanted to address the topic of early planting a bit, well, “earlier” than usual!

The first thing to keep in mind is that cold temperatures at or before planting can negatively affect the growing point of the plant. For corn, that growing point stays under the soil surface until the V5-V6 stage, helping protect the plant to a certain degree from colder weather spells for several weeks. For soybeans, however, the growing point comes out of the ground at emergence. Therefore, a soybean seedling is immediately vulnerable to cold weather.

Using a fungicide seed treatment will help protect young soybeans from seedling diseases at this early stage, but they are not designed to protect against cold temperatures. Soybeans typically require over 100 growing degree units (GDU’s) to accumulate before emergence, which is similar to corn that requires about 125 GDU’s. Abiding by the minimum soil temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit will keep you away from poor emergence and the seedling disease risk associated with soil temps below 50 degrees. That’s why I suggest watching the weather forecasts before you plant soybean seed, and do your best to ensure hard frosts (which take place at 28 degrees Fahrenheit) are no longer possible.

Remember, when soybeans emerge, they have a growing point at the base of each cotyledon and at the main shoot. The main shoot is the small leaves in-between the cotyledons. If you notice brown on the stem below the cotyledons, the plant will not recover. Early planting is proven to provide higher yields, but it is is fine balance between the two, so watch weather forecasts and soil temperatures so you can find the balance on your own farm.

Additional tips to keep in mind before planting:
1. Grab a clump of soil and watch how easily it crumbles. If it stays in a ball, conditions are NOT right for planting. If it crumbles easily, the soil is fit for planting.
2. Make sure your planting date is covered in your farm insurance policy – this includes your “do not plant before” dates. If you plant outside those dates, your insurance could be jeopardized.
Team Latham

April 1, 2019

Agronomics, Crop, Emergence, Frost, Season, Soybeans, Tech Tuesday, Weather, Winter