A great story of neighbors helping neighbors reached our mailbox this past week from our friends in South Dakota. Bad luck had struck hard this past fall for one of our own Latham customers. Early in the harvest season, the family’s combine motor blew up after the very first round in the first field of soybeans. With wet conditions following, they were forced to leave the beans and switch to corn.

Due to minor medical complications, the father, who held the role of main farm manager was hospitalized a couple weeks ago. This left only the son to bring in the harvest and maintain the rest of the operation.

On October 31, friends and neighbors gathered to form a harvest bee of 10 combines, 5 grain carts, several trucks and semis. Together they brought in 600 acres of crop in a single day. Bill Eichacker, Latham RSM from the South Dakota region, would like to give a shout out to all those farmers who lent a hand to bring in the crop this fall. ”It’s great to have close friends to rely on when we were in such a bind” he commented, without them we never would’ve been able to finish harvest on time.”

If you have a great harvest story to share, send us an email with your story and any photos you would like to include to laura@lathamhybrids.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids announces the addition of Jim Heckman of Boone, Iowa, as the company’s national sales manager.  Heckman is responsible for recruiting, training and managing Latham Hybrid’s growing sales force.  While focusing on the company’s tradition of outstanding service, Heckman will work with sales representatives and members of the management team to explore innovative ideas and to build strategies that will help customers succeed.

“Jim comes to us with valuable, hands-on experience working with farmers to find the right hybrids that maximize success,” says John Latham, president, Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids.  “From his advanced educational background to his extensive work representing regional seed companies similar to Latham, Jim will be a tremendous asset to our sales force and ultimately to our customers.”

Heckman’s professional experience includes nearly 20 years of working in livestock feed, nutrition and seed sales. Recently, Heckman was sales manager for NuTech Seeds. He also held a sales position with Wyffels Hybrids. In addition, he holds a master’s degree in Animal Science from Northwest Missouri State University.

A native of Fillmore, Missouri, Heckman grew up on a farm that included a forrow-to-finish hog operation, a cow/calf herd and feelot, along with row crops.  Today Heckman and his wife, Lynne, and their children Collin, Ryan and Erica still live close to the land. The entire family enjoys competing in rodeos, camping and trail riding.  He is active in his community as leader of the Boone County 4-H Shooting Sports Club, an assistant 4-H club leader, and Grand Knight of the Boone Knights of Columbus.

“I’m excited to join the Latham team,” says Heckman.  “I was attracted by the opportunity to work with great people an an independent family-owned company that has a great reputation in the industry. I’m looking forward to helping continue to improve the sales and delivery system that supplies the highest-yielding products available in the industry.  I’m also eager to help farmers use Latham’s innovative products and approaches to increase their profits per acre today while looking toward the future.”

I am beginning to get reports that corn is lodging this year. What is particularly alarming is that stalk lodging is occurring in fields with hybrids that typically have very strong stalks. And, even more perplexing, when stalks are split open, they appear to look healthy however the pith is gone right above the node where the stalk lodged over. Many farmers are asking how this can happen.

Typically, weaker stalks result from smaller root systems. This leads to less nutrients going into the plant to satisfy the high demand for carbohydrates of the grain. If the roots bring in less nutrients than the demand of the grain then the grain will pull the carbohydrates it requires from the leaves and stalk. This creates hollowed out pockets above the nodes, which weaken the stalk, and predispose stalks to lodging whenever we get strong winds.

Below, I have put together some talking points that can be helpful in diagnosing weak stalks that may be found in your fields this harvest season.

The most effective management practice at this point in the season is to monitor fields and determine the level of weak stalks in the field. Randomly walk each field and test stalk strength of 50-100 plants by squeezing the stalk at the lower two internodes. If the stalk collapses between the thumb and forefinger of 25 or more plants, weak stalks have advanced to problem levels. These fields are at high risk to wind damage and should be harvested first to decrease lost yield from unharvestable ears.

#1 Wet Spring (late planting, small roots, side-wall compaction, N loss, and poor potassium uptake)
Corn plants have smaller than normal root systems this year. Later planting did not allow the plants time to generate roots that will reach water deep in the soil profile. In addition, when soils are wet, sidewall compaction at planting time can cause nutrient deficiencies later in the season, particularly nitrogen and potassium.  We probably lost some applied nitrogen due to wet conditions early. In essence, the plant will do all it can to “pump” carbohydrates into the kernels, sometimes at the expense of the health and maintenance of other plant parts including the roots and lower stalk.

#2 Dry periods (drought) during grain fill
Fields subjected to several weeks without rain will stress the plant and cause the plant to move nutients from the stalk into the ear to fill the grain.  This weakens the plant to the point that lodging can occur. Additionally, pathogens can invade and infect the plant causing premature plant death, dropped ears, lightweight grain and encourage the development of stalk rot.

#3 Cooler temperatures and cloudy conditions during grain fill
Cooler temperatures and cloudy days during grain fill can reduce sunlight to the leaf area that provides carbohydrates to the developing kernels. As a result, the corn plant draws reserves from the stalk tissue. The mobilization of nutrients our of the stalk creates hollowed out pockets which weaken stalks and can predispose the plant to stalk rot diseases.

Harvest is drawing near, and I’m optimistic that we will see some great yields. I can’t help but think that we’ll also see more stalk rot and premature plant death due to wet planting conditions, severe storms throughout the growing season, and low rainfall periods in July.

We expect corn plants to begin maturing this time of year, but you may notice that some areas of fields are maturing more quickly. Other areas may even die early. When corn plants don’t live for the full season, they don’t achieve maximum potential yields. Even though the kernels on “prematurely dead plants” display a black layer, the lack of kernel size indicates they reached this stage too soon.

Why do plants and areas of the fields die prematurely this year? While every field is a little different, there is almost always more than one factor involved. Reasons for premature death that I have witnessed this year include: moisture stress, nitrogen loss, anthracnose top-dieback, stalk rot, and wind/hail damage.

Moisture Stress. Generally, corn root development was not good this year because of early season wetness over an extended period. During grain fill, a plant needs a lot of water. Shallow, poorly developed and partially decayed root systems can’t provide enough moisture to keep the plant going especially during hot summer days. This scenario is particularly noticeable in places where there was standing water earlier in the season.

Nitrogen loss.  Some plants are showing significant signs of nitrogen deficiency before they die. Wet conditions early in the season have resulted in the loss of nitrogen in many fields or parts of fields, and plants prematurely die because of a severe nitrogen deficiency.

Anthracnose top-dieback.  This phase of the anthracnose disease is less common than the typical stalk rot that occurs at the stalk base. With top-dieback, the plant dies from the top down. The upper leaves turn yellow or reddish purple, then dry out. The fungus usually infects through the whorl earlier in the season and remains dormant in the stalks until late in the season.  Late-season stress triggers the development of disease symptoms.

Sighting of a yellowed, or purple flag leaf on the corn plant is a key symptom of anthracnose top-dieback.  (above).  Another key sign will appear during wet conditions.  A pink substance will be observed on the stalk (below).  Photos courtesy of Iowa State University.

Stalk rot.  Some plants might die because the base of their stalk is rotted by Gibberella or Fusarium.  The onset of these stalk rots is also stress related. When the stalk base is rotted, the whole plant wilts and dies rather suddenly. To see the symptoms, you may need to split the stalk all the way up the base, from below the soil line.

Wind/hail damage.  Plants that were damaged by wind and hail earlier in the season are vulnerable to a number of problems that may show up now. Because of the physical damage to leaves, stalks, and roots, these plants are especially likely to suffer from stalk rot or a moisture-stress-related death.

To summarize, all of the stresses have likely contributed to the overall rapid shutdown of photosynthetic leaf area.  Given the importance of live, viable leaves and their contribution to the grain filling process, the rapid leaf senescence evident in corn fields this year will likely shave some bushels off the upper limit of yield.  Plants suffering from such stress struggle to complete grain fill before they die. As plants stuggle, they often resort to cannibalizing the carbohydrates and nutrients from the leaves and stalks in order to fill the grain.  This leads to root and stalk rots.

Obviously there is nothing that can be done now to prevent premature death.  However, growers should walk these fields during the next few weeks, monitor the stalk health, and adjust harvest strategies accordingly to manage fields where stalk lodging may be a big problem.

Despite challenging conditions early in the growing season, the 2008 U.S. corn crop is predicted to reach near-record levels. The crops have made remarkable progress, as reflected in the USDA’s crop report on August 12. Whether or not you agree with the government’s report on yields, agri-marketer John Roach says now is not the time to sell. Roach expects the markets to peak in March, April, May and June of 2009.

Click to listen to LathamCast Episode 2 Part 5:

 

 LathamCast Episode 2 Cut 5 [3:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John Roach of Roach Ag Marketing Ltd. comments on corn markets, following the USDA’s August crop report.

Roach advises farmers to avoid selling grain in August, September, October, and November. The spring of 2009 will be a better time for grain producers to sell as corn stocks one year from now are predicted to be the tightest since 1996 when we saw $5 corn. Roach says we must have a big crop next year, so market prices will have to remain high to encourage producers to plant enough corn acres.

Click to listen to LathamCast Episode 2 Part 4:

 

 LathamCast Episode 2 Cut 4 [3:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John Roach of Roach Ag Marketing comments on the tight supply and demand in the U.S. soybean market. Given the demand for soybeans, the acreage battle will continue. The soybean market will have a difficult time losing ground compared to the other markets. Given the demand for soybeans, soybean producers worldwide must plant big acres next year. And, the only way they will do so is if the bean market stays strong.

Listen to LathamCast Episode 2 Part 3:

 

 LathamCast Episode 2 Cut 3 [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The U.S. corn crop will be the second largest on record if it meets projections set in the USDA’s crop report, which was released August 12. John Roach of Roach Ag Marketing says the biggest change from the previous month’s crop report is that the number of ears per acre is now projected at 28,000, up from 27,500 in 2007. He attributes the above trend-line yield to two things:

1. Companies like Latham Hybrids are producing better seed, and
2. Producers are using better technology to get the most from each acre.

Listen to LathamCast Episode 2 Part 2:

 

 LathamCast Episode 2 Cut 2 [2:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of our LathamCast podcast, renowned ag marketer John Roach gives his perspective on the new crop production report, which was released Aug. 12, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The biggest news reported by the USDA is the number of ears/acre at 28,000, which sets a new record. Roach says we’re seeing above the trend-line yield because companies like Latham Hybrids are producing better seed, and corn producers are doing a better job of using technology to achieve even greater yields.

Listen to LathamCast Episode 2 Part 1:

 

 LathamCast Episode 2 Cut 1 [4:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Click to view the powerpoint from the John Roach conference call:
John Roach Conference Call Powerpoint

Yield-robbing aphids have started chewing through the Midwestern soybean crop. That has many farmers scouting their fields, with some even applying insecticide to kill the pests.

Close up photo of a soybean aphid

The crop starts to suffer economic damage, or reduced yield potential, when aphid populations reach an average of 250 per plant throughout the entire field. Consider insecticide treatments only if aphids reach economic- threshold level. I recommend spraying with a good insecticide that has three weeks residual. If you’re unsure about whether to treat or not, consult your Latham representative for advice.

Scouting for aphids should begin in late June, intensifying in July and August, especially if soil conditions are dry. Soybean aphids seem to damage late-planted soybeans more than early planted soybeans. Closely scout your fields as conditions across Iowa fields have hit that sweet spot the last few weeks. Reports from our DSMs Brad Beatty of Shellsburg, Iowa and Wayde McNeil of Grinnell, Iowa indicate counts averaging 350 to 400 per plant, well above economic threshold levels.

Scout five locations per 20 acres. At each location, pick five plants well apart form each other. Turn the leaves over to search for aphids; most will concentrate in the plant terminal. Also be conscious of other insects present in the field. Lady beetles, green lacewings and other beneficial insects eat aphids in Iowa soybean fields beginning in mid-June. These insects can help hold down populations in fields that haven’t reached economic threshold levels.

Soybean Aphids collected on the underside of a soybean leaf

Take special note of winged aphids or broad-shouldered nymphs that are beginning to develop wings.  These are nearing adult stage and will soon leave the plant and even the field. An insecticide may not be needed as the population will rapidly decline.

Have soybean aphids invaded fields in your area? Counts even higher then reported by our DSMs? We want to know what the ”Field Position” looks like in your area! Share your story by leaving a comment below!