Author Archives: Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

About Mark Grundmeier, Product Manager

Mark advises customers, dealers and sales personnel on seed traits, technologies, cultural practices and cropping plans to help ensure the optimal performance of Latham’s seed varieties. He is a member of the company’s research team and works with multiple trait and technology providers to procure new seed genetics for Latham’s corn, soybean and alfalfa brands. Prior to joining Latham in 1996, Mark was a regional agronomy manager for a large Iowa cooperative. He holds a B.S. in Agriculture from Iowa State University and has been a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) since 1994.

Golden Opportunity Awaits Soybean Growers

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The USDA, on Dec. 16, 2011, announced it had deregulated the biotech trait MON 87705, which is found in Monsanto’s Vistive® Gold soybeans.

Many Latham customers are familiar with the first generation of Vistive (low-linolenic) soybeans that produced an oil which reduced the trans-fat levels in food products. This new wave of soybeans will produce an oil that is more similar to olive oil in its content and usefulness, yet will be much easier and cheaper to produce.

In addition to maintaining next-to-zero trans fats in their food products, Vistive Gold soybean oil will allow food companies to significantly reduce saturated fats. As an example, French fries cooked in the fry oil/shortening commonly used results in 23.4% saturated fats and 15.7% trans-fat. Using oil from Vistive Gold soybeans will lower those numbers to 13.2% for saturated fast and 0.3% for trans-fat! Additional testing within the food industry has shown that Vistive Gold soybean oil also has excellent stability and flavor.
This new oil from the Vistive Gold soybeans will enable U.S. soybean growers to compete once again for food oil business while also helping provide a healthier lifestyle for themselves and for consumers. Over the past several years, other vegetable oils including palm, sunflower and canola have taken away a fairly large portion of the global food oils market that soybean oil once held. This was, in large part, due to the heart-healthy consciousness of the general public and the FDA’s mandate for displaying the percentage of trans fats on food product labels.

Soybean varieties that carry the Vistive Gold trait are currently in the Phase 4 (pre-launch) stage of development. Monsanto has also announced that this new trait will be combined with its current Genuity® Roundup Ready® 2 Yield technology, giving farmers soybean varieties that deliver excellent agronomic and yield performance.

Keep watching our website and our blog, TheFieldPosition.com, for updates on this exciting new “golden opportunity”!

Moisture is needed, regardless of form

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I’ve been known to whistle as I work, and I’ve been known to whistle as I walk the halls at Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. But this week, I’m singing a new tune:

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

Some may question my sanity, especially since it’s December in Iowa. But as Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story.”

The story is that Iowa – and much of the Upper Midwest – is suffering from a drought. Our great state just completed its driest July-November period since 1976, according to a recent article in The Des Moines Register. About three-quarters of the state officially classified as being in a drought.

With no autumn rainfall, we need moisture over the winter or in early spring. Snowfall may or may not be of benefit, depends on when it comes and how it melts. Snowfall on frozen ground that eventually melts is not of great benefit because it usually just runs off the frozen ground into the streams and rivers without filtering down into the soil profile.

Precipitation, like we’ve experienced here this week, is of great importance. The ground isn’t completely frozen yet, so this rain and rain/snow can sink into the parched soil.

Sufficient moisture is critical in the spring for seeds to germinate and for seedlings to grow. While fall precipitation can play a role, we can still make up for moisture deficiencies with snowmelt and spring rains.

And on that note, I’ll change my tune to something a little more appropriate to the season and to our climate:

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Listen to: Let It Snow

Hybrid Selection for Continuous Corn

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The number of corn acres are expected to rise for 2012 planting. Since only a portion of the projected acreage was planted to soybeans in 2011, it stands to reason that more acres will be continuous corn in 2012.

Corn-on-corn can be a profitable venture if those acres are properly managed:

  1. Residue management is the first step of a successful corn-on-corn situation.
  2. Fertility should be evaluated and applications planned for continuous corn fields. It really pays to have a soil test to determine needs for N, P & K.
  3. Work with your Latham representative to put a crop plan together and stick with it. Selecting hybrids with the right trait package is important, but that’s just one part of a crop plan. These plans should focus on hybrid selection, plant population, fungicide usage and other management issues.

Hybrid selection can make a 40- to 50-bushel difference in grain yield, according to university researchers. Important hybrid characteristics for continuous corn include quick emergence, stalk strength, as we potential disease problems in corn following corn.
Spread your risk and increase your potential for high yields by planting at least three different Latham® hybrids with differences in genetic traits, maturity or disease susceptibility. Balance yield with reasonable grain moisture. Hybrids must be well suited specifically to the area they will be grown. Hybrids planted in continuous corn situation must be able to perform across the field in tough conditions. Spray with a foliar fungicide to help preserve overall late-season intactness.

Although corn supplies are tight this fall throughout the industry, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds still has availability for these hybrids in corn-on-corn situations: