Here is some preliminary soybean yield results that have come in from our test plots this season. Check back for more info as harvest rolls on.
For more info on plot results, visit our website at www.lathamseeds.com.
The data is piling in from our Superstrips and Test Plots this harvest season. Here is a breakdown of how each performed across our marketing territory. For more information on individual plots or head to head results, visit our website at www.lathamseeds.com.
Latham® Hi-Tech Soybeans are producing record yields this fall. One of our new Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ Soybeans recently topped a plot in Dallas County, Iowa, with record 80.2 bushels per acre (b/A).
“This is the first time that we’ve raised 80-bushel beans,” says Dale Meyers, whose family farms near Redfield. He and his son, Michael, also have a Latham dealership. “I believe the early planting date and good seed bed were key. Fortunately we had good planting conditions and received timely rains throughout the growing season.”
Meyers planted his soybean test plot on May 9 in a field that had previously been planted to corn with minimum tillage. He and Michael chiseled the ground last fall and then field cultivated in the spring after applying Trifluralin. Their plot averaged 71.36 bu/A, which is well above his farm’s average of 66.7 bu/A.
Variety selection is one of the most important factors to producing 80-bushel yields, according to Iowa State University (ISU) Extension agronomist Palle Pedersen. Pedersen says that raising a bumper crop begins with preseason planning including:
Meyers agrees that seed selection is key.
**Latham® is a registered trademark of Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids, Inc.
Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ soybeans are trademarks of Monsanto Technology Group LLC
Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way…
Like the lyrics to Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” more than 120 vehicles got their motors runnin’ on Saturday, Aug. 31, and headed out on U.S. Highway 71 from Okoboji, Iowa, for the inaugural Latham Freedom of Independence Ride.
We wanted to celebrate the independent American spirit, and what better way to do so than a road trip featuring motorcycles, cars and trucks?
The first of five groups left Arnold’s Park at 12:30 p.m. and merged onto Highway 9 for a 23-mile trip to Estherville. Just north of town, we made our first field stop where company president John Latham gave a brief recount of his family’s business, started 62-years ago by John’s grandfather, Willard Latham. Willard started it all in 1947 by custom cleaning oats for area farmers. During the 1960s, the business evolved into soybean production. CystX® soybean breeding for resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) began in 1990, and Latham® soybeans with the Roundup Ready technology were introduced in 1996. The company added corn hybrids to its product offering in 2004 and further expanded its product offering in 2008 with hybrid alfalfa.
From a discussion of Latham history, we headed our to learn about the Latham of today and tomorrow. Leg 2 of the Freedom of Independence Ride was a 41-mile trek from Estherville to Whittemore where MaxYield Co-op presented a Latham® Showcase. It was a chance for riders to get up close and personal with many Latham products in the field. Mark Grundmeier, product manager, also talked about the exciting new additions to the 2010 Latham Hi-Tech Soybean lineup: Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ with yields that are 7 to 11% better than the original Roundup Ready soybean technology, which had set the standard for more than a decade. Also at this stop, riders learned about Latham soybeans with the LibertyLink® technology, which is the only nonselective alternative to the Roundup Ready system. LibertyLink beans have no yield drag and are tolerant to the new Ignite® herbicide.
Having covered Latham past, present and future, it was time to put crop talk on hold for Leg 3 of the journey, which took us about 10 miles south to enjoy the serenity of the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend. It’s composed of nine separate grottos, each portraying a scene from the life of Christ. With the largest collection of precious stones and gems found anywhere in one location, the Grotto is truly a miracle in stone. Work on the Grotto began in 1912 and followed for 42 years.
Leg 4 involved a 43-mile route from West Bend to Lost Island Lake in Ruthven where riders heard a brief presentation from Jim Heckman, national sales manager. Heckman told the crowd that Latham Hi-Tech Seeds offers a broader and deeper lineup of traits and technologies than any other company. Our 2010 lineup includes: corn hybrids with YieldGard VT Triple®, Genuity™ SmartStax™, Herculex® XTRA, Agrisure® 3000GT; and soybeans with Roundup® Ready, Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield™, CystX®, Vistive™ and LibertyLink®.
What’s the point of being at the lake without a fishing pole? When corn talk was done, everyone took their best shot at a casting contest. Anyone who could land their cast inside the floating target would win an LCD TV. Congratulations to Scott Heetland, who was the only one to hit the bull’s-eye with one try!
The final leg of the journey, a 26-mile stretch from Ruthven to Arnolds Park, brought us full circle. After an afternoon filled with adventure and cool, fresh air, we were ready for the hog roast. The pork loin, grilled by Scott Nasers of Bigelow, MN, was fork-tender, juicy and succulent. After the roast, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds sponsored a live concert by The Magnificent Board of Directors who took the stage in Preservation Plaza at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re pleased that as an independent, family-owned company we can hold these types of events so our customers can experience the Latham brand difference,” said John Latham. “It was wonderful weather and a great day to be out in rural America. Thank you to everyone who came out and made the event a success.”
…accommodations before or after the ride, here are some nearby options:
Cutty’s Okoboji Resort Club
1528 Hwy 86
Spirit Lake, IA
(712) 336-2226
The Inn at Okoboji
(712) 332-2113, ext. 155
3301 Lakeshore Drive
Okoboji, IA
www.bojifun.com
Arrowwood
1405 U.S. Hwy 71
Okoboji, IA
(712) 332-2161
(800) 727-4561
Bridges Bay
(712) 332-2161
640 Linden Dr.
Arnolds Park, IA
http://www.bridgesbayresort.com
AmericInn
(712) 332-9000
(800) 396-5007
1005 Brooks Park Dr.
Okoboji, IA
www.americinn.com
Ramada Inn
(712) 336-3984
2704 17th St.
Spirit Lake, IA
www.the.ramada.com/spiritlake07253
Super 8
2203 Circle Drive West
Spirit Lake, IA
(712) 336-4901
www.discoverokob
oji.com
Here are a few pics from some fields along the route of the Freedom of Independence Ride coming up next month. As you can see, the crops are looking sweet. The view from the road will be great Aug. 29.
Remember, visit lathamseeds.com to register for the event. The ride starts at 1:00 p.m., leaving from Arnolds Park. We get back to the park around 6:00 and will enjoy a great hog roast and band. All free. And all farmers are welcome.
Sunday (Epilogue)
After completing this course, I’m an absolute safety nut and will have that attitude at all times when riding a cycle. With that in mind, I want to offer a few learnings about protective gear.
Protective gear helps a rider stay comfortable, improves visibility if it’s brightly colored and reflective and protects against the elements in all kinds of conditions. Every rider and passenger should wear:
Protective gear should fit comfortably without binding. A jacket with a zippered front will be more wind resistant than a jacket with buttons or snaps. A flap of material over the zipper of a jacket gives additional protection against the wind along with protecting your motorcycle’s paint from scratches. Jackets with snug cuffs and waist are recommended to keep wind from blowing in. Caution: a large, loose, jacket can flap when riding and may irritate skin or be a distraction.
In cold-weather riding, protective gear protects riders against hypothermia. Hypothermia, a condition of subnormal body temperature, can cause loss of concentration, slowed reactions and loss of smooth, precise muscle movement. As an example, on a chilly day (50 degrees Fahrenheit) a motorcyclist riding at a speed of 30 mph experiences a chilling effect equivalent to 42 degrees.
In hot-weather riding, protective gear protects riders against heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion, characterized by dizziness and headache, can hamper clear thinking and concentration. Dressing for hot-weather riding requires protective gear that breathes, and riders should drink plenty of water.
Source: Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Now, bring on the Freedom of Independence Ride!
Saturday
The desire to experience a big taste of freedom and a small dose of rebellion made me eager to get out of the classroom and onto a Kawasaki Eliminator, which was provided as part of our course fee. It’s a good thing that I’m not superstitious or else the model name would have really freaked me out. Instead, I said a quick prayer for wisdom and safety. Then I gripped the right brake and hopped into the saddle.
“Power walking” took on new meaning that morning as the instructors had us get acquainted with our bikes and learn to balance by straddling our bikes and literally pushing them from one side of the range to the other. It was a great way to work out one’s thighs. Yes, I used muscles that I didn’t even know I had! To top it off, there were gale-force winds that day so we had to push even harder.
I was especially glad to have a full-face helmet keeping the wind out of my ears, plus the head covering helped me stay warmer all over. (It was 38 degree Fahrenheit at 8 a.m. that morning.) I was dressed in layers including a long-sleeve thermal shirt, a fleece and my ski jacket. If only I would have thought to put on long johns to keep my legs warm! Leather gloves helped protect my hands from the chill and protected my skin in the one instance that I forgot to leave both feet on the ground. Leather boots protected my ankles and gave me traction while straddling my bike and later peddling my feet as I gained balance.
While we began by taking “baby steps,” it wasn’t long before we started our engines and learned to put up our feet.
“Dedicated to the American Farmer.” That’s the heart of The Machine Shed restaurants located throughout the Midwest. One of the leading hospitality brands in the central U.S., The Machine Shed’s flagship property in Des Moines recently planted a small demonstration plot of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds corn. The corn stand will be a great visual addition to The Machine Shed’s visitor path, circling a scenic pond surrounded by classic farm tractors, landscaping and other “adornments” from life on the land. The Machine Shed hosts thousands of restaurant patrons every week, many from small towns and rural areas.
As you can see, Cat Wood-Penton, executive team member at the Machine Shed who is planting the seeds, took Latham’s planting instructions to heart: 30-inch rows, seeds planted 6 inches apart, 1.5″ to 2″ deep. It was a windy day that day, so the audio is a little muffled, but should still work.
We look forward to big, brilliant corn emerging this summer, showing people how Latham seeds perform.
In between showers, our research team has been getting our corn showcase plots planted. These pictures show Bill 
Latham and Gary Bennett planting our Latham® corn showcase plot near Alta, Iowa. True to the season, this photo was taken after Bill and Gary got wet from a brief shower.
Latham Hi-Tech Seeds planted six corn showcase plots between May 4-6. Four more plots were planted between May 11-13. The seeds were planted with the company’s new corn plot air planter, complete with computer equipment that controls the drop rate and length of row per plot.
