Tag Archives: RIB

Industry NewsHow Would You Define Technology?

Posted on by

tech·nol·o·gy noun \tek-?nä-l?-j?\ 1a:> the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area b: a capability given by the practical application of knowledge 2: a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge <new technologies for information storage> 3: the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor

Despite what Webster says, every person at Latham Hi-Tech Seeds most likely would define “technology” as it relates to his/her job. Mention “technology” to company president John Latham and he’s apt to engage you in a conversation about Agrisure Durcade, which should receive approval soon, to fight corn rootworm. Product Manager Mark Grundmeier might have XtendTM soybeans on his mind since new stacked brands are in the pipeline, featuring Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® technology with Dicamba resistance.

Kathy Rogotzke, math instructor at North Iowa Area Community College, visits with Dani Young, a sophomore at CWL, during the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference Friday at NIACC. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY PIEPER/The Globe Gazette

I hadn’t really stopped to think about how technology advancements – many that we’ve made within the last four years – have changed the way we do business until I sat down to write a speech. I looked at our business in a different light after Dr. Kathy Rogotzke, math instructor at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), contacted me to be a speaker for NIACC’s WOMEN in STEM (Science, technology, engineering and math) careers event.

My charge was to inspire high school students to consider careers in technology and to help open their eyes to career opportunities. Instead of talking only about how new media technology has changed Latham Seeds’ approach to marketing and public relations, I decided to give high school students an idea of just how broad the technology field is and how many jobs are affected by it.

Today I’d like to share with you, our readers, a brief overview of how technology impacts every facet of our business:

Research / Product Development

Seed Production / Soybean Manufacturing

YouTube Preview Image

Trucking

  • GPS navigation

Customer Service

  • New phone/ answering system
  • New computer software integrates operations

Sales

Marketing

Farmers

  • Seed traits
  • Auto steer
  • GPS / yield monitors
  • Precision planting
  • Variable rate planting
  • Smartphones for up-to-the-minute markets and real-time weather

Bottom line: Even if a person wasn’t raised on a farm, chances are he or she could find a fulfilling career in a technology field that’s somehow affiliated with agriculture. With a job placement rate of 98% for Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture graduates, it’s certainly worth considering!

Not only are placement rates great, but starting salaries are among the highest for new grads since careers in agriculture encompass science, technology, engineering and math. People who want jobs move to areas where there is opportunity, and today there is virtually limitless opportunity in agriculture. There’s never been a better time for young people to enter the industry!

Best Management Practices to Control CRW

Posted on by

Continued use of the same rootworm-resistant trait in corn hybrids, an increase of corn-on-corn areas, plus a lack of refuge acres, has caused rootworm resistance to become an issue in some areas. Best management practices, including rotation, are key to effectively controlling corn rootworm populations.

Northern Corn Rootworm

However, rotation isn’t as simple as it used to be. Farmers can no longer merely rotate between corn and soybeans as the only effective management strategy. Both the Northern Corn Rootworm and the Western Corn Rootworm have developed methods to counteract the effects of rotation on their life cycles. The Northern species uses a tactic called Extended Diapause that allows its eggs to lay dormant during the time fields are in soybeans. The eggs will then hatch after the field is planted to corn, and the young worms will feed on the corn roots. Adult females of the Western species have actually learned to lay their eggs in soybean fields, thereby allowing them to hatch the following spring when the field is planted to corn. With these changes in what used to be considered the “normal” life cycles of rootworms, managing CRW today requires increased diligence.

Western Corn Rootworm Beetle

Rotating rootworm-resistance traits developed by Monsanto, Syngenta and Dow will help CRW resistance from developing if farmers actually rotate modes of action. One advantage of working with family-owned and independent Latham Hi-Tech Seeds is that we can help you select the trait packages needed to change up your modes of action. Latham offers the industry’s broadest, deepest seed lineup – which makes it more convenient for farmers to get all their seed needs met.

Using hybrids with more than one rootworm trait like Genuity® SmartStax® may offer another line of defense against CRW. The recent approval of Agrisure Duracade from Syngenta provides another trait in the arsenal to fight CRW; hybrids with Agrisure Duracade are expected to be commercially available in 2014.

Additionally, refuge acres must be planted. Refuge-In-the-Bag (RIB) hybrids available from Latham Hi-Tech Seeds make compliance simple. Respect the refuge® and it will greatly increase our likelihood of keeping rootworm traits viable for years to come. Rotation helps reduce the risk of resistance. However, planting refuge alone is not enough.

Corn rootworm management is a complex issue and the solution is more than just traits. There are many factors and management options that must be considered:

Reduce Risk in 2013 with Rotation

Posted on by

Recently, I’ve received calls from concerned farmers on a wide range of topics from volunteer corn to weed resistance and corn rootworms. There is no simple solution to these problems, but rotation is one common management practice that can certainly help.

Consider how rotation can help with these issues:

  1. Herbicide-Resistant Weeds. Resistance to glyphosate-based herbicides (e.g. Roundup®) is due to using herbicides as the only source of weed management. Weed resistance can be significantly slowed down or even averted altogether with careful crop and herbicide use plans. Bring LibertyLink® or conventional soybeans into your rotation. Likewise, when it comes time to plant corn, use conventional or straight LibertyLink hybrids. Using herbicides that have different modes of action is critical.
  2. Volunteer Corn. With careful crop planning and herbicide usage, volunteer corn can be controlled in both corn and soybeans. Several herbicides (e.g. Select, Fusion, Poast Plus, etc.) will take care of volunteer corn in soybean fields, but persistence is key as more than one application may be needed.Volunteer corn in continuous corn situations can be managed by understanding the herbicide tolerances of the traits involved. For example, most Monsanto-traited hybrids contain only the glyphosate-resistant trait for herbicide use. If you plant corn following one of those hybrids, choose a hybrid that incorporates the LibertyLink trait. If you plan to have many years of continuous corn, stay away from hybrids that contain both the LibertyLink and the glyphosate gene for herbicide resistance. Rotating to soybeans or alfalfa also can help break that cycle.
  3. Corn Rootworm. Continued use of the same rootworm resistant (Bt) trait in corn hybrids, coupled with the lack of required refuge acres, has caused rootworm resistance to become an issue. Rotation is key. Rotate traits between Monsanto, Agrisure and Dow products. They may also need to rotate to other crops (like soybean or alfalfa) if rootworms cannot be managed by rotating traits. Additionally, the use of hybrids with more than one rootworm trait (e.g. SmartStax) may need to be used. Refuge acres must be planted, and Refuge-In-the-Bag (RIB) hybrids make compliance simple. Respect the refuge® and it will greatly increase our likelihood of keeping rootworm traits viable for years to come.

* Respect the refuge is a registered trademark of the National Corn Growers Association