11: Spotty Rainfall in Latham Country

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Spotty rains hit Latham Country again this week. The rain received in some areas will benefit the soybeans as pod fill continues. On the other hand, heat and lack of moisture has severely affected the corn crop and is making for an early harvest. Click an area on the map below to view complete updates for that region.

Scouting for SDS is Important

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) typically appears during the last week of July or the first week of August in Latham Country, so farmers are being advised to keep their eyes open for this yield-robbing disease. Cool, wet conditions at planting time can contribute to the severity of SDS.

“Although we do not expect SDS to be as widespread or as severe as the 2010 growing season, there have been some Iowa counties that have received higher-than-normal precipitation,” said ISU Plant Pathologist Alison Robertson in a recent Wallaces Farmer article. “We expect the risk of SDS in these counties to be higher since the development of this disease is favored by wet conditions.”

Scouting for SDS is important for several reasons:

Identifying fields or parts of fields with SDS can help with future management practices. These management tactics include reducing soil compaction since the disease has been associated with compacted soil; planting fields with a history of SDS towards the end of a planting schedule when soils may be warmer and drier; and testing for the presence of soybean cyst nematodes.
Cyst nematode is usually, but not always, associated with SDS. You may see more severe cases of SDS in soybean varieties that are SCN-susceptible. When selecting soybean seed, it’s best to read through the SDS score rather than judge a bean solely by SCN tolerance.
Planting resistant varieties, or avoiding very susceptible varieties, is the most effective way to reduce losses from SDS. Keeping good field records from year-to-year will help determine which characteristics are most crucial when selecting soybean varieties to plant in a given field in a given year. The following Latham® varieties carry excellent scores for SDS tolerance:

As you prepare to walk your fields, these videos shot last season by Soybean Product Manager Mark Grundmeier will explain what symptoms of SDS to look for in your fields. You might also enjoy watching Mark’s brief, but informative, videos on SDS management and prevention.

Tips to Maximize Soybean Yields

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Shannon Latham, Vice President

A recent Successful Farming article provided readers with helpful tips for bagging more soybeans next fall. Below are a few of the 21 tips provided.

1) Look for a high-yielding variety in your maturity zone. Mark Grundmeier, product manager for Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, says variety selection is THE most important factor contributing to soybean yields. Careful variety selection can help reduce or even eliminate many stress factors including disease, insects and Soybean Cyst Nematodes. Remember “genetics first, then traits.” You can’t expect great trait performance from inferior genetics. Read more on variety selection.

2) Plant on time. Note that this does not necessarily mean planting early, but planting timely. Mark says farmers need to balance the benefits of early planting with the risks. While soybeans are a light-sensitive crop and it stands to reason the earlier-planted crop receives more sunlight and creates more yield, farmers who plant early must also protect soybeans from seedling diseases and insects. Thus, at Latham, we recommend the use of seed treatments containing either a fungicide or a fungicide-insecticide combination. Our SoyShield™ brand seed treatments are an excellent choice to help with this.

3) Stop SDS. Last year, many farmers in the Midwest were dealt the challenge managing an SDS outbreak in their fields. In these videos, Mark Grundmeier provides tips for preventing and managing SDS.

Which of the above steps do you think is most important in maximizing yield?

Click here for the full list of tips provided in the article.