June/July 2016 Advantage Newsletter

LEGEND SEEDS

ADVANTAGE EMPOWER YOURSELF THROUGH LEGEND’S

KNOWLEDGE PLOT™ ACADEMY

JUNE / JULY 2016

Upcoming Events

By Glen Davis, President, Legend Seeds

Planting is nearly done and just like every year, you’ve been presented with challenges and opportunities this season. As we move through the growing season, we cannot let our defenses down.

We need to keep looking at how we can improve our operations - not only for harvest 2016, but for the future.

Knowledge is Power Here at Legend Seeds we are excited about the future of agriculture and will do everything in our ability to make sure our company has the products, people and service in place to help you achieve a successful future on your farm.

WI Tech Days July 19-21, 2016 Walworth County, WI

MN Farmfest August 2-4, 2016 Redwood County, MN Dakotafest August 16-18, 2016 Mitchell, SD

Legend’s Knowledge Plot™ program plays a large role in helping us accomplish our mission.

The program was launched a number of years ago when it became clear that as a company we do more for our growers than provide them with seed.

Legend Seeds is focused on providing you with the knowledge you need to ensure that the investment you make in our seed results in profits.

When you attend a Knowledge Plot™ Academy you can expect to learn about the latest advancements in not only seed traits and technologies, but also localized, research-based field management practices you can implement in your fields to maximize yields and profits.

We like to say that when you attend a Knowledge Plot™ Academy, you “Step Into the Know.” Everything you know impacts how you run your operation moving forward.

We look forward to connecting with our growers and helping you find answers to your agronomic questions.

Remember, when you have questions, you can always call your local Legend Sales Agronomist – or stop by and visit with one of our agronomists during the next Farm Show.

Please stop by the Legend Seeds booth and visit with us!

ADVANTAGE

Attendees learn about pre & post-emergence spraying during early season Knowledge Plot Academy at our Geneva, MN location.

What’s Inside: PG 2: Step into the Know PG 3: Agronomy Outlook PG 4: Meet the 2016 Intern Team

LEGEND SEEDS ADVANTAGE STEP INTO THE KNOW:

ATTEND YOUR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE PLOT ACADEMY Agriculture is a very innovative and aggressive industry where technologies and advancements in management practices are always coming down the road. To help you navigate your way to the BEST practices for your farm, each summer Legend Seeds hosts local Knowledge Plot™ Academies.

beauty of these Knowledge Plots – they can see firsthand how a practice or input worked locally before trying it in their own fields.”

What you can expect in 2016 In addition to learning about the latest management practices, seed traits and technologies, Matt adds that growers who attend a 2016 Knowledge Plot Academy can expect more information on Farmacology® and how to make precision ag work for you – whether you’re a large or small grower. Growers will also have the opportunity to take a look at Legend Seeds’ 4-row precision planter.

“Knowledge Plot Academies are where we share the latest traits, technologies and research-based management practices which growers can implement on their farms to improve yields and ultimately profits,” says Matt Raml, Director of Product Development. “This is where growers can see next year’s product line-up first hand. It’s where growers can ask us questions and see the impact a management practice or new product has on yields and decide if its right for their farm or not.”

More about John Dennis John considers himself a small farmer compared to many of his neighbors and supplements his farm income by selling Legend Seeds and operating a trucking company, Dennis Trucking LLC.

Attending his local Knowledge Plot Academy has encouraged John Dennis to change things up a bit on his family’s Park Rapids, Minn., farm.

“We are not quite big enough to make a living farming fulltime. But, I love farming, so I am willing to keep this crazy schedule,” John says. “I love working the soil, planting the seed, watching it grow and harvesting it. It’s rewarding to see what I’ve done, knowing that it was me behind the crop that I harvest each year.”

The second generation farmer began grid sampling acres and utilizing Legend Seeds’ Farmacology® total cropping system, he applied 2016 nutrients based on need not assumptions.

“With the way the markets are these days, I need to watch every penny. With the Legend Edge, A could-based platform within the Farmacology suite of tools, I use maps to apply fertilizer. I’m not throwing money away in fields that don’t need it, or under-applying on fields that do,” explains John, 35, who farms with his dad, Jim.

He was introduced to Legend Seeds by a friend who also sold seed. “I was impressed by the wide availability of maturity ratings because I have customers who plant 75-day and others who plant 90-day,” explains John, who sells Legend Seeds to customers in a 90-mile radius of Park Rapids, which is considered north central Minnesota. ADVANTAGE

Based on the results John saw in the local Knowledge Plot, he also made the decision to go no-till. He is currently in the process of converting many of his fields from conventional to no-till. “Where I am, the soil is extremely sandy. Going no-till is helping me conserve moisture. Eliminating that pass with the tillage equipment is also another way that I can save time and dollars per acre.”

Matt says that John’s Knowledge Plot experience is exactly the reason Legend Seeds invests in local Knowledge Plots.

He explains that the products and management practices displayed at each Knowledge Plot Academy are unique because they are tailored to the growing conditions and geographic goals of Legend Seeds’ growers.

“Our goal is to answer questions relevant to our growers based on their local growing conditions, production methods, goals and challenges,” Matt says. “Some inputs may seem expensive up front, however, just because something might be expensive doesn’t mean growers should cut it – it may be the only thing holding a yield opportunity or not. That’s the

John Dennis farms with his dad Jim near Park Rapids, MN. John made some significant changes to the way he manages his acres after attending Knowledge Plot™ Academies.

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LEGEND SEEDS ADVANTAGE AGRONOMY OUTLOOK

SIDE-DRESSING & FIELD SCOUTING

By Dean Colling, Legend Sales Agronomist

Whether you’re adding nutrients or scouting for pests, timing is everything when it comes to field management.

June 1 thru early September or until the crop is well into the R6 stage of soybeans.

Depending on what stage of development you’re corn crop is in, it could be time to side-dress.

Scout fields more frequently (every 3-4 days) as aphid populations approach the threshold.

I recommend applying nitrogen to corn before the V8 stage because ear set is determined by the plant around V8, so we don’t want the plant to scrimp on production due to lack of nutrients. The other reason is the fact that the largest portion of the total nitrogen uptake by corn occurs during the eighth leaf to VT (tasseling) development stages.

Yield loss by soybean aphid is greatest when soybeans are in the early R stages (R1-R2), when flowers can abort and impact pod establishment. Peak infestations during the pod fill stage (R3) and beyond can result in smaller seed size and a reduction in seed quality.

Early-season aphid infestations tend to concentrate on the newly emerging leaves and upper trifoliates of the plant and tend to migrate to the middle or lower leaves to avoid heat.

Research has shown that if applications are done around V6, it is very rare to see yield loss due to N stress.

What to look for scouting

This is because most soils can provide sufficient N to satisfy the demands of young corn plants.

Look at 20-30 random plants across the field. Avoid field edges. Estimate the number of aphids per plant in that field. A minimum of two field visits is required to confirm that aphid populations are increasing.

However, if no nitrogen, or very little, was applied pre-plant then side-dress earlier V2-V4 to avoid N stress.

Soil’s impact on side-dressing decisions

Before applying an insecticide to control aphids, scout for spider mites to ensure that populations are not present. If they are, select the appropriate insecticide that will kill the mites and the aphids, so that the mite population is also controlled and will not flare up shortly after application.

Soil type heavily influences a grower’s side-dressing decisions.

High clay soils should have a planned split-application of nitrogen fertilizer due to the risk of nitrogen loss by denitrification.

Fine-textured sandy soils also have high risk of nitrogen loss due to leaching.

Soybean aphid 101 Soybean aphids are small, pale green to yellow and may be winged or wingless. They can be found on the underside of leaves and stems.

Injection into the soil or dribbling the nitrogen fertilizer between rows are the best ways to side-dress because this application can reduce volatilization of urea and protect the crop from foliar damage.

The soybean aphid, is a pest originally from Asia. The soybean aphid survives as eggs on the twigs of buckthorn species. (continued on page 4)

Using dry Urea granules will have the least impact on leaf burn compared to UAN or dry products such as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate.

It is best to apply when the foliage is dry.

Remember, urea is subject to volatilization if rain does not fall within three to four days after application. As much as 30% of broadcast urea can volatilize if there is no rainfall within approximately 10 days after the application.

Note: Application of dry products, such urea, “over the top” can result in foliar damage. Typically, this damage is an aesthetic concern and rarely translates into yield reduction.

Scout for Aphids in Soybean Fields I recommend growers begin scouting their soybean fields for aphids every 7 to 10 days from (depending on geography)

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LEGEND SEEDS ADVANTAGE because spider mites are barely visible to the naked eye.

Adults are eight-legged, yellowish-brown, with two dark spots.

Aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts that suck juices and nutrients from the plant. Lower populations of aphids can live and feed on soybeans without causing yield loss. Once populations reach threshold levels, especially in dry years when the plants are stressed, aphids can cause the plants to abort flowers, become stunted, reducing pod and seed production and quality.

Spider mites disperse by crawling, so infestations tend to spread slowly from field edges. Non-mated female mites will mass at the top of the plants and spin webs that serve as a “balloon,” allowing strong winds to pick them up and carry them off to another site.

Scouting for Two-Spotted Spider Mite in Soybeans I encourage growers to begin scouting for two-spotted spider mites shortly before wheat harvest as damage is more severe in hot, dry weather.

If rain is in the forecast, delay spraying. Prolonged wetness will usually reduce the number of mites to insignificant levels.

Infestations tend to occur shortly after wheat harvest and when municipalities mow road sides.

Spider mite females can reproduce without mating. Spider mites generally over-winter as adult females in sheltered areas, such as plant debris and field margins.

Two-Spotted Spider Mites 101

Infestations usually move in from the edge of fields as hot spots. Under hot, dry, windy conditions, infestations can spread very quickly.

Mites feed on individual plant cell contents on the underside of leaves through stylet-like mouthparts. Each feeding site causes a stipple. Severe stippling causes yellowing, curling and bronzing of the leaves. Eventually, the leaf will dry up and fall off. Upon close examination, fine webbing on lower surfaces of the foliage can be seen.

What to look for When Scouting: Look for tiny white stipples on the upper surface of leaves in the mid-canopy. Pull these leaves from the plant and shake them onto a white piece of paper to see the actual mites moving around.

To learn more, contact your local Legend Sales Agronomist at 800-678-3346. ADVANTAGE

You will need a 10X hand lens to actually see the mites

COMING TO A FIELD NEAR YOU! Join us for lunch and Step Into The Know during your local Knowledge Plot™ Academy. Learn cutting edge information from industry experts who will help you get more profit per acre.

Plots are located in these areas:

Fairfax, MN Geneva, MN Cannon Falls, MN Lake Preston, SD Buffalo, ND Baldwin, WI Marshfield, WI Rembrandt, IA Dates are to be determined! Follow us on Facebook for additional details and dates!

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LEGEND SEEDS ADVANTAGE IN GOOD HANDS:

MEET LEGEND SEEDS 2016 INTERNS Each growing season Legend Seeds provides boots-in-the-field experience to college students who plan to build careers in the agriculture industry.

“Internships are a win-win opportunity, providing students with real-world experience and allowing Legend Seeds to get to know young professionals who we may ask to join our team,” explains Glen Davis, President of Legend Seeds.

Read on to learn more about Legend’s interns: Ethan Jones, Jordan Thull, and Clint Irrthum.

Ethan Jones is pursuing a degree in Precision Technology from Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D. Growing up in the South Dakota farming community of Lake Preston, Ethan spent his free time and summers working on his neighbor’s farm.

Legend Seeds intern, Ethan Jones, helps Legend Sales Agronomist, Dean Colling plant a plot near Howard, S.D.

Jordan Thull graduated this May with a degree in Agriculture Business. He grew up on a registered, purebred Gelbvieh farm near Oldham, S.D.

Q: What is it about working on this farm that triggered your interest in precision technology?

A: I am impressed by the fact that each farmer only has a certain amount of land. To increase yields and profits, we need to use technology and what we learn from research.

My generation grew up immersed in technology. It is so interesting to me how technology within the seed industry alone has impacted agriculture.

Farmers are tasked with feeding the world – I see precision agriculture technology playing a crucial role in how we will feed the future.

Q: Why did you want an internship with Legend Seeds?

A: The fact that they are a family-run, local business is huge for me. The first day of my internship I met our General Manager, Tim Bratland. Now, that’s not something that would happen if I was an intern for a large corporation.

I also know some of their employees personally and have been impressed by the way Legend Seeds treats their employees and customers.

Q: Why did you want to remain actively involved in the agriculture industry?

A: Growing up on a farm I developed a passion for agriculture. It’s what I know. I know there are many opportunities within the ag industry.

Q: Does your interest in cattle genetics have anything to do with you wanting an internship with Legend Seeds?

A: Yes! I know you can always develop better genetics. I like the fact that in the seed industry, like the cattle industry, through genetics, farmers can improve yield potential and profits.

Legend Seeds has an amazing research and development team. They work hard to share the knowledge they learn with growers through Knowledge Plots™ and farm visits.

I’ve always said that I want to make it easier to maximize production – whether that is through the cattle genetics or seed genetics. (continued on page 6)

Q: What do you want to gain from this internship?

A: The team members I work with are giving me real-world tasks so I can gain knowledge for my future career. I’ve gained so much hands-on knowledge from going out with the Legend Sales Agronomists.

Along with learning about Legend Seeds as a whole, it’s my goal to learn as much about field mapping as possible this summer.

Q: So far, what have you enjoyed most?

A: Visiting with farmers. They are the future because they feed the world!

Legend Seeds intern, Jordan Thull traveled with the plot crew this spring planting L.E.A.P. plots throughout a seven-state region.

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LEGEND SEEDS ADVANTAGE (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5)

IN GOOD HANDS: MEET LEGEND SEEDS 2016 INTERNS Clint Irrthum is a sophomore majoring in Ag Business at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. He hopes to return to his family’s dairy farm near Wanamingo, Minn. after graduation.

Legend Seeds?

Q. What are you looking forward to learning about during your internship with

A: Growing up on a dairy farm, I haven’t been exposed to much on the agronomy side of farming. Working with Legend Sales Agronomist Dale Viktora is a great opportunity to learn more about the various factors that go into producing a successful crop yield.

seed is very different from opening up seed bags like I am used to.

Q. How do you foresee your Legend Seeds internship fitting into your future career plans?

A: Though I intend to eventually return to my family’s dairy farm, I’d like to work somewhere else for a few years first to broaden my perspective on agriculture. Having some background in the seed business opens myself up to more possibilities.

To learn how you or someone you know can apply for a Legend Seeds internship, contact Audra Wilson at 605-203-0588 or audra@legendseeds.net. ADVANTAGE

Q. What has surprised you so far about the seed business?

A: Since Legend Seeds is a multi-state operation, it’s given me the chance to see how production ag differs in other states.

For example, when I visited the Legend Seeds headquarters in DeSmet, I was very surprised to see all the seed tenders and grain wagons. Seeing a customer’s semi pull in to load up on

PO Box 241 De Smet, SD 57231