Forfarmers selecting & growing maize 2016

Selecting and growing the correct maize variety 2016

ForFarmers Forage & Arable 0845 070 6280 info.forage@forfarmers.eu www.forfarmers.co.uk

Why include maize in your diet?

By feeding livestock with a proportion of forage maize in the diet, feed intake is increased which leads to an increase in milk production compared to grass silage alone. Grass silage and maize silage complement each other.

The high energy in maize silage is provided by a good starch content, while alternatively the energy in grass silage is derived from digestible fibre and sugars. Maize silage is however low in protein, but this complements grass silage which has higher protein content.

The composition of milk produced can be altered by increasing the level of maize silage in the diet. Rations with large maize silage content will generally give higher levels of milk protein than a grass silage ration. The ability to alter the composition of milk is a valuable management tool and ForFarmers can support farmers with their diet formulations.

Maize choice?

When choosing a maize variety, growers must ensure that they choose a variety with the right earliness for their location and future crop rotations. Decisions can then be made regarding appropriate feeding quality objectives.

Using the forage maize descriptive lists are vital in ensuring that the variety which you choose to sow has been tried and tested in many areas and you can be confident in the expected results. Cell wall digestibility is an increasing important factor for feeding high levels of maize silage in a diet. The higher the cell wall digestibility of a variety the more digestible the leaf and stem is considered to be to the animal, however if using a lower inclusion of maize silage in the diet, a high starch content may be more desirable.

ForFarmers 1st choice maize varieties for less favourable sites Kaspian

• Earliest Hybrid available • Dry matter yield 14.7 t/ha • Starch content 36.8% • Cell wall digestibility 55.6% for loamy and heavy • Suitable clay soils, not suitable for sandy, very light soils

on most challenging • Use sites or where very early cut required or late planting

Emmerson

addition – • New very early hybrid • Dry matter yield 15.5 t/ha • Starch content 35.5% • Cell wall digestibility 55.7% • Excellent standing power • Performs well on all sites

P7326

• New extra early maturity • Dry matter yield 17.9 t/ha • Starch content 36.7% • Whole plant digestibility 70.0% good early vigour and • Very good lodging for favourable and • Suitable less favourable sites

*Figures taken from 2016 maize descriptive list or Pioneer PACTS trials

Activate

• Very early hybrid • Dry matter yield 15.8 t/ha • Starch content 36.2% • Cell wall digestibility 57.8% • Excellent standing power • Good early vigour Sergio

hybrid with above yield • Early for maturity • Dry matter yield 16.0 t/ha • Starch content 34.9% • Cell wall digestibility 56.7% • Good early vigour • Suitable for all soil types

Perez

hybrid setting • New new standards • Dry matter yield 16.8 t/ha • Starch content 33.2% • Cell wall digestibility 55.4% early vigour for heavier • Good soils for late sowing on • Ideal favourable sites

P7892

• Very early maturity • Dry matter yield 16.7 t/ha • Starch content 32.3% plant digestibility • Whole 70.3% good early vigour and • Very good lodging • Suitable for all types of soils Ambition

• Leading variety in the market • Dry matter yield 16.9 t/ha • Starch content 33.0% • Cell wall digestibility 56.4% • Very flexible for all soil types • Excellent early vigour Severus

performing widely • Excellent grown variety • Dry matter yield 16.7 t/ha • Starch content 33.4% • Cell wall digestibility 55.3% early vigour on • Outstanding all soil types • Good standing

P7524

• Early maturity • Dry matter yield 18.4 t/ha • Starch content 30.8% plant digestibility • Whole 68.5% early vigour and • Good lodging for good to • Suitable favourable sites Emblem

variety to list with • New medium/early maturity • Dry matter yield 17.0 t/ha • Starch content 33.3% • Cell wall digestibility 56.9% early vigour and • Good standing power • Energy dense feed

Aurelius

extra early hybrid • New due to be added to the recommended list

• Dry matter yield 110-113% • Starch content 29.1-38.1% • Rapid early vigour • Suitable for all soil types

The importance of fertiliser Getting off to a good start Liming Checking the pH levels of the fields that you plan to grow maize in is crucial. For growing maize, a pH of 6.8 is ideal. To maintain the correct soil pH, lime should be applied on an ‘as needed’ basis. This should be done as early as possible so that there is time for it to be incorporated into the soil.

Starter fertiliser It is recommended that a starter fertiliser is used at drilling. An application of 65kg/Ha of MAP or DAP will provide extra support to the early growth of the crop, improving dry matter yields and can also bring crop maturity forward. However, where the field has previously received high levels of FYM, then the starter fertiliser application rate can be halved.

The picture opposite shows the importance of applying starter fertilisers. On the left shows MAP fertiliser applied and what happens if you run out (on the right). The blue tinging on the plants on the right is classic phosphate deficiency.

Control the weeds before they control the crop Maize is a very poor competitor and can soon become swamped with weeds. Yields very quickly slump in a dirty crop.

Poor weed control is often the biggest single factor contributing to disappointing results with maize so it’s important to get it right and prevention is very definitely better than cure.

Getting the agronomy right for a successful maize crop

• Check your soil analysis and make adjustments and cultivate to leave a fine firm seedbed with a • Plough working tilth of 5cm is essential Maize is a deep rooting plant but poor • Subsoiling at rooting! Any compaction will result in uneven and patchy germination and subsequent crop

sow from 20th of April onwards as a target with • Generally the last week of April first week of May as the key drilling weeks and all over by the second week in May

temperature is key which is 8°C minimum for 3-4 • Soil consecutive days and preferably rising on light ground and 10°C on heavier soils

depth 3-5cm ensures moisture Deeper will delay • Drilling emergence, shallower will encourage bird damage or risk poor or patchy germination

• Row widths 75cm (30inch) • Seed spacing 10-12cm rates 104,000-111,000/ha (42,000-45,000/acre) for • Seed conventionally drilled maize. Some companies may advocate higher or lower rates according to variety

Lower seed rates advance maturity and can improve quality • but will reduce DM yield Higher seed rates increase DM yields but delay maturity and • quality may suffer

• Planting after grass? Use Sonido as a treatment

For information on our full maize portfolio please contact your local account manager or the Forage & Arable Customer Services team on: 0845 070 6280 info.forage@forfarmers.eu www.forfarmers.co.uk