Corson Maize 2020

Learn, grow, excel

THE MAIZE BOOK 2020.

OUR LATEST PRODUCT GUIDE IS NOW AVAILABLE!

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This publication has been supplied by Corson Maize in collaboration with Dairy Exporter Magazine.

It provides up to date information from Corson Maize on this season’s maize developments, crops and sustainability. There is an on farm story from Dairy Exporter and FAR supplies their latest news.

IT PAYS TO ORDER EARLY. TESTED, TRIED AND TRUSTED. Not only do you get maize hybrids that are tested, tried and trusted, you also get other benefits when you order before 31 July 2020.

HYBRIDS INCLUDED

Welcome to this special Corson Maize publication produced in collaboration with Dairy Exporter Magazine In this feature you will read about new developments within the Corson Maize business as well as some personal experiences shared by dairy farmers and growers from across our nation.

The name Corson has been recognised within the New Zealand maize industry for 70 years. Originally established by the Corson family in Gisborne with a focus on maize grain production and processing, Corson Maize is now part of the wider PGG Wrightson Seeds Limited business providing seed genetics from New Zealand and around the world to New Zealand farmers.

Corson Maize has access to maize genetics from more companies throughout the world than any other seed company in New Zealand. The range of companies that we work with means that we can find the right hybrid for your farm. We review the latest genetics each year and test them in New Zealand conditions to ensure that they stand up to our unique and variable environments. Whether you are looking for a short or long term maturity hybrid, or for specific characteristics such as improved drought or disease tolerance; we will have the right hybrid for you.

Maize for silage will be integral in future dairy farm systems in most areas of New Zealand. Maize’s ability to source nutrients from deep in the soil, reduce leaching and grow large amounts of dry matter that can be stored and later utilised during feed deficits, make it an ideal feed to improve farm sustainability and profitability.

Throughout this edition you will see stories where Corson Maize hybrids are being utilised on farms successfully and contributing to solutions to reduce the impact of effluent and leaching on dairy farms. In that regard you will see the partnership Corson Maize is developing with organisations such as the FAR and private businesses to support further research and development into sustainable farming practices. You will read an article on one of those partners who is involved in the provision of plants for riparian areas.

This current season has once again proven that the only constant for us all as farmers is that the weather continues to be extremely variable. We face the same challenges as you as we grow our seed each year for sale the following season. As you may imagine, bringing new maize hybrids to market and producing existing popular hybrids takes some planning.

You can read about the journey of a hybrid from discovery to commercialisation later in this edition.

Corson Maize is focused on providing excellent quality seed to meet dairy farmers farm system requirements. This means providing a product that not only performs well but helps meet the growing sustainable and environmental needs of future farm systems.

I hope that you find this edition insightful and that you might learn a little more about Corson Maize. If you have any questions or want to discuss our products further, please contact one of the Corson Maize team on 0800 4 MAIZE or visit corsonmaize.co.nz

Graeme Austin National Sales Manager Corson Maize

CONTENTS 4 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14

Family Seed Business Windy Ridge Farms Corson Maize Hybrids Summer Brassicas Corson Maize Seed Production Maize Genetics Corson Maize Riparian Plant Packs Reversing 150 Years of Lost Wetlands Conservation Tillage Foundation for Arable Research Richard Reid Sales Agronomist

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From left, Richard Kershaw, Thomas Kershaw, James Watts, Paul Kershaw and Zac Chandler.

Family Seed Business “

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H

aving seed from Corson Maize now grown in the lower North Island of New Zealand is a great bonus for us in the Wairarapa. Growing their seed in this region will reduce the risks of only growing seed in Gisborne, and it’s a great benefit for us too.

Corson are a great partner to work with and knowing they are a part of PGG Wrightson Seeds Ltd is very reassuring as they are an outstanding New Zealand agriculture business”, according to Wairarapa grower Richard Kershaw.

The Wairarapa grower is responsible for growing a significant amount of maize seed for Corson Maize. He also grows hectares of maize for grain and silage, as well as squash, onion seeds and is growing peas again after the region eradicated pea weevil.

Richard’s family farms 290 hectares on the river silt soils between Martinborough and Greytown and leases another 200 ha around the region.

Corson Maize grows seed in both Gisborne and the Wairarapa. Both of these areas provide an excellent growing environment for maize seed. It is vital to ensure hybrids chosen from overseas are suitable for New Zealand growing conditions, he says.

“We also produce hybrid sweetcorn and hybrid maize for them so we can compare hybrids to see which ones grow the best for our region and are best adapted for New Zealand.”

These varieties have been chosen for New Zealand conditions.

“It’s like breeding a cow. A New Zealand cow that has been bred for a New Zealand pasture system is going to perform

over a cow that has been bred for a feed lot overseas. The seed industry is the same and we’ve noticed it with all our seed production – it does make a difference.”

For example, the Wairarapa is notorious for high winds and Corson Maize hybrids are showing good tolerance, he says.

“The Wairarapa can sometimes be a harsh environment; we can get a lot of wind down here and their varieties are showing they can handle it really well.”

A lot of the new varieties are continually improving in other traits that make them excellent for New Zealand conditions, such as drought or pest tolerance he says.

Richard grows grain for the feed market using three of Corson’s maize varieties – Booster, Pelota and Afinity on his blocks. Booster is a dual-purpose hybrid which is a very early maturity, with excellent yield and early growth.

Afinity is a full season hybrid suitable for the lower North Island with consistent yields and a mid-maturity option for the northern North Island. Pelota is a silage hybrid suitable for good ground, including peat, with impressive yields.

“Corson have a really good selection and with really diverse hybrids they can cover everything. You just need to pick the right hybrid for your conditions.”

Richard’s family does a lot of contracting and growing of maize for other people; it helps that Corson has a lot of hybrids and advice that suit people in a range of conditions.

Being able to select shorter maturity hybrids for example is a tool that farmers can use to get a good yield in droughtprone areas.

Paddock selection and understanding your conditions is key when it comes to choosing what hybrid to plant, Richard says.

“If you know that paddock has a strong history and has potential to grow a good crop you know it’s going to perform, so you give it a long hybrid and you know you can get the full maximum yield out of it.

“If the paddock is on drought-prone country, you go for something like Booster which is a bit shorter in growing days.”

Some growers aim to be flexible to the market and plant a Corson dual-purpose hybrid so it can go into maize silage or grain depending on how the season goes.

This year was a classic example, with a lot of farmers buying maize silage early to cope with the drought.

Richard grows 100 ha of maize grain and getting a good yield comes down again to selection of the right seed, he says.

“You budget for 10-11 t/ha and hope you get 12-14 t/ha. It comes down to selection and choosing the right hybrid for your conditions. We tend to stick with Corson Maize hybrids now.

We’ve been using Booster, which is predominantly used for silage, but we’ve been using it for grain as well to get early crops of grain off.”

Soil preparation is also vital to any successful crop, from fertiliser inputs to the seed bed presentation. Whether farmers are using minimum till, strip tillage or full cultivation, it comes down to their soil types and the weather for the best strike rates.

“It’s about seed-to-soil contact. We do a bit of ploughing, but have a ripper cultivator and usually get away with two passes when we are planting.

“It depends on your soil conditions in the paddock. If it needs another pass, give it another pass.”

Farmers shouldn’t just go on what their farm diary says from last year or adhere to dates on a calendar, they need to get out in the paddock and see what is going on, Richard says.

“A lot of people get hung up on planting dates, but the season dictates when you can plant.

“Don’t take it from a book or from your diary on what you did last year.”

Maize growers have ridden the waves with dairy farmers over

the years with fluctuating demand depending on seasons and other products available to farmers such as palm kernel.

Maize continues to be a staple choice for dairy farmers, however, and one Richard believes more farmers will fall back on with global supplement supply more volatile.

“Hopefully, after all of this Covid-19, more people will be buying more within New Zealand. We’ve all been guilty of buying cheap things from overseas, but hopefully people will buy more local now.”

As a maize grower you need to be flexible depending on what’s happening in the market, but build solid foundations with your farmers, he says.

“It’s nice to have long-term relationships with people that come back every year and buy product off you. That’s your bread and butter.”

Content supplied by New Zealand Dairy Exporter.

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TESTIMONIAL

WINDY RIDGE FARMS Mark and Vicki Sanson

“To get the best results out of your cows, you need to have the best tucker going in” according to Mark and Vicki Sanson.

Their property “Windy Ridge” is a 450 ha dairy unit situated approximately 10 minutes east of Otorohanga.

This is a system 4 unit, with a strong focus on maintaining cows at peak condition in order to get the best production out of them. Mark milks Holstein Friesian cows, which are very impressive when they walk past.

These cows have a large appetite, which Mark satisfies using a variety of products. This blend is fed out on his large feed pad.

The most important component however, is the maize.

Mark grows around 50 ha of maize both on his platform and run-off every year. While maize is a vital part of his feed for the cows, it is also an important tool for regrassing on the platform.

Mark grows an early-maturing hybrid, C29-A1, on his platform and on his run-off blocks he uses longer maturing hybrids. This season he used Plenitude and given the extreme dry that the area has suffered, it has done really well.

The C29-A1 hybrid grown on his milking platform means he is able to grow a high yielding and great quality crop while also being able to take it off early enough to get his grasses planted and established. C29-A1 is a 96 CRM and on the milking platform conditions produce a very high yielding “massive” crop.

Yields in excess of 20 tDM/ha are not uncommon, in a typical year the yields are around 23 tDM/ha. His milking platform paddocks are rotated each year to improve the overall grass production, and removing generations of weeds in the process.

The paddock rotation is key to the high yields that are achieved. When you cultivate soils that have been in pasture for a long time you unlock a lot of readily available nutrients.

These nutrients are taken in by the maize crop and help it to produce the crop Mark is after. The crop paddocks on the run-off blocks are planted in annual grass after the maize has been harvested, which is cut in the spring and stacked at the home farm.

Plenitude this season, considering the drought pressure it has been put under, has performed really well. Plenitude is a solid performer in the Otorohanga area, with a proven track record of high yields. Some results have been as high as 27 tDM/ha over a weighbridge.

Maize has been an integral part of Mark’s system since he first arrived at Windy Ridge in 2004. He only grew a small area at first, but once he started increasing herd numbers he started increasing the area to match. Maize has allowed Mark to increase his milking season to produce more from his cows, while keeping them in top condition going into the crucial times of year (mating, calving etc.).

The introduction of a feed pad into Mark’ s system was revolutionary. This allowed Mark to increase the utilisation of his maize and reduce the amount of damage occurring in paddocks. The increased utilisation has paid for the cost of

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installing the feed pad many times over and has also given Mark the option of standing cows off when the ground is wet as pugging damage can become a considerable environmental issue.

The feedpad has also allowed Mark to feed nutrient dense blends at specific times to support an increase in production.

Maize silage provides the base for his feed blends, and the cows obviously enjoy what they are getting as there is very little left once they head into the shed.

Mark has grown a variety of maize varieties over his years at Windy Ridge and has been very happy with the Corson hybrids.

Corson hybrids seem to work well on Mark’s property and have shown their resilience and stability, performing exceptionally well in good growing seasons while maintaining high yields during the challenging seasons.

With the great support from his local merchant representative and Mike Turner from Corson Maize, he is happy with the service and support he gets for his maize crop.

Mark is looking forward to some of the new hybrids that are coming through the development pipeline to see how they perform in his environment. We don’t think he’ll be disappointed.

Content supplied by Corson Maize

CORSON MAIZE HYBRIDS CONTINUE TO PERFORM WELL Corson Maize has been making rapid developments in its offering of maize hybrids to the market. The adoption of the Pacific Seeds range of hybrids two seasons ago has complemented an already strong range of developing maize hybrids provided by the Corson Maize team.

National Sales Manager Graeme Austin is pleased that the longest serving maize seed company in New Zealand is continuing to expand its hybrid offering to local growers. “The development of a wide range of hybrids for the Corson Maize portfolio ensures New Zealand growers will continue to have access to outstanding hybrids from leading international genetic sources and breeding programmes from all around the world”.

The Corson Maize team is delighted that the high performance of its hybrids is continuing to be reflected in the multi-year trial data results from the independently run national Maize Performance Trial programme (MPT). The sixth year of results will soon be published including data from multiple sites over multiple years, to better demonstrate a hybrid’s ability to perform under varying seasonal conditions. The trial results will soon be available to be viewed online at the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) website www.far.org.nz – look for the maize hybrid evaluation booklets link.

Looking forward to the 2020 season, the team at Corson Maize have a number of impressive hybrids cropping up including Booster (81 CRM), N39-Q1 (97 CRM) and PAC 624 (115 CRM).

Booster is very early hybrid suitable for the South Island, lower North Island and other regions where a high yielding, early maturing maize hybrid is required. From its excellent early growth it develops into a large bulky plant with a solid girthy ear. Very good standability and good late season plant health optimise Booster’s yield stability providing a solid platform for silage growers.

N39-Q1 is characterised by a tall plant and a large flex ear giving it excellent silage yields with high grain content. It has a sound agronomic package including very good stalk strength and drought tolerance. Q1 is an exciting option for silage growers in the southern North Island as a mid-maturity option or in the northern North Island regions as an early maturity option.

PAC 624 is a purpose-bred silage hybrid for early plant situations in the warmer northern regions and is firmly positioned as top performing hybrid in this ultra-long maturity group. Desirable traits of PAC 624 include excellent stalk strength and very good root strength, drought tolerance and Northern Leaf Blight resistance. Large girth cobs packed with medium soft, starchy grain combined with good digestibility ensures silage of excellent quality is produced.

Maize continues to be a significant feed and forage crop throughout New Zealand, and it is at the forefront of environmental and economic sustainability, so we expect strong interest in our portfolio this spring.

For more detail phone Corson Maize on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493), talk to your local Corson Maize Sales Agronomist or visit www.corsonmaize.co.nz Corson Maize is a trading division of PGG Wrightson Seeds Ltd (PGW Seeds). PGW Seeds provides no assurance, guarantee, representation or warranty in relation to any advice, information, service, seed, endophyte, product or treatment (together Material) other than those that must be provided by law. To the extent permitted by law PGW Seeds excludes or limits liability (including for indirect and consequential loss) on any basis (including in negligence and under any enactment) from or in relation to the Material and any remaining liability shall not exceed twice the amount received by it in relation to the Material.

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Using summer brassicas to secure your summer feed supply Brasiccas are a great way to bridge the gap before maize is ready to be harvested, providing a bulk, high protein feed. Summer turnips have always made a valuable contribution to pasture renewal programmes. After this season’s experience, Owl Farm, St Peters School’s demonstration farm near Cambridge, has a better understanding about how important summer turnips are, particularly in a tough, dry season.

Owl Farm planted both Cleancrop™ Bulb Turnip (80-110 days maturity) and Cleancrop™ Toto turnip, a new variety from PGG Wrightson Seeds, which has been bred to be an early maturing, high yielding summer turnip (55–90 days maturity). Planting both turnip cultivars on the same day gives a variation in spread of maturity, whereby the turnips can be grazed over a longer period. This also reduces the need to drill turnips a few weeks apart, as there already is almost a 3-week difference in maturity.

Owl Farm also planted their first kale crop this season at just under three hectares (ha).

Cleancrop™ Firefly kale was planted midOctober, not as a winter feed for dry cows, but rather to provide milkers with a high-quality feed in March after they had finished the turnips.

Dairy cows were moved straight from turnips onto kale, since no transition period is required between brassica types. “The use of kale greatly extended our brassica-feeding ‘window’ with cows staying on brassicas for a longer time than if we relied on turnips alone” says Tom Buckley, Farm Manager at Owl Farm.

Owl Farm staff are pleased with the results from their summer brassicas. “We wanted to get the best value out of the crop,” says Jo Sheridan, Owl Farm’s Demonstration Manager. “Producing a good crop costs as much as a poor crop, so it was important we looked after the crops to maximise yield. In this extremely dry year we have discovered how important it is to select the paddocks that are most suited to the crop, rather than just focusing on the paddocks that we are going to renew.”

Maximising yield is important to dilute the fixed costs (for example, drilling, fertiliser and crop protection etc.). Growing a cultivar that maximises yield in a short timeframe, such as Cleancrop™ Toto, that maximises yield in a short period of time is a great way to reducing the cost per kilogram of dry matter (kg/DM). The crops were yielded on the 17th of December 2019, 55 days after sowing, and interestingly Cleancrop™ Toto had yielded just over 10 tDM/ha, while Barkant turnip had

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Cleancrop Toto Turnip (Left) vs. Barkant Turnip (Right)

only yielded around 8 tDM/ha (in the same paddock).

“Even with the extremely dry conditions this summer the crop was valuable”, says Tom. “We managed to get eleven weeks of feed out of our eleven hectares of crop, that was 3 kgDM/ cow/day from crops that yielded, on average, 10 tDM/ha.”

Kyle Gardyne from PGG Wrightson Seeds mentioned the combination of turnips and kale have proven a good choice for Owl Farm, “you can use brassicas to build a feed bank coming into January/February/March when you require extra feed. Using the two turnip cultivars to spread maturity, then getting an extra few weeks of feed from the kale has been a great way to push summer brassicas out into mid-March”.

“Other crops, such as chicory, can be a little more reliant on moisture for post-grazing regrowth, so even though the turnip and kale yields were a couple of tDM/ha less than Owl Farm’s previous season average for turnips, and lower than our expectations for yield from the kale, this crop combination still proved to be better off in terms of bulk feed during this extremely dry season.”

Owl Farm carried out further research into the cost per kilogram DM of this season’s brassica crops. It was found that to establish and grow the turnip and kale crops cost 15.9 c/kgDM. An additional step to this analysis was the opportunity cost of removing pasture from the feed supply.

“We lost the productive potential of growing pasture in the crop paddocks between October

to March when we planted the summer crop,” Jo explained.

“When we use data from DairyNZ’s Forage Value Index (FVI), we can see that pasture is worth 17 c/kgDM in October and even more at 37 c/kgDM during the summer months. If the economic value of pasture foregone is added into the cropping cost, it equates to about 34 c/ kgDM in an average year. “ This season was extremely dry, so pasture yields were lower than average, resulting in a cost of 27c/kgDM for the brassica crops.

“Apart from stored maize we were unable to source other supplementary feed with the same megajoules of metabolisable energy (MJME) and protein levels close to that price.

Even if we had contracted Palm Kernel

Extract (PKE) in at that rate we were limited by the amount we could feed, due to the potential fat evaluation index (FEI) milk quality restrictions. The crops provided good value feed for us”.

After this season’s success, Owl Farm are definitely going to continue to add brassica cropping into their summer feed supply mix. However, they will make a few adjustments to improve their approach.

“We have learned that paddock selection is key,” says Tom. “Next season we will select paddocks with characteristics best suited to summer crops, rather than solely focusing on our pasture renewal strategy, in order to achieve the best results.

Content supplied by PGG Wrightson Seeds

Cleancrop Toto Turnip.

GISBORNE, THE CENTRE OF CORSON MAIZE SEED PRODUCTION Gisborne has a great reputation for its stunning beaches, fantastic climate and the ability to grow all things well. Also known as Tairawhiti – “the coast upon which the sun shines across the water”, it is a fantastic place for growing maize and this is why Corson Maize’ production has been based in the region for the last 70 years.

The Corson Maize seed production plant is located a short 10-minutes’ drive west of Gisborne at Matawhero. This is also where you can find the main product development and research site for Corson Maize in New Zealand. It is our leading product development site in New Zealand and is supported by other sites in each of the main regions focused on examining the performance of new hybrids. You can read more about these sites and their contribution to the advancement of hybrids in the article on Corson Maize genetics on page 10.

This is an important facility as the majority of seed provided by Corson Maize in New Zealand is grown and processed at this production site.

Once the seed is produced in the field it is then harvested as a full cob with the husk on, very much like a sweetcorn cob you would buy at the supermarket.

On arrival for processing the cob has the husk removed (outer green layers) and is then sorted to remove any non-typical, diseased or damaged cobs. This is to ensure genetic purity is maintained in the line of seed.

Once de-husking and sorting has been completed the cob is then sent off for drying. Although this sounds simple it is a complex process to ensure the seed is not damaged. Every seed/kernel is alive, and the purpose of drying is to place the seed in a state of hibernation so that it can be stored. Moisture is the lifeblood to rejuvenate the seedling; and once planted in the ground it absorbs moisture which allows the transfer of hormones within the seed to send messages to drive its development and growth. After the seed on the cob has been dried it is then sent for shelling - the process of taking the individual seed off the cob. After

shelling, the seed is then sized into either round or flat seed and then sorted into large, medium or small seed. This makes planting easier by enabling one seed size to be purchased.

The seed is then placed into storage during March or April and is ready for planting the following spring. Prior to being dispatched around the country the seed will have treatment applied to protect it from fungal disease, insects and birds if required.

Of course, the production plant doesn’t run by itself and there is a key dedicated team whose primary focus is to ensure that the grower receives the highest quality seed ready for planting every year.

Content supplied by Corson Maize

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MAIZE GENETICS Maize has an incredible history. Developed by humans between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago in Mexico, maize originated from a small grass-like plant called Teosinte.

Over the last millennia it has been bred and adapted into the maize plant we find today in all its varieties from yellow to white grain though to multi-colours of blues and reds and even to our much-loved sweetcorn. Not only has it been bred to show different visible characteristics, it has been developed to withstand pests and diseases, tolerate drought, stand up to varying climatic conditions and it is now one of the most widely grown crops across the planet.

Interestingly, because it has been developed by humans over such a long time, it is one of the few plants that is unable to live in the wild by itself and needs human intervention to grow and protect it throughout its lifecycle.

Introduced into New Zealand in 1772, maize was specifically developed and grown by Maori for domestic consumption throughout the 18th and 19th century. As agriculture developed in New Zealand in the 20th century, maize became a commercial crop with the grain used for stock feed. In the last 40 years we have seen the expansion of the maize industry with maize now grown for maize silage and predominantly being used to feed dairy cows across the country.

As the maize industry has grown in New Zealand so has the business of Corson Maize.

During its 70-year history in New Zealand, Corson Maize has been able to develop supplier relationships with some of the leading maize producers from across the world. Virtually all the seed companies that Corson Maize sources seed from are located in Europe where there are similar growing conditions to New Zealand, with hybrids selected from countries with a mild Mediterranean style climate. In fact, Corson Maize selects hybrids from more maize breeding companies around the world than anyone else in New Zealand.

Once a potential hybrid has been selected for New Zealand it is then tested in different regions through the product advancement programme developed by the Corson Maize team. With a combined experience of over 50 years, knowing all you would ever want to know about maize hybrids, Neil Koevoet and Scott Shaw select different hybrids and test them against maize hybrids that are currently available in New Zealand.

Testing a hybrid will take over three years in multiple locations to prove the hybrid is worthy of being advanced to commercial availability.

Each year more than 70 trials are carried out including intensive small plots (many hybrids tested in a small area) and strip trials (maize hybrids compared in a commercial crop) to

Scott Shaw - Senior Technical Specialist compare the latest genetics from around the world and the hybrids currently in use in New Zealand. Each year we expect at least 2 or 3 of these hybrids to be advanced through to a commercial status where they are available for New Zealand growers to purchase the following season.

When a new hybrid is ‘discovered’ it will be placed into the production programme.

Corson Maize has been producing maize seed in Gisborne for many years and in the last few years has built a state-of-the-art facility to process the seed; ensuring that the best quality seed is produced for New Zealand growers.

The wide range of maize hybrids available through Corson Maize means that no matter where you are in New Zealand there is likely to be a hybrid to suit your farming operation.

If you haven’t tried one of our hybrids before, talk to one of our Sales Agronomists and they will be able to recommend the right maize hybrid for you.

Corson Maize Riparian Plant Packs At Corson Maize we would love to think that growing maize can resolve all the issues that you face on your property.

But the reality is that although maize is a dynamic plant which can contribute towards improving feed supply, reducing the impact of effluent on pasture and capturing excess leaching of nutrients, it can’t do everything!

Waterways continue to be an area where farmers are focusing to reduce the impact of farming on the land and the water that passes onto, over and through it.

Corson Maize recognises that we need to support growers in this regard and as part of our Early Order Offer this year we are working

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in partnership with ‘Raw Natives’, producers of native riparian plants.

‘Raw Natives’ is a new business developed by Gina Kriletich, at Parawera just outside Te Awamutu.

Recognising the need for healthy, well-established native plants to meet the increasing demand locally and further afield for riparian plants, Gina decided to establish a nursery focusing on 18 key native plants specifically for this purpose.

Without any marketing and only by word of mouth, her business is growing quickly and she is already onto phase 2 of the development; expanding and doubling size in only 12 months.

In the past you will have seen competitions and other giveaways for ordering your maize seed before the end of July each year from Corson Maize. This year Corson Maize would like

to provide a longer lasting reward for ordering your seed early.

We will provide ‘Riparian Plant Packs’ which include a variety of 6 native plants for riparian planting to the first 200 orders placed during the Early Order period.

All other terms and conditions from last season will continue, but this year we wanted to do something that reflected our support to growers to improve waterways.

If you are one of the first 200 people to order early, your plants will be delivered by your local Corson Maize representative in August this year*. If you would like to enquire about sourcing more plants or to find out more about Raw Natives, Gina can be contacted on 021 532 719, at gina@rawnatives.co.nz or via the Raw Natives Facebook page. *Terms and Conditions apply, see corsonmaize.co.nz for more details.

Reversing 150 Years of lost wetlands Restored wetland in the Waikato shows how farmers can hugely improve water quality.

Gray Baldwin has spent five years undoing work his grandfather did on the family’s South Waikato farm – and he’s thrilled with the result.

He and wife Marilyn own 713 ha south of Lichfield, near Putaruru. They have a 200 ha dairy farm running 900 cows and 160 ha planted in Corson maize*. The rest of the property is in forestry or retired land.

“We’ve been there since 1955,” Gray says. “I’m the third generation, my son runs the farm and we’ve got three grandsons running around the place now.”

His grandfather was a sheep farmer who followed 1950s’ practice – “anything swampy, you dug a hole and got rid of the water. A couple of generations later, we’re going the other way.”

In 2014 the Baldwins decided to restore to its natural state a wetland his grandfather had turned into a 1.1 ha grazing paddock, a wet spot in a shallow bowl surrounded by hills with a stream at one side and the farm’s main race on the other.

With funding from the Waikato River Authority and advice from DairyNZ, Waikato Regional Council, Niwa, Opus International Consultants and Hill Laboratories, 12,320 native plants were placed in the wetland. As well as preventing groundwater coming into the wetland, they attract native birds.

The wetland captures runoff from 45 ha of surrounding farmland and the race. DairyNZ and Niwa scientists have found that over 12 months, the wetland removed 45 per cent of the nitrogen, 77 per cent of the phosphorus, 80 per cent of sediment and 88 per cent of E. coli.

Those are figures which underline the benefits farmers like the Baldwins – and many more doing the same thing – can bring to improve water quality. It is not only proof of concept regarding the benefits of restoring wetlands (though all farms have different factors in play and need a design specific to those needs), it is reversing a 150-year trend.

According to Landcare Research, more than 90 per cent of New Zealand’s wetlands were lost in the past 150 years. The North Island has only 4.9 per cent of its original wetlands left.

For Gray, the wetland project is only one of four major mitigation strategies created to lower their environmental footprint.

“Our farm is located in the Upper Karapiro catchment, which is one of the more sensitive ones in the Waikato region, mainly because it drains directly into Lake Karapiro, where you’ve got three big water users – Lake Karapiro (the World Rowing Championships and recreation venue), nine Mighty River Power dams and there’s 1.5 million people wanting a lot of

Gray and Marilyn Baldwin

water coming out of the Waikato River for Auckland city.

“We decided, with all that risk, we were going to get mitigations going reasonably early in the piece.”

The first project was planting trees on sidelings (hillsides and riverbanks), because the property is steep for a dairy farm: “Dairy cows don’t like walking up hills and when they do, they dislodge sediment which is one of the big contaminants the regional council is trying to control. We planted about 60 ha of trees on all our hillsides.”

Next, they discontinued brassica cropping plants like swedes and kale used for feed.

“We had 55 ha of brassicas four or five years ago. That is a huge environmental risk because, when you put 800 cows on an acre of land, you’ve got dung and urine deposition. We’re down to 4 ha this year and next year there’ll be none.”

The third project was the wetland and the fourth is the most expensive, most comprehensive and most transformational construction of a feed pad 18 months ago.

Says Gray: “A feed pad is a million-dollar slab of concrete that includes all the bunkers for maize, silage and lucerne and things that we’re feeding these days, and a huge lined pond that we’re using to collect all the effluent.

“Most New Zealand dairy farming is based on pasture - dairy cows run to the paddock and eat grass. The big advantage of a feed pad is that you feed them, particularly over the winter, on concrete.”

Gray and Marilyn have also introduced once-a-day milking, primarily to improve milk production and fertility – but which has spun off other benefits.

“There’s half the effluent to hose off and manage. You save the cows’ energy, you save

a lot of labour, you save electricity and a lot of costs.”

The couple are proud of the progress they’ve made but responsible farming doesn’t end there. Gray says, “We’re feeling like a nice family operation, farm succession is all good, we’re having some wins on water quality and we’re getting some wins on animal welfare. The carbon scenario is the next one we’ve really got to deal with.”

DairyNZ scientist David Burger says he’s impressed with how the wetland has performed.

“The fact that we have such very high removal rates and such large removal rates in peak flow events - when we expected the opposite to be true - shows this wetland is very well-designed and that wetlands have a lot of potential as one of the tools in the farmer’s toolbox.”

The results will go towards draft guidelines to help support other farmers in wetland design. These guidelines will hopefully have local government backing, which will give them confidence when they place them in any future regulations.

He hopes to have 10 similarly constructed wetlands in operation around the country in the next few years so their effects can be measured on different soils and landscapes.

This article was written by The Vision Is Clear and The New Zealand Herald, and has been published with their permission. The original article can be found at: www.nzherald. co.nz/the-vision-is-clear/news/article.cfm?c_ id=1504591&objectid=12259332 *Corson Maize have edited this article with permission to include the fact that the Baldwins have planted hybrids from Corson Maize.

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Is conservation tillage right for me?

The soil is undoubtedly a farm’s most valuable resource and is the foundation underpinning its production. Decisions that affect soil conservation and its state of health can have long term positive or negative impacts.

Every time the soil is cultivated there is a burst of microbial activity and oxygen levels in the disturbed soil increase. In the absence of large volumes of organic matter being incorporated through green-manure crops, this burst of microbial activity results in a flush of carbon dioxide and a corresponding net loss of soil carbon and organic matter from the soil. Production systems that rely on cultivating the soil multiple times each season can result in a significant loss of soil organic matter and productivity over time.

Furthermore, freshly cultivated soils also have an elevated risk of erosion from wind and rainfall. For these reasons, we should always be mindful about the need to cultivate the soil.

So why cultivate?

We tend to cultivate the soil for several reasons, in no particular order: • Reduce soil compaction • Aerate and warm the soil to enable earlier sowing to utilise more of the growing season • Prepare a fine seedbed to successfully establish the crop (depending on seed size) • Bury crop residues to mitigate pest and disease pressure • Incorporate fertilisers, green manures and (sometimes) preemergent herbicides • Because that is what we have done in the past and it’s what most other farmers do Reduced or conservation tillage in its various forms is aimed at conserving or improving soil health, organic matter, moisture availability and drainage, whilst reducing input costs and either maintaining or enhancing crop yield and/or profitability. Two such systems that are gaining popularity in New Zealand maize production systems are no-till and strip-till (only cultivating the strip where the seed will be planted).

Besides soil conservation, one of the key drivers for conservation tillage is to reduce costs. Both strip and no-till systems have been shown to result in significant savings in fuel consumption and time.

However, it is also true that no-till and strip-till systems tend to require a bit of extra effort and expense when it comes to protecting the crop from pests such as slugs, and this may offset some of the fuel savings benefits.

In no-till systems crops are sown directly into the soil with no prior tillage or cultivation operations. No-till cropping has been around for decades with over 104 million acres of maize produced using no-till in the USA in 2017. So, we know it works! FAR (Foundation for Arable Research) have been doing no-till work with maize for several years now and have found it to be as profitable as full cultivation systems providing the fundamentals are adhered to.

The thing with no-till cropping is that planting is often a little bit later to allow the soils to warm up . Timing is critical and soil moisture must be at optimum levels (think damp but crumbly, rather than sticky, smeary) for even crop emergence. Pest and disease control should be at the forefront of the programme especially slugs and hybrid disease tolerance/susceptibility but also weeds. It’s difficult

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to get a true fallow period to help with pest control and ensure the roots from pasture have rotted enough to enable adequate soil-tilth.

In terms of strip-tillage, this was pioneered in New Zealand back in the early 2000’s mainly on the East Coast of the North Island with some very positive results. As is often the case however, adoption is often slow unless there is a reason to change. With more and more pressure coming on farmers from all directions it’s little wonder there has been renewed interest recently and an increase in the number of contractors offering strip-till as an option.

Now before jumping in boots and all, it is worth considering that some soils are well suited to no-till or strip-tillage, whereas others may not be so favourable. That heavy, compacted, pugged or wetter paddock down the back of the run-off is probably not a good place to ‘test the waters’. On the other hand, those lighter textured or rolling paddocks prone to drying out and/or erosion when heavy rainfall strikes before canopy closure would be the ideal place to start your minimum or no-tillage journey.

As always, it often pays to seek advice before making any major changes to your operation and there is certainly a lot to consider when it comes to conservation tillage. Your contractor is a good place to start, or you could contact FAR who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and put you in touch with other growers with experience in conservation tillage.

Scott Shaw - Senior Technical Specialist

If you grow maize, you’re a FAR levy payer!

Anna Heslop, FAR That may come as a surprise to you, but it is true. The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is the levy funded applied research and information transfer organisation for all New Zealand arable growers, and this includes anyone who grows maize grain or silage.

The maize levy, calculated at $1.00 per 10,000 seeds, is built into the price that you pay for maize seed, and is paid to FAR by the company who sells you the seed.

As a levy payer, you should receive invitations to FAR’s maize agronomy, environment and business focused field days and events, as well as extension material.

However, as the levy is forwarded in bulk by your maize seed retailer, we may not know who you are. If you haven’t heard from us, please get in touch!

Maize and the environment Maintaining social licence and meeting regulatory compliance is essential for all New Zealand farmers. As such, FAR has a strong environmental research focus with a number of projects targeted at identifying and promoting good management practices for a range of arable crops, including maize.

For example, FAR has resources outlining the nutrient value of dairy shed effluent, the pros and cons of a range of maize establishment techniques and the efficient use of herbicides to control weeds in maize. FAR has also developed a Farm Environment Plan (FEP) template for use on cropping farms.

This template has been approved by several regional councils, so check and see if it’s relevant in your region. The FEP and all other resources are available from the FAR website or by contacting FAR directly.

Nitrogen management with AmaizeN Lite AmaizeN Lite is an online maize nitrogen calculator. Based on information that you supply e.g. soil type, soil test results, planting rates and predicted crop yields, AmaizeN Lite will forecast your crop’s fertiliser nitrogen requirements and help to maximise gross margins and minimise

residual soil nitrogen at the end of the season. AmaizeN Lite can be accessed via the FAR website, or at www.amaizenlite. org.nz Maize Hybrid Performance Trials The Maize Hybrid Performance Trials (MPT) were established in 2014 to provide independent information of how different maize hybrids yield around New Zealand.

The results of these trials help growers to make informed decisions around maize hybrid selection.

The trials are run each year, and the results are published in a booklet which is sent out to maize growers, contractors and companies. It is also available on the FAR website.

The latest, 2018/2019, results include data from several years of trials. Data from multiple seasons for a maize hybrid’s performance are more valuable than results from a single season as they show the hybrid’s ability to perform under different weather patterns. Ultimately, the most consistent performers will rise to the top of multi-year results.

Monitoring maize supplies The Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) was set up in 2010 to address a lack of up-to-date market information. The AIMI Maize Survey is run twice a year and the results are emailed to levy payers and posted on the FAR website.

Each AIMI Maize Report outlines final figures from the most recent maize grain and silage harvest, the quantities of grain sold (and unsold), along with maize grain and silage sowings (completed or planned) for the coming season.

The next report is due out mid-year and will cover the 2019/2020 harvest to the end of May. Arable feeds benefit the environment Another FAR-led project has shown that altering cows’ diets to include arable products such as grains, and maize and cereal silages, can reduce urinary nitrogen concentrations and methane emissions from dairy systems.

The work was carried at Lincoln University as part of an MPI Sustainable Farming Fund project, The environmental benefits of arable feeds. It involved sophisticated computer models

representing the workings of the rumen to test the environmental and economic impact of different dairy cow diets. The work followed up on findings from the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) programme which showed that adding diversity to the dairy cow diet can reduce urinary N concentrations whilst maintaining or increasing milk quality and production.

Biosecurity Biosecurity is another important focus for FAR. While we don’t get involved with animal pests and diseases, we keep a very close eye on anything that could put productive crops at risk. In recent years this has included direct involvement with velvetleaf, pea weevil and red clover case bearer incursions. Currently, we are working with national and international experts on two very serious threats to maize, brown marmorated stink bug and fall army worm.

We have also developed an on-farm biosecurity plan - a checklist of things that growers can control to reduce the risk of unwanted plant weeds, pests and diseases establishing on their farms.

Once again, this can be found on the FAR website or by contacting us directly.

Precision agriculture for profit A FAR led, SFF funded project, Transforming Variability to Profitability, has highlighted some of the benefits of using precision agriculture to measure paddock variability and develop sitespecific crop management approaches.

It has shown, for example, that increasing maize seeding rates does not automatically translate into increased grain yield or profit.

Want to know more?

FAR works with growers on a range of crops and issues all over New Zealand, and has three research farms at Chertsey, Lincoln and Tamahere in the Waikato.

We enjoy engaging with our levy payers, so feel free to have a look at our website or get in touch about anything you see here, or any other queries around maize and maize research.

Website www.far.org.nz Call us on 03 345 5783 Email us at far@far.org.nz

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PERSONAL STORY

RICHARD REID Grew up in the Wairarapa in the 1980’s in the quiet town of Martinborough. The main influence of the town during this period was farming and with Richard’s father being a business partner of Colton Bros Agricultural Contractors, the stage was set early on for his career in agriculture.

Richard went to Wairarapa College which boasts a strong agricultural programme. Work experience with the school’s farm plots further enhanced his growing passion for a farming career.

Working on farms every weekend and school holidays was a start, however, the real excitement came from his trips down south to see his Uncle Donald at Molesworth Station. There he began to truly learn how agriculture plays such a crucial role in New Zealand’s economy.

After leaving school Richard spent some time at Smedley Station in Hawke’s Bay, before heading off to Massey University to study a Diploma in Agriculture. Richard credits this period of his life as being pivotal in his professional development, benefiting from the combination of practical and academic application he received at both station and university.

Following graduation from university, Richard went back to the farm in the hills of Martinborough for a short period; working his way through stock managing and into management. These roles improved Richard’s understanding of feeding stock and how to grow animals to their best potential.

During this period Richard joined the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers where he enjoyed organising and competing in various competitions. It was here where he started to take an interest in the dairy industry, having the opportunity to spend time learning systems and the basics of dairying.

In 2007 Richard decided to go back to his father’s business with the plan to upskill and save money to travel overseas. On day one he was told he would be responsible for the maize planting and side dressing and from there his passion for maize grew. Richard’s friends would quite often give him grief about how much he talked about maize, but as it turned out it, it led him to the USA to drive amongst maize and lucerne growing areas; experiencing and learning about American farming systems.

On his return from the USA Richard took up a job with a maize company in the area of research. Richard increased his knowledge of maize during this role whilst also having the responsibility to provide agronomic advice to a number of growers. Giving good advice is something Richard learned to enjoy, which led to a difficult

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decision to the leave the maize industry for something new.

His new role began at PGG Wrightson as a Technical Field Representative and with it an opportunity to upskill in the areas of cropping and dairy farming. Richard thoroughly enjoyed his time in this position, but a couple of conversations in early 2017 had him thinking that “nothing else grows quite like maize”, which set the wheels in motion for a return to his passion for all things maize.

Richard joined the Corson Maize team in May 2017 as a Sales Agronomist and immediately found himself feeling at home and advising on a great selection of hybrids he had seen in his trialling days.

Richard was ready to apply all the skills and knowledge he had acquired in his previous roles.

Each of his experiences have further developed his passion and hunger to succeed in the maize industry and provide the best support to his clients.

Richard finds he can relate well with farmers and given his personal experience he can see things from their perspective. He knows how important it is to listen and see things from both sides.

His favourite part of his role is when he can provide personal guidance that provides a benefit to the maize crop and the grower.

Richard always has the same answer when people ask what drives him professionally; “a great looking crop that turns into liquid gold for a farmer”.

Of course, his wife Emma and his three boys are at the top of his personal list. Being on the road a lot means spending time with his family is precious; if he’s not working, he can be found at home with his kids teaching them about the outdoors, starting them young, as his parents did for him. He believes that “kids should be kids”, and his sons thrive on exploring and finding things at the beach and in the bush.

Richard is always looking for ways to push himself and further his learning and development. He believes the agriculture industry is an exciting place to be and encourages others to be there as well.

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