From left, Richard Kershaw, Thomas Kershaw, James Watts, Paul Kershaw and Zac Chandler.
Family Seed Business “
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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.
