Corson Maize 2021

Learn, grow, excel

THE MAIZE BOOK 2021.

A guide to est ablishing, gro wing and uti maize crops lising in New Zealan d.

The latest Corson Maize product guide is now available!

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.

You’ll be chuffed you ordered early!

This year we are teaming up with our friends at Chuffed Gifts to support New Zealand tourism and encourage farmers to get off farm and experience something new.

Order your maize seed before 31 July 2021 to go into the draw to WIN 1 of 60 Experiences for Two, valued between $149 - $299!

Each winner will get to choose one experience from a range of exciting options. See page 11 of this magazine to read more about Chuffed Gifts and their story.

Corson Maize in collaboration with Dairy Exporter magazine

Graeme Austin

National Sales Manager Corson Maize

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Contents From the league field to the grain crop Corson Maize hybrids Profile -Mark and Courtney Harris Using maize for reliable feed A King Country performer Chicory and bulb turnips as feed Encouraging farmers to get off-farm Corson Maize developments FAR’s revised maize research Profile - Jo Denton

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our maize hybrids are reliable, high yielding and at the end of the day I can depend on getting a great crop of high-quality feed for my cows.” These were not my words, but those of a dairy farmer who stopped me in the middle of the street in Te Awamutu during the recent harvest to thank my team and me for a great experience growing our hybrids. It doesn’t get much better than that and that’s why we do what we do.

Our focus is on working hard to consistently deliver the right hybrids for growers across the country.

So, what is the right hybrid? On one hand it is as simple as determining the right hybrid which grows well and provides great levels of energy for your cows when it is fed to them. On the other hand, there are a whole raft of different things that need to be considered when choosing the right hybrid for your farm and your cows. If you’re growing your own crop you need to think about when can I plant? When do I want to harvest and get my grass sown?

What’s my soil fertility like? What cultivation will be required? What sprays do I need and what weeds do I have? What sort of cob will I get, and will that give me enough energy in my feed? The questions go on. That’s why we work closely with your local retail store reps to make sure that together we have the answers for you.

At the end of the day, help with growing Corson Maize hybrids is only a phone call away.

This past season has seen some very good yields across the country, however each year there are always areas which are more challenged than others. This year in the Taranaki and lower North Island we saw wet

difficult conditions at planting which affected the maize crops and their final yield. Other areas, including the Waikato, saw difficult conditions early in the season, but experienced good rainfall at grain-fill time and therefore a great cob set which led to some very impressive overall yields.

It is the variability in weather across the country that we take into account as we select hybrids for the future. They need to be robust to work in a range of climatic conditions and produce dependable yields. It may be easy to pick a ‘thoroughbred’ that can run a great race in the best conditions, but to produce a hybrid that can be reliable in all environments takes a little more effort.

We are very excited about the mix and range of hybrids that we have brought together and are available to dairy farmers this season. These are chosen especially with you in mind so that you can grow them knowing that you are going to have a great crop of high-quality feed for your cows.

To find out more about our hybrids and the right one for you, make sure you get a copy of Corson Maize’s 2021 Maize Book. Check out our website or drop us a line on Facebook and we will arrange for one to be sent to you immediately. Or you can contact your local retail store representative, or your local Corson Maize Sales Agronomist and they will arrange one for you.

In this magazine we have put together a range of articles that we think you will find of interest about Corson Maize hybrids and some of the farmers that are growing them. Enjoy the read and if you have any questions, please give us a call on 0800 4 MAIZE.

CORSON MAIZE INTRODUCTION

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From the league field to the grain crop Former New Zealand rugby league representative Tawera Nikau now grows grain at Ohinewai, Waikato. Concerned about the environmental impact, Tawera and his family approached Corson Maize for help. Sheryl Haitana reports. Photos by Emma McCarthy.

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CORSON MAIZE ENVIRONMENT

rowing grain is providing a more sustainable land use option for Maori-owned land in Ohinewai.

Tawera Nikau, better known for his days playing league for New Zealand from 1989 to 1997, says their family trust made the collective decision to find a more environmentally friendly use for their land.

After years of leasing their land to a neighbouring dairy farm, the whanau wanted to reduce their environmental footprint and turned to Corson Maize for a profitable solution.

“We wanted to give something back to our whenua (land), instead of taking from it, to look after it for the next generation and the ones after that.”

He had several discussions with Corson Maize Sales Agronomist Mike Turner

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on how growing maize silage and grain could be done in a sustainable way to reduce nitrogen leaching and improve soil structure.

“The support from Corson has been fundamental and we’ve built a really good relationship,” Tawera says.

Nikau Trust owns 88 hectares (ha) that borders Lake Waikare, the most degraded and contaminated lake in the Waikato Region.

The whanau are focused on improving the water quality of the lake through taking better care of their land and are encouraging others to do the same.

“My grandfather used to tell us he could see the bottom of the lake and they used to swim in it as kids,” Tawera says.

“It might not get back to that in our lifetime, but we want to do what we can to get the lake back to that quality for future generations.”

Growing crops was what his grandfather used to do, and it feels the right move to be planting a crop like grain which can help mitigate the nutrient impact on the water, he says.

It has been beneficial to work alongside Corson to bring that knowledge and to come up with a plan to improve the soil and reduce the environmental footprint, Tawera says.

This is the second season they have grown grain and maize silage on the block. The maize silage and grass silage, harvested from the cover crop grown during autumn and winter, is sold to their neighbouring dairy farmer.

That works well as it is easy logistics and helps provide a good income back to the trust year-round.

They plant a cover crop of oats and Daikon radish between the grain. Cover crops provide a range of functions such as

“It’s part of who we are - the kaitiakitanga - the guardianship of our land.

We’ve donated some of our land to projects to improve water quality.’”

LEFT: Going deep: Tawera shows some of his rugby league skills.

RIGHT TOP: Former New Zealand rugby league representative turned grain farmer Tawera Nikau with his faithful companion. RIGHT BELOW: Tawera shows some of the maize silage he is growing at Ohinewai, Waikato. weed suppression, organic matter returns, surface soil protection and capturing nitrogen that may otherwise be vulnerable to leaching.

Oats have a massive root which helps with nutrient removal, erosion control and soil softening.

The radish has big roots which fracture the soil to help open it up and minimise the amount of cultivation needed to plant the grain. The trust also leased out 20 ha to grow watermelon this year which they will likely continue to do, Tawera says.

Mike has helped the Trust with the right management to help the soil through the land use change. It was a tough bit of dirt after being used for intensive dairy farming, but the soil is already making progress, Mike says.

The grain crop struggled last year in a bad drought, but this year the 40ha of grain is on target to yield 13 tonne/ha, which is above the region’s average.

Environmental gains They grew two varieties, PAC 343 and PAC 249, which are resilient, well known hybrids.

“After coming out of intensive dairying the soil structure was pretty weak, and these varieties perform under pressure,” Mike says.

Mike and Tawera came up with a fiveyear plan on how to minimise cultivation and continue to improve environmental gains.

They had to use full cultivation in the first season, but this year have already halved the amount of cultivation needed.

They are using lime rather than synthetic fertilisers to improve soil fertility and have lifted pH from 5.4 to 5.7 in one year. The ground has been very responsive and the goal is to get to pH of 6.3.

The aim is to ultimately plant via strip tillage, to minimise the disturbance to the soil structure, but that is probably a couple of years away, Mike says.

“We are trying to do the minimum we need to do to get the crops to establish and get the land back to where it should be.”

Tawera is doing a fantastic job of leading a change in land use and there is a great opportunity for others to follow in his footsteps, Mike says.

Tawera chairs Te Riu O Waikato (The valley of the Waikato), a group of local marae, which he is talking to about similar options for land use.

The group has also secured the first commercial licence to harvest koi carp and produce organic fertiliser, burley and bait.

They used a batch of the organic fertiliser on one of their maize blocks this year and the crop looks great, Tawera and Mike says.

It will not only provide a solution to reducing koi carp numbers, but it’s creating jobs for their people and producing great products.

Removing a pest from the lake, which is sacred to the iwi, and using it on their land is a great story, Mike says.

“It’s a big step to be helping the lake and the land. It’s taken someone like Tawera to have the courage to go through with it.”

Looking after the environment is Maori’s part to play in New Zealand’s food journey, Tawera says.

“It’s part of who we are - the kaitiakitanga - the guardianship of our land. We’ve donated some of our land to projects to improve water quality.’

They’ve planted 35ha in conjunction with other landowners in riparian plantings on the border of the lake and are working with multiple organisations on studies to monitor the lake and effects of the riparian plants.

NZ has the opportunity to produce quality produce while looking after the land and the water, he says.

“NZ can’t supply the volume, but we can supply high value, niche food to the world in a sustainable way.”

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Success with Corson Maize hybrids The Corson Maize stable of hybrids has continued to deliver, with excellent performances achieved from the range available to growers.

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CORSON MAIZE HYBRIDS

his past season has seen high yields for both maize silage and maize for grain crops in many areas across the country.

In maize silage crops the high grain yields achieved have produced maize silage of very high quality with impressive energy levels (observed in samples taken i.e. high metabolisable energy, ME).

National Sales Manager Graeme Austin is delighted to see the results of many years of hard work from Corson Maize to develop high performing hybrids suitable for New Zealand conditions. It has also been pleasing to see that more and more New Zealand dairy farmers are both growing and using Corson Maize hybrids to great benefit to their operations. These hybrids are building a strong reputation amongst farmers for being reliable, high yielding and of excellent feed quality.

The increased demand for Corson Maize hybrids has led to further developments within the company.

To ensure that there is a continued effort put into the identification and production of elite maize hybrids, both the research and production areas of the business are expanding. This allows

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Corson Maize to continue to source, produce and make available leading maize hybrids from around the world for New Zealand farmers.

Looking forward to the 2021 season, the team at Corson Maize have a number of impressive hybrids cropping up including PAC 624 (115 CRM), N39-Q1 (97 CRM) and Booster (81 CRM).

PAC 624 is a purpose-bred silage hybrid for early plant situations in the warmer northern regions and is firmly positioned as a 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.

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

“The increased demand for Corson Maize hybrids has led to further developments within the company.” as an early maturity option. Booster is a 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.

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

Contact Corson Maize on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493), talk to your local Corson Maize Sales Agronomist or visit www.corsonmaize.co.nz

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Q&A We asked Mark and Courtney Harris what they look for in a maize seed provider, here are their answers below:

Mark: We sharemilk two farms side by side; a total of 780 cows across the two; both run a System 3 dairy operation that’s using 18 ha of maize silage between the two.

Courtney: Maize fits into our system well because you’re growing a large amount of drymatter off that area of land; more so than what you’re going to grow from just growing pasture alone. If you’re using that feed to feed your cows through other times of the season, it works well because it complements the diet so that while you’re feeding maize, you’re actually able to utilise the grass that you’re growing far better as well.

CORSON MAIZE PROFILE

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Tell us a bit about your operation?

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What do you look for in a maize seed provider?

Mark: What we look for in a maize seed provider is someone that works alongside us to point us in the right direction of what to plant, and gives us good quality product.

Courtney: Things that stood out to me were just the amount of detail that Corson Maize were looking at when picking their variety; not just looking at how many kernels around the cob, but also looking at everything that makes up the cob – the size of each kernel, the depth…

Michelle our Corson Maize rep, is only a phone call away; she’s often calling on the crops before/when we don’t even realise, she’s already been there. She’s identified what the crop needs at critical times, whereas you may be busy at that time of the year – spring – doing other things on farm.

In the end we’re a business; we’re trying to get the best return from the money we’re putting in, so Corson Maize have been supportive of us; they’ve been there to guide us through the whole cropping process so that we can grow a good crop; maximise yields…it’s not all about the seed you’re putting in the ground; a lot of it is about the whole journey from paddock to stack and feeding out.

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Using maize for reliable feed and environmental efficiency Fraser and David Smith are the engine room of the Leyden Downs dairy farm, located north of Carterton.

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CORSON MAIZE FEED EFFICIENCY

he farm, which has been in the hands of their family for 40 years (Fraser and David are now in their 11th year of operation together) is a 760 dairy cow operation with a moveable milking platform. Fraser takes responsibility for dairy operations while David concentrates on running the dry stock and cropping functions. The total farmland, including dairy operations, covers 580 hectares. A feed pad is used to feed the cows a mixture of maize, baleage and trace elements through a mixer wagon. When the grass growth is strong and flourishing, Fraser and David milk off 250 hectares, which can be increased to 300 hectares during tougher conditions.

Fraser and David are focused on ways to improve their farm’s environmental impact and as a result they have introduced Ecotain® environmental plantain into their pastures to reduce nitrogen leaching.

Wayne Robinson (TFR) with Fraser Smith checking PAC 249 at Leyden Downs. climatic conditions and soil structure of the Leyden Downs operation is highly important.

This season they grew 10 hectares of Booster along with 10 hecta es of PAC

Fraser and David are focused on ways to improve their farm’s environmental impact and as a result they have introduced Ecotain® environmental plantain into their pastures to reduce nitrogen leaching.

In addition, their feed pad reduces compaction, creating healthier soils.

Growing maize also plays an important role with its uptake of nitrogen from the soil, whilst also being a reliable feed option for their cows; so the decision to select maize hybrids that suit the

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249 and they expect to yield between 18 and 20 tonnes per hectare. Early maturing Booster was planted on drier ground to ensure cobs are well produced before drydown.

PAC 249 was planted on wetter soil and is expected to produce large

sized cobs and silage with a high metabolisable energy content.

Planting maize means Fraser and David can extend lactation for their 510 spring calving cows while allowing them to feed their 250 autumn calving cows ahead of the mating period.

With environmental regulations being constantly tightened for dairy farmers, Fraser and David Smith truly value the technical advice from Corson Maize and their PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative Wayne Robinson that assists them in improving their systems.

Wayne appreciates being able to call on his local Corson Maize Sales Agronomist Richard Reid for help with maize hybrid maintenance throughout the season, together ensuring the best possible opportunity for a successful crop at Leyden Downs each year.

A King Country performer n the 2019/20 season they grew Corson Maize N39-Q1 and were delighted with the result, growing 13.8 hectares which yielded around 19 tonnes of drymatter per hectare – one of the highest yielding crops in the area during what was a tough season.

John sold this to a neighbouring dairy farmer who was also very impressed with the result.

Each year John sits down to plan out his cropping programme and see how it fits in with his wider operation, working to assess which paddocks are going to be cropped in the upcoming season. Thinking about paddocks that may require recontouring, new pastures, capital fertiliser or areas where drainage can be improved all come into the decision as to where and how much area will be cropped.

John’s planning includes a visit by Mike Turner, his local Corson Maize Sales Agronomist, so that when it has been decided where the crop will be grown, Mike can work to help provide a recommendation on the right hybrid to be grown in each paddock. Not only is the paddock information important when choosing a hybrid, but with John selling maize silage to his neighbour, he needs to understand when this feed will be

required. Another aspect of hybrid choice will be consideration of the optimum planting and harvest dates to maximise the amount of quality feed that can be grown in the allotted time.

The planting date will be determined by when he can get onto a paddock considering cultivation, soil temperature (10 degrees and rising) and soil moisture (not too wet). Deciding the harvest date will be a balance between growing as much maize for silage as well as allowing enough time for the following grass crop to establish, depending on whether this is an annual grass or a permanent pasture.

So, what made Q1 the right hybrid for John? As a hybrid N39-Q1 is characterised by a tall plant and a large flex ear giving it excellent silage yields with high grain content. It also delivers a sound agronomic package including very good stalk strength and drought tolerance.

There are many decisions to be made when growing a crop of maize. It’s important to be able to discuss ideas and questions with someone well in advance of the growing season. In John’s case, he is thrilled to have the added support of Sales Agronomist Mike Turner to assist in his decision making.

CORSON MAIZE CROP YIELDS

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John and his wife Sarm Bojesen-Trepka farm a drystock operation on 272 hectares in the Rangitoto area just east of Te Kuiti.

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Chicory and bulb turnips as summer feed for lactating dairy cows Which is the better summer feed for lactating dairy cows, bulb turnips or chicory?

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CORSON MAIZE SUMMER FEED

o provide answers for this common question, PGG Wrightson Seeds commissioned a large grazing study run on a commercial Waikato dairy farm to identify system differences for herds fed either chicory or bulb turnips.

The second year of this work finished recently, and data is being analysed. Trial results from year one of this two-year study are summarised here.

Established in spring 2019, the first year of the study saw Puna II chicory grown on 16 hectares (ha) along with Barkant and Cleancrop™ bulb turnips on 2.3ha.

All cows grazed chicory from December 2019, then in January 2020 the cows were split into either the chicory herd (250 cows) or the turnip herd (150 cows). The cows consumed 4 kg dry matter (DM) per cow per day as either chicory or turnips.

The rest of the daily diet was the same for all cows and included maize and grass silages, waste onions and potatoes, palm kernel extract (PKE) and pasture.

The chicory and turnip herds were managed separately and milked once daily into twin vats. Data collected included kilograms of dry matter (kgDM) of each crop consumed, cow body condition score (BCS) and milk responses by cows fed either turnips or chicory.

Daily bulk milk volume, milk protein, fat and lactose percentage, somatic cell counts (SCC), and fat evaluation index (FEI) were measured for each herd. Milk production by individual cows was assessed with weekly herd testing.

Milksolids (MS) production was similar

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Cows grazing Cleancrop™ Toto turnip. for cows consuming the same allocation of either chicory or turnips based on bulk vat and herd test data. Concentration of milk protein, milk fat and milk lactose and SCC were similar for milk from turnip and chicory-fed cows. Neither herd ‘graded’ based on FEI results, despite all cows consuming up to 2.5 kgDM of PKE per cow per day. While FEI was slightly higher for bulk milk from turnip-fed cows, these results show that turnips and PKE can be successfully fed together but that bulk milk FEI should be monitored.

After six weeks on summer crops, both herds had gained an average of +0.1 BCS with little difference in BCS noted between herds.

Turnip DM yield averaged 12.2 tonnes of DM per ha (tDM/ha) in contrast to just over 7.5 tDM/ha for the chicory crop. The unexpectedly low chicory DM yield reflected the hot and dry drought conditions in the summer of 2020.

Given similar MS and BCS responses by cows to each crop type, choosing which crop to plant depends on when you require a crop as a source of feed. Chicory works well when a lesser daily amount of summer crop is required over a longer

period. In contrast, turnips provide a relatively large ‘bank’ of feed accumulated before late December, pushing feed ahead to be eaten over a relatively short period during mid to late summer.

A relatively larger planted area of chicory than turnips is required to support the feed demands of a herd due to the ‘flatter’ feed supply curve from chicory compared with turnips.

Regrassing requirements and costs vary between chicory and turnip farm systems.

The relatively larger planted areas required for chicory systems increase regrassing costs compared with relatively smaller areas of the farm required for growing turnips.

The second year of this study was completed in late March 2021; data from year two will be available in spring this year.

PGG Wrightson Seeds would like to gratefully acknowledge Fonterra for their assistance with the collection, processing and handling of bulk milk data.

For more information on Puna II chicory, Barkant® turnips or Cleancrop™ Toto and Cleancrop™ bulb turnip options for your farm system, talk to a PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist or your local seed retailer.

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For more information on Puna II chicory, Barkant® turnips or Cleancrop™ Toto and Cleancrop™ bulb turnip options for your farm system, talk to a PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist or your local seed retailer.

Supporting New Zealand tourism and encouraging farmers to get off-farm Chuffed Gifts is a company founded during the nationwide lockdown, and their mission is to help regenerate NZ domestic tourism. Below is their story.

Where it all started Chuffed Gifts developed in early 2020 after James Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of the multi-award-winning Rotorua Canopy Tours, realised he had a problem. The borders were closed, business had dried up and the prospect of surviving on a market of only New Zealanders was the future. The question he asked himself was “How can we get more New Zealanders travelling into the regions and helping the recovery of our tourism sector?”.

The answer was obvious – what if people gifted travel experiences rather than material goods? And if the travel experiences had a multi choice aspect to them then the recipient could choose what and where inspired them the most. And the gift buyer could never fail to impress.

Such a vision required help Two incredibly talented but Covid-19 displaced tourism marketing staff jumped at the chance to be part of this unique gift concept.

Alex Howard hired a motorhome and travelled across the North Island in winter 2020 pulling partners in to the vision, while Melissa Heath tirelessly worked to create the online and visual presence of Chuffed Gifts.

By November last year, after reimagining every aspect of the experience gift giving process for both buyer and recipient, and with a network of some of the most beautiful, adventurous and life changing experiences, they put the word out.

The results were instant. People loved the concept, filled their inboxes with ideas and most helpful of all, bought Chuffed Gifts as gifts. 2021 brings new exciting goals as Chuffed Gifts expands across New Zealand so that every Kiwi, no matter where they live, will find the company’s offerings relevant.

CORSON MAIZE CHUFFED GIFTS OFFER

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he impact of Covid-19 has challenged many industries in New Zealand. Businesses throughout the country have seen their revenue streams interrupted and reduced leaving no choice but to lay off employees or to close altogether. The tourism industry has been heavily affected. With the borders closed and international tourist arrivals halted, tourism operators around the country have had to find new methods, structures and product offerings to focus on attracting domestic tourists; and one such company is making a difference in this space.

Corson Maize and Chuffed Gifts Corson Maize reached out to Chuffed Gifts to deliver a unique offering as part of our 2021 Early Order Offer.

We know how important tourism is to the NZ economy, and thought that by partnering with Chuffed Gifts we could not only help domestic tourism operators but also support the wellbeing of members of another crucial NZ industry, our farmers.

By providing Chuffed Gifts to Corson Maize growers, we are encouraging them to take a break from the farm, to spend time with a partner, friend or family member while experiencing something new.

Corson Maize has 60 Chuffed Gift Tubes to be won by those who order their maize seed early between May 1 and July 31. Winners will receive a gift tube containing a wide variety of exciting options from across NZ. This could be sailing in the Coromandel, ziplining on Waiheke Island or kayaking with seals in Kaikoura, to name a few.

You choose the destination and the experience that appeals the most to you. When you’ve decided on your experience and location, Chuffed Gifts will issue you with an experience gift ticket and you are ready for an amazing adventure!

For more information, contact your rural retailer or a Corson Maize Sales Agronomist on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493) or visit corsonmaize.co.nz

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Exciting new developments for Corson Maize As you travel around New Zealand during the maize growing season you may be thinking “am I seeing more Corson Maize signs or is it just my imagination?”

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CORSON MAIZE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

t’s not your imagination; this year we have seen another impressive increase in the number of Corson Maize crops grown around the country.

Over the last three years in NZ the number of farmers growing Corson Maize hybrids has continued to increase due to a number of reasons.

The most obvious being that growers are experiencing the solid performance of Corson Maize hybrids that produce dependable yields through varied weather conditions and provide excellent quality feed for silage and grain.

The increase in demand has led to increased investment in the business to ensure we can maintain our high standards.

As Corson Maize continues to develop hybrid suitability for NZ conditions it has required an expansion programme in its production facility in Gisborne. Secondly, to be able to review the right hybrids and showcase these to farmers we have started increasing the number of research and demonstration sites. Our latest site, at Newstead in the Waikato, is just around the corner from DairyNZ and LIC. As our growth progresses we will continue to develop this and other sites in areas of NZ not currently catered for with Corson Maize research and demonstration sites.

The Newstead site has been developed to showcase not only the current commercial hybrids available to growers but also the up and coming new genetics that could become commercialised hybrids in the next few years. The site will also be utilised for hybrid comparative trials as well as investigating new agronomic techniques such as strip till, no till, varied planting populations, and other new advancements concerning the growing of maize.

Between field days and events around the country this is also home of the new Corson Maize field days container which can be transported to sites around the country to host growers at a variety of events. Nicknamed ‘The Hulk’, it was used for the first time at the Central Districts Field Days in March this year. Look out for it at National Fieldays at Mystery Creek this year on site B11A, near the Tractor Pull which Corson Maize is also proud to sponsor.

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The Gisborne Corson Maize seed production plant is also seeing some major changes. The photo below shows the new development which will provide an increase in seed drying capacity. When seed is harvested in the field this is then brought to the plant where the husks are first removed, before the cobs are sent to the dryer to ensure the seed is dried to a level where it maintains its quality. The increased dryer capacity was completed just prior to the seed harvest in February. The next stage of development is to increase our storage area on site and this will be completed by the end of the year.

FAR’s revised maize research and extension plan By: David Densley Senior Researcher: Maize, FAR

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aize breeders around the world continue to deliver new hybrids with higher yield potential and improved genetic traits. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) figures show that, on average, US maize grain yields have increased by approximately 128 kg/ha/annum since the 1960s. Here in New Zealand, maize seed companies have reported maize silage yield increases, in strip and plot trials, for more than two decades, of around 200 kgDM/ha/annum. This ongoing yield gain from maize hybridisation and breeding is the envy of many other agriculture industries, and is much higher than the average annual net pasture gains being reported in New Zealand over the same period (The Journal, New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management, June 2019).

However, while advances in maize genetics are delivering higher yield potential, many long-term maize silage growers are not experiencing this same annualised yield gain. This is highlighted in the annual FAR AIMI survey reports.

So, what’s going on within our NZ maize production systems? How can we fully capture the advantage of the genetic yield potential that is on offer from modern maize hybrids, while meeting new environmental standards?

With these questions in mind, and through input from the various maize grower and advisory groups, FAR has undertaken a complete review of its maize programme. The result is a revised research and extension plan looking out to 2030.

Within this wider medium to long term period, research priorities have been broken out into three key focus areas: Increasing Profitability (P), Improving Resilience (R) including yield stability, and Environmental (E) addressing the range of current and incoming regulations facing the whole of NZ’s agriculture industry.

These PREfocus maize research areas fit within FAR’s wider research strategy.

Key research areas Final detail on the maize research programme is still being refined, but some key research areas have been confirmed. These include gaining a deeper understanding of maize establishment practices that influence soil quality, the role precision agriculture can play in improving maize yield and quality, cover crop alternatives within a maize silage system, and an expansion of FAR’s extension strategy.

One cornerstone focus will be the identification and development of maize production techniques and systems that retain or enhance soil quality. At a high level, soil quality includes soils that are rich in organic matter with a diverse range of macro and micro flora. These soils characteristically sequester more carbon, have increased nutrient cycling, provide better drainage during heavy rainfall events, store more soil water, and encourage greater root development. FAR’s maize production soil quality research will focus on identifying best practice principles across a range of soil types and maize end uses, and will include studies into reduced and no-till establishment, nutrient practices, type and placement, planting equipment, and other emerging technologies.

Optimising precision agriculture technologies will be another key focus, with researchers seeking to identify

CORSON MAIZE PRODUCTION

… how this aims to help the dairy industry

practices that will deliver improvements in profitability and maize forage quality, while maximising nitrogen use efficiency.

In the case of cover crops, the research focus will be on how to manage standard maize silage/ryegrass systems to increase ‘living root days’ – that is, maximising the number of days with live roots in an annual crop production cycle.

Improved systems have the potential to reduce both herbicide use and the risk of sediment loss, while increasing carbon sequestration, lifting forage quality, and ultimately improving profitability.

Extension Along with the new FAR PREfocus maize research strategy, we’re also planning to increase the number and range of maize extension and knowledge exchange events. This will include additional on-farm demonstrations, case studies where farmers are adopting innovative maize production practices and a series of Beyond First Principles winter workshops.

These workshops, which will be held in several locations, will identify, review, and discuss the critical principles of maize production with the objective of working towards achieving the full genetic yield and quality potential of modern maize silage hybrids. These workshops will also be utilised to discuss new research findings as they come to hand. We’re also looking to reintroduce maize conferences featuring international and NZ experts, innovative NZ growers, and research updates, with the next maize conference being planned for early February 2022.

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Q&A Jo Denton joined the Corson Maize team nine months ago. We put to her some questions about her agricultural journey and her time, so far with us:

CORSON MAIZE PROFILE

Q

Where are you from and what influences did you have towards agriculture growing up?

I grew up in the small suburb of Tawa, in Wellington. I lived there for 18 years before heading off to Massey University in Palmerston North to study agriculture. Growing up, I didn’t have any direct influence to follow a career path in agriculture. I learnt to ride horses when I was five and spent a lot of time competing with them, I played a lot of other sports and got good grades at school. I even got to wash an elephant when I was nine at San Diego Zoo in the USA! I reared the odd lamb and, according to my mum, always adored calves. But it was the dairy industry and Fonterra which took my attention from the age of about 15 and I have followed this interest ever since. In 2011 I went on a school trip to China during which we visited a science and technology museum. This museum had a whole level dedicated to advances in agricultural and animal science including Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell using nuclear transfer. It was on the flight home from China that I decided to go study agricultural science at Massey.

Q

What was your first step into the agriculture industry?

Going to Massey to study agriculture was my first insight into the industry. In my second year of study I got my first job as a relief milker at the Massey Number 4 dairy farm followed by full-time summer work. My love for dairy farming escalated quickly and I picked up calf rearing for Massey during the Queen of Calves trial and relief milking on other farms in my third and fourth years of study.

Q

When was your first encounter with the dairy industry, and maize as a product?

After university I followed my passion for dairy farming and moved to the Waikato to work full-time onfarm. This progressed quickly to a management job of a 220 cow, System 5 dairy farm.

This was my first encounter with feeding maize to cows and operating a system where maize was a key component of the diet to achieve production. We grew a small area of maize on the runoff, but most was brought in, it gave me a good understanding of

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why quality is super important when it comes to the final product.

Following this role, I wanted to pursue an alternative pathway and that led me to become a Technical Service Representative for Farm Source Dannevirke and then on to Corson Maize.

Q

What influenced you to become passionate about maize?

Q

When did you join the Corson Maize team, and what have been the highlights so far?

Being able to see first-hand how maize can fit into a farming system and the benefits it has grew my passion for the product and its use as quality stock food on farm.

I joined Corson Maize in August 2020. I started just before planting so I have been able to watch the full lifecycle of a maize crop and get a real understanding of just how resilient and amazing maize is, pun intended! I’ve seen it be washed out, hammered with salt spray more than once, bashed about by wind and come through it all to produce a quality product. The highlight for me is at harvest when the results come in to show a high-yielding, high-quality product that is stacked up ready to make its beneficial impact on the animal it will be fed too. I enjoy working with dairy farmers and grain growers that understand how valuable maize is in a farm or cropping system. Being able to offer these clients a hybrid that is fit for purpose, providing them the results they desire, for a highly profitable final product is a great feeling.

Q

What are your biggest influences outside of your job?

My horses are currently the biggest influence in my life. I compete in show jumping between October and April each year which keeps me very busy and I spend quite a few weekends relief milking to help with saving up for a block of dirt. I love spending time with my partner and when I’m not competing or milking we like to spend our time getting out and about in the bush.

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CORSON MAIZE SALES AGRONOMY TEAM CRAIG BOOTH SALES AGRONOMIST

MICHELLE VINING SALES AGRONOMIST

 Northland/North Auckland  027 213 1628  cbooth@corsonmaize.co.nz

 South Auckland/North Waikato  027 503 0628  mvining@corsonmaize.co.nz

MIKE TURNER SALES AGRONOMIST

ARTHUR SHORT SALES AGRONOMIST

 Western & Southern Waikato/King Country  027 406 6228  mturner@corsonmaize.co.nz

 East Waikato  027 643 2360  ashort@corsonmaize.co.nz

ANDREW EMSLIE SALES AGRONOMIST

JOANNE DENTON SALES AGRONOMIST  Taranaki/Southern North Island  027 290 3737  jdenton@corsonmaize.co.nz

 Bay of Plenty  027 839 7317  aemslie@corsonmaize.co.nz RICHARD REID SALES AGRONOMIST  Gisborne/Hawke's Bay/Wairarapa  027 200 2628  rreid@corsonmaize.co.nz

CHRIS SANDERS SALES AGRONOMIST  South Island  027 596 3574  csanders@pggwrightsonseeds.co.nz

MIKE TURNER SENIOR RESEARCH AGRONOMIST  Nationwide  027 406 6228  mturner@corsonmaize.co.nz

TIM REYNOLDS RESEARCH AGRONOMIST  Nationwide  027 211 2742  treynolds@corsonmaize.co.nz

GRAEME AUSTIN NATIONAL SALES MANAGER  Nationwide  027 433 0161  gaustin@corsonmaize.co.nz

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Contact your rural retailer or a Corson Maize Sales Agronomist on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493)