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Forage Maize 2020
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Maize Handbook
Maize 2020 Please find enclosed the maize varieties that we will be running with for the 2020 season, along with some information on growing maize, and considerations to be taken into account before selecting a variety. We feel that we have a variety to suit each and every customers’ site and growing conditions, as well as end uses. 2019 season review • Much more of a ‘normal’ year, with good crops being produced. • The dry season and lower yields last year have left many people still requiring full clamps. • Adequate rainfall in May allowed crops to establish well, with good weather in June to August producing quality silage. • A drier start to September allowed for quick dry down with harvest starting, in most places. Despite the good start, the persistent wet weather has caused delays in harvest in most areas. • Disease issues differed from last year, when Eyespot was the main concern, whereas it was Smut this year due to the weather conditions.
Maize Agronomy Herbicides Pre-emergence
Broad leaved weeds and grass weeds – PDM (Anthem) Post-emergence (before buttress roots develop) Broad leaved weeds – mesotrione (Temsa) or pyridate (Diva) Thistles – clopyralid (Dow Shield) Docks and volunteer potatoes – fluroxypyr (Hurler) Grass weeds – nicosulfuron (Fornet) Fungicides Eyespot – pyraclostrobin (Comet 200)
Maize Handbook 2020 02
Drilling Tips & Considerations In addition to variety selection, being successful in growing maize is also dependent on following good agronomy and management practices. Optimal soil conditions at drilling are required to ensure good germination and plant establishment. Modern maize hybrids have a high degree of cold tolerance but should not be drilled before soils have reached an even temperature of 8°C for light soils, 10°C for heavy soils for 3-4 days, usually around mid-April to May.
Altitude Avoid high altitude sites which are often colder. As a rule, growers should consider 600 feet above sea level to be very marginal and have a shorter growing season. However, individual fields above 600 feet with lighter, drier soil types that will warm up quickly in spring can be considered. Aspect Ideally any fields selected for maize production should face south and be sheltered from wind. Avoid fields which are very exposed, or have heavy, poorly drained soils, and any locations which are known to suffer from frost. An established crop at 2-6 leaf stage can be set back 2-3 weeks by a late May frost. Avoid steep sloping fields to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching and soil erosion. Soil Depth To support its bulk and height, a maize plant requires a very extensive root system. Ideally,
crops should be grown where there is a good depth of topsoil. Where the soil is shallower root development may be impaired and produce stunted crops, with resultant lower yields. Crop maturity can also be delayed. The same effects can occur where soil is compacted. Seed should be sown on to a firm base at 3-6cm depth. Use deeper sowing for lighter, drier soils and shallower sowing for heavy soils. Despite this, drilling into moisture is more important than depth. Soil Analysis As maize is a valuable crop with a high demand for nutrients it is important to know the soil pH and available nutrient levels in order to apply the necessary lime and fertiliser to ensure good crops. Maize needs a pH of 5.8-7.0, but the optimal pH is 6.8. The field should be limed if the pH is 6.0 or lower.
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Weed Control Maize can suffer considerably from weed competition during the early growth stages. Ideally, a clean, weed-free site should be chosen. A weed control programme applying either pre-emergence and/or post emergence herbicides can be followed. Fitting in with the rotation Maize can be continually grown on the same ground, if the soil pH and nutrient levels are maintained. Early maturing varieties that are harvested in September can have a wheat or grass crop as a follow on. Maize can also serve as a break crop for cereals. Environmental Considerations Harvesting maize in wet conditions can lead to surface compaction. Maize stubble left uncultivated over the winter months can result in surface water runoff and nitrate leaching into waterways. There is also a particularly high risk of soil erosion where fields are sloping and have sandy soil. If your fields are of a higher risk then consider growing an early maturing variety aiming for an early harvest in better weather. A light cultivation after harvest will encourage rainfall ingression and reduce run off or establishing a cover crop to stabilise the soil surface may be a good option.
Maize Handbook 2020 04
Glossary Maturity class
This reflects on how long it takes the plant to achieve 30-35% dry matter. An earlier variety will have a shorter growing season and a higher maturity class number. Alternatively, an FAO number can be used, indicating the number of heat units required to reach maturity. The lower the number, the less heat units required. CWD Cell wall digestibility gives a value to the rest of the plant that isn’t starch – the leaves and stem (making up 45-55% of the plant). Usually expressed as a percentage, converted into a 1-10 number, each unit corresponds to a 1% increase in cell wall digestibility. This 1% increase can increase dry matter intake by 0.17kg/day. ME Varieties with high ME will be more digestible. This will pass through the rumen quicker increasing consumption and production levels. Lower ME levels take longer to process and are slower through the rumen. This is particularly important for rations with a high maize content. Starch This provides the link to cob maturity in the plant. Varieties that are ‘early’ will have more chance of reaching cob maturity, and more starch, than later varieties. High starch varieties are important in rations with low maize percentage. Maize provides a good source of starch with less risk of acidosis than cereal starch as it has slower fermentation rates. Agronomic factor Total sum of factors – including early vigour; standing power; leaf senescence and eyespot. All values based on an average for both favourable and less favourable sites.
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Maize Handbook 2020 06
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Reason Bred by: Limagrain Good early vigour, for rapid establishment that makes it suitable for short season growth. High yielding for an early variety and fills the clamp with quality forage.
Maturity class: 10 Agronomic factors: 27.1 Recommended use: Forage CWD: 9 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
33.4 *
17.8
11.7
Maize Handbook 2020 08
ES Picker Bred by: Grainseed
“The variety to use for the less favourable sites”
High yielding group 10 variety. Good combination of yield and earliness. Very good early vigour for fast establishment, making it suitable for difficult sites or late sowing. Maturity class: 10 Recommended Use: Forage 45,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
35.1
16.5
11.4
Kroft Bred by: KWS
“A stable performer on challenging sites”
A reliable variety, that does well, particularly in challenging con- ditions. Maturity class: 10 Recommended Use: Forage 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
36.6
16.3
11.5
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ES Lovely Bred by: Grainseed
“Ultra early variety with a good harvest window“
An early variety with a good harvest window, that has excellent early vigour for rapid establishment.
Maturity Class: 9 Agronomic factors: 26.5 Recommended Use: Forage CWD: 7.6 45,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
34.0
17.5
11.5
“A flexible, high performing variety”
Yukon Bred by: Limagrain
The earliest grain variety available, with maximum yields and low moisture content. High starch content producing starch rich silage. Maturity class : 9 Agronomic factors: 27.9 Recommended Use: Forage & grain CWD: 7 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
35.0
17.8
11.5
Maize Handbook 2020 1 0
Remington Bred by: Grainseed
“Early starch lay down allows for an wider harvest window”
A very reliable, tried and tested variety. Robust with excellent early vigour and cob ripening. Maturity class: 9 Agronomic Factor: 27.2 Recommended Use: Forage CWD: 6.9 45,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
31.5
17.2
11.3
Autens Bred by: KWS
Autens delivers an impressive combination of bulk DM and higher grain content for added starch percent. Outstanding early vigour across all sites. Maturity class: 9 Recommended Use: Forage, Grain & AD CWD: 8 50,000 Kernel packs
New
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
32.85
18.30
11.56
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“A benchmark for UK variety suitability and remains a popular choice amongst KWS hybrids”
Severus Bred by: KWS A stable yield of dry matter with excel- lent early vigour on all site types. High starch and ME content.
Maturity class: 8 Agronomic factors: 28.2 Recommended Use: Forage CWD: 7.7 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
34.1
17.5
11.56
Bonnie Bred by: Grainseed
Good digestibility with high yields. Above average for early vigour and eyespot scores.
Maturity class: 8 Agronomic factors: 30.7 R ecommended Use: Forage & AD CWD: 10.5 45,000 Kernel packs Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
ME (MJ/kg DM)
32.4
18.4
11.8
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P7034 Bred by: Pioneer High starch content, from a digestible dent starch. Clamp last and feed first Big bulky plant with good yield, starch and ME content. Maturity class: 8 Site Type: All locations Recommended Use: Forage, Grain and AD 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
34.5
18
11.7
Emblem Bred by: Limagrain Early cob maturity ensures a high starch content delivering energy dense feed. Highly digestible promoting feed intake and
feed performance. Maturity class: 7 Agronomic factors: 28.7 Recommended Use: Forage & AD CWD: 8 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
32.6
17.6
11.4
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Legolas Bred by: Grainseed A big bulky crop, with good standing power. Does well in most conditions, including less drought prone areas. Maturity class: 7 Agronomic Factor: 23.9 Recommended Use: Forage & AD CWD: 6.4 45,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
26.3
18.7
11.04
“Offers sound Eyespot resistance, standing power and top yield for it maturity class”
Movanna Bred by: DSV
A very tall plant with broad, steep leaves that has excellent early vigour.
Maturity class: 6 Agronomic Factor: 27 Recommended Use: Forage & AD CWD: 6.5 50,000 Kernel packs
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
33.6
20.2
11.39
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Aalvito Bred by: DSV Medium-length growth with narrow leaves, good Fusarium tolerance In DSV internal tests very good yields on dry sites. High standing power Maturity class: 6 Recommended Use: Forage & Grain 50,000 Kernel packs
Starch % DM Yield (t/ha)
DM %
33.2
16.9
32.7
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Nutrition Working example: A 45t/ha maize crop at 30% DM will yield 13.5t DM/ha. Losing only 1% of this DM equates to 135kg DM. In a diet containing 25kg/cow/day of fresh maize silage, 135kg DM would feed 18 cows. At 30 litres/cow and 28ppl, this is the equivalent to losing £151.20/day. Over a 180-day winter this equates to a potential loss of £27,216. DM losses will increase the further it deviates from the 30-33% recommended range. Achieving silage stability andmaximisingnutritional value is thereby of paramount importance and can be achieved with the aid of Pioneer 11C33. Harvesting for Maize Silage To achieve the best nutritional results maize should be harvested at the optimum dry matter (DM) content of 30-33%. To determine whether the crop is at the correct stage for harvesting, a visual assessment of the ‘Milk Line’ can be made. The ‘Milk Line’ distinguishes between the hard, yellow starch part of the grain and the soft, white, (milky) starch part. As the grain matures, the milk line descends towards the centre of the cob and the proportion of hard, yellow starch increases. To achieve 30-33% DM maize silage, it is recommended to harvest when the milk line is halfway down the grain. If the crop is harvested when the milk line is only ¼ of the way down, estimated silage DM will be 28-30%. Below 30% DM; Lactobacillus bacteria must generate higher levels of lactic acid to stabilise the silage, to achieve this they must consume more sugars which results in a nutritionally poorer and more acidic silage. Furthermore; Clostridia bacteria prefer these wetter environments and instead of lactic they produce butyric acid; this is a weaker acid which prevents silage stabilisation enhancing the risk of silage deterioration and DM losses. Harvesting with a milk line ¾ of the way down will produce a DM silage of over 35%.
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Clamp consolidation is burdened when maize is harvested above 33%DM which will facilitate oxygen contamination causing silage deterioration and DM losses. Furthermore, the higher proportion of hard, yellow starch will reduce its digestibility and may pass directly through the animal.
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Options after Maize Optimization of ground for production of extra forage, whilst retaining nutrients, boosting soil organic matter and reducing soil erosion over winter. • Follow maize with a winter cereal • Forage rye ◊ Very hardy, capable of withstanding severe frost ◊ Ideal for grazing or conservation • IRG ◊ Quick to establish ◊ High yields for grazing or conservation • Westerwolds ◊ Similar characteristics to IRG ◊ Good at reducing nitrogen leaching over winter • Cover crop (EFA sown by Oct 1st) ◊ Choices can be limited by cooler soil temperatures ◊ Winter hardy species should be chosen • Stubble turnips/forage rape ◊ Latest sowing up to mid-September • Possibility of under sowing… Under sowing: • Under sow at 4-5 leaf stage • Depends on time of drilling: early sown crops will need a less competitive species e.g. Fescues. Later sown crops will need a species that will establish rapidly e.g. IRG • Sow at a rate of 15-19kg /ha • Drill rather than broadcast to increase success of establishment • Financial and non-financial benefits, including nutrient savings and extra forage
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Soil Nutrient Requirements To produce a good crop, maize plants need to grow very rapidly once they have germinated. They will do this providing the soil moisture and structure are good; the temperature is warm, and nutrition is adequate. Maize can easily produce 50 t/ha of fresh weight in a period of four months. To support this rapid growth, it has a large demand for nutrients and any shortage will restrict early growth and final yield. Although established crops have a well-developed root system, root growth is slow in the early days of the crop, especially if the weather is cold. Poor root growth means decreased uptake of nutrients and this can be a vicious circle as poor uptake of N and P can restrict root growth. For this reason, it is advised that a starter fertiliser is placed close to the seed, even when the bulk of the soil is adequately supplied with nutrients. If you are looking at fields that traditionally suffer from run-off or are prone to erosion, then consider a slightly earlier maize variety (modern genetics often mean that you won’t lose yield and often gain some quality) and look to place a cover crop in to help scavenge nutrients and stabilise surface soils. This in turn can be used as a green manure, used for grazing or potentially harvested before the following crop. Maize is a very convenient crop on which to apply manure in the spring when there are limited opportunities for spreading on grassland. Be careful that applications do not exceed 250 kg/ha of total nitrogen to conform to the Code of Good Agricultural Practice and NVZ requirements. Index: SNS 1, 2P & 2K Low Yield 9t DM/ha High Yield 15t DM/ha Field Yield 30t/ha (12t/ac) 50t/ha (20t/ac) Nitrogen 100kg/ha 150kg/ha Phosphorus 45kg/ha 65kg/ha Potash 130kg/ha 220kg/ha As maize is a valuable crop with a high demand for nutrients it is important to know the soil pH and available nutrient levels in order to apply the necessary lime and fertiliser to ensure good crops. When the maize field has been chosen a soil sample should be taken for analysis unless the field has been tested within the last 3-5 years. Bartholomew’s provide a complete soil analysis package which allows a tailored approach to nutrient management. 19 Maize Handbook 2020
Option One: No Organic Manures
Maize Yield 40t/ha
N P
K
MgO SO₃
SNS Index Kg/ha Nutrient
1
2
2-
2
-
125
55
175
20
60-70
Kg/ha of Product
Kg/N/ ha
Kg/P/ ha
Kg/K/ ha
Kg/MgO/ ha
Kg/SO3/ ha
Precision Drill
DAP
125
22.5 57.5 0
0
0
Top Dress before 3 Leaf Stage
14-0-24 +3MgO+ 11SO₃
730
102
0
175
22
80
Total Kg/ Nutrient/ha 124.5 57.5 175
22
80
Option Two: 40 t/ha of Organic Manure Maize Yield 40t/ha N P K
MgO SO₃
SNS Index Kg/ha Nutrient
1
1
1
2
-
125
85
205
20
60-70
Kg/ha of Product
Kg/N/ ha
Kg/P/ ha
Kg/K/ ha
Kg/MgO/ ha
Kg/SO3/ ha
Ploughed In Precision Drill
FYM
40,000
24
76 340
72
9.6
14-35-0 +5Mg+10SO₃
130
18
46 0
7
13
Top Dress before 3 Leaf Stage
27N-9SO₃
307
83
0
0
0
28
Total Kg/ Nutrient/ha 125 122 340
72
55
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Crop Nutrition It is essential to take crop nutrition seriously when it comes to forage maize in order to optimise the yield. To do this, it is important to know your soils. • Based on soil analysis (which Bartholomew’s can provide), we are able to offer nutrient advice and produce a nutrient plan for you. • Bartholomew’s can supply a full range of fertiliser products, from straights to blends, mixed to your requirements. Bartholomew’s have formulated products specifically for maize and offer a comprehensive range for 2018. Starter Fertiliser To be applied where possible, down the spout and placed near the seed in order to get the maize off to the best start. • Bartholomew’s maize START UP (14N - 35P - 0K + 5MgO + 10SO₃) • DAP (18N 46P) • TSP (46P) Main Fertiliser To be applied in the seedbed and worked in just prior to drilling. Alternatively, it can be applied after drilling depending on practicalities and preference. • Bartholomew’s Maize FIX-ONE (10N - 3P - 28K + 5MgO + 8SO₃) • Bartholomew’s Maize FIX-TWO (14N - 0P - 24K + 3MgO + 11SO₃) • Bartholomew’s Maize FIX –THREE (5N - 12P - 34K + 4MgO + 8SO₃) Final Fertiliser To be applied, if needed, as a top dressing after weed control (no later than 3 leaf stage) • Nitram (34.5%) • 27N - 9SO₃ Please remember to observe all the relevant Cross Compliance guidelines that are now applicable.
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There are several different things to consider when planning nutrient applications to Maize. On the next page there is a step by step guide which can be followed to achieve accurate understanding of what your crop needs and how to achieve its requirements. Remember: This is only a guide and requirements and nutrient values may differ depending on specific situations. *NPK requirements derived from RB209. MgO & SO3 requirements adapted from industry recommendations in RB209 (Fertiliser Manual) & PDA booklet (Potash Development Association).
Step 1 - Decide on your YIELD POTENTIAL
EXAMPLE : (Soil indices @ SNS 1, P 2, K 2- & Mg 2) Working on an average of 40 t/ha my maize crop requires...
N P
K MgO SO₃
125
55
175
30
60
Step 2 - Choose your STARTER FERTILISER
EXAMPLE: Maize Fix 3 ( 5N-14P-34K+ 4MgO + 8SO3 ) down the spout @ 360 kg/ha will apply...
N P
K MgO SO₃
18
44
122 14.5
29
Step 3 - Choose your MAIN FERTILISER...
...depending on ORGANIC MANURE USAGE EXAMPLE: Planning on applying 25 m3/ha of CATTLE SLURRY in late spring and incorporating within 24 hours giving...
N P
K MgO SO₃
23
30
63
15
3
Maize Handbook 2020 22
Step 4 - Choose your FINAL FERTILISER
EXAMPLE: Looking at final requirements, a top up dressing of nitrogen should be applied no later than 3 leaf stage after weed control. 27N - 9SO3 applied @ 312 kg/ha will supply the remaining balance.
N P
K MgO SO3
84
0
0
0
28
Actual nutrients applied:-
N P
K MgO SO3
125
74
185 29.5
60
23 Maize Handbook 2020
The varieties offered in this leaflet have been carefully selected to produce successful cropping over a wide range of soil types and growing situations. They represent a balanced mix of the very latest genetics along with some well established standards. If there is a particular variety that you would like to grow that is not listed, please do not hesitate to contact us and we would be pleased to discuss this with you.
Seed Department Tel: 01243 755620 Email: [email protected] Visit our website at www.bartholomews.co.uk Follow us @bartsagri
Fisherton de la Mere Warminster 01243 755 665 [email protected]
Merston Chichester 01243 784 171 [email protected]
Golden Cross Nr. Hailsham 01825 872 697 [email protected]