Grassland management is often overlooked for new leys, but by prioritising weed control early during establishment, you will achieve cost-effective, long-lasting control, resulting in higher yields of grass.
Top questions to ask yourself this March to maximise the potential of your maize crop. Have you carried out soil analysis to identify nutrient shortcomings that could hamper the crop’s performance?
The timing of nutritional inputs to the maize crop is usually early in the season, either applied to the seedbed pre-drilling, or early post-emergence up to the 4- 6 leaf stage.
KORIT®PRO is a new unique seed treatment combination for maize being offered by Limagrain. The treatment has three modes of action, and unlike the standard Korit, which only offers a measure of bird repellency, the new Korit Pro also includes additional fungicide protection, it boosts root development and improves crop emergence.
Growers are being urged to ensure crops receive adequate nutrition throughout the growing season, to make sure they reach their full potential.
Dr Simon Pope, Wynnstay crop protection manager, says ideally the nutrient inputs for sowing and establishment will already have been applied, and plans should be made regarding the nutrition of the crop throughout the rest of the season.
The last three maize seasons have had the same result – a mixed bag of performance depending on region, drilling date and harvest timings. However, in 2020, growers had a new challenge to contend with.
The removal of the seed treatment Mesurol left a hole in the crop protection armoury, resulting in crops being at greater risk from bird damage, which in previous years would not be high on the list of issues for most growers.
The additional costs associated with growing maize under film can be more than covered by the value of the increased DM yield and the increase in starch yield.
New Volac research has taken a deeper look at the benefits of making multi-cut grass silage, whereby grass is cut younger and more often over the season, and examined how to better conserve this potentially high-quality forage.
Small mistakes with harvest management can lead to costly results. Getting the details right at this stage will help to ensure all the resource that has been invested in growing the crop, doesn't go to waste!
