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.
In 2019, Morris Davies who runs a herd of 280 all year round calving cows averaging 9,700 litres took the decision to try growing maize again.
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.
Getting the best results from your maize crop doesn't just come from management in the field. Preventing losses in the pit from fermentation and aerobic spoilage is essential.
It is essential to achieve effective weed control early in the crop's development. To avoid an irreversible effect on yield all weeds should be removed by the four-leaf stage of the crop at the very latest, and before the weeds reach 100mm in height.
A range of herbicides are available for use in maize for broadleaved weed and grass weed control. They can be divided into two categories depending on their recommended timing of application - either pre-emergence or post-emergence.
One of the first questions to address relates to your soil and its nutritional status. Do you know the pH and the P/K indicates?
If the answer is no, then it is advisable to soil sample every field going into maize. The soil pH is fundamentally important to nutrient availability, affecting not only N, P, and K, but also micronutrients. Also, do not overlook sulphur, which for maize, as for other crops, is essential for nitrogen utilisation. The best advice is to accurately establish the pH and P/K indices, to record the amount of muck and slurry applied and to produce an accurate nutrient management plan which takes all of this into account.
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.
