Inclusion of maize in the dairy ration has long been favoured by many dairy farmers and with the current costs of other crops and inputs, 2022 represents an even better opportunity for maize.
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.
Growers are being urged to monitor maize crop 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 maize crop nutrition throughout the rest of the season.
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.
Ecosyl additives such as Ecocool have been shown to typically reduce the fermentation losses by half and also to improve aerobic stability, keeping the silage cooler for longer. In addition, the Ecosyl range has a considerable weight of evidence from independent feeding trials which demonstrate improved animal performance for dairy, beef and sheep.
As we approach the beginning of the 2020 maize growing season, there are a few important things to consider pre-drilling in order to achieve a quality crop. We normally think about the effect of weather during the growing season, but this year the excess winter rainfall will also need to be taken into account.
Livestock producers growing maize this year are encouraged to undertake proper planning for the crop, to ensure the best possible return on investment.
With a high starch and fermentable energy content, maize is a high value cropping choice for dairy and beef producers. However, it can be relatively costly to grow so it pays to consider all the elements required for a successful crop, ahead of planting.
