Gema and Prospect are two of the best-performing maize varieties on the BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List and are excellent choices for farmers wanting to maximise milk production from maize and achieve a good return on their crop’s investment.
The best prospect
Prospect continues to set the standard in all the attributes defining a successful crop: it combines excellent agronomy with outstanding productivity and is perfect for Favourable and Less Favourable sites.
Prospect is an early maturing variety with an FAO rating of 170 and maturity class of 9. It combines excellent early vigour with good standing power and has good eyespot tolerance and fusarium resistance.
It is in the clamp where Prospect really stands out: with a dry matter yield of 102% (18t/ha), a high starch content, and outstanding Cell Wall Digestibility – a trait which has been amplified by Limagrain’s focussed seed breeding programme – Prospect delivers one of the very highest ME yields. This makes it the ideal choice for farmers where the ability to drive milk yields is paramount.
A real gem
Gema is perfectly suited to the more marginal maize growing areas as it requires fewer heat units than many other ‘early’ varieties, yet still provides assured maturity to deliver an exceptional yield and high starch content.
Gema is classified as ‘very early’ maturing (FAO 155, Maturity 12) which means it’s always one of the first varieties to be harvested in favourable conditions. Gema also boasts good early vigour which enables it to grow away quickly at the start of the season. This, combined with its early maturity, makes it the perfect short season option and one which gives growers valuable extra time to establish a following crop.
Gema is capable of producing a starch rich feed which can support good levels of production through a combination of quality and quantity. It is also a strong standing variety with low lodging, good eyespot tolerance and remains green to the point of harvest with well-filled, fully covered cobs.
Maize Guide
Along with details on this years recommended varieties, our guide includes advice on how to get the most from your crop.
