17th August 2009
KWS UK has produced a new guide to maize production with specific emphasis on maximising the crop’s feed potential in the ration.
The company’s maize specialist, John Burgess, believes that the booklet will provide useful guidance prior to this coming harvest and in planning next season’s crops.
“We recognise that maize is not getting any cheaper to grow and that farmers want to gain maximum output from a relatively high input crop,” said Mr Burgess.
“Equally though, consistency of feed value is also down to the way the crop is managed. So, we have brought both practical crop management and feed elements together within the one guide.”
For example, the guide focuses on approaches to harvesting and the effects that crop maturity, harvest date and chop length have on ration structure, thereby providing best practice guidance for growers this season.
The guide also covers the production of both corn cob mix (CCM) and crimped maize as a means of boosting the available energy.
“Our focus is in offering increased harvest flexibility. We have selected a number of dual purpose types offering the option to harvest conventionally or delay and take to crop for CCM or crimping.”
Both methods produce higher levels of by-pass starch and CCM in particular is very useful for boosting scratch factor in the ration.
“Whilst 2009 looks set to offer some very heavy yields, we are in no doubt that the drive is on to increase feed efficiency from forage. Consistency is a major driver, and it is likely that producers will experience a large variation in the quality of this year’s crop compared to last.”
“Despite increased costs and reduced margins in the dairy sector in particular, farmers should be assured that maize is one of the most cost effective forages available. Selecting varieties for consistent field performance and feed requirements both remain essential considerations,” he concluded.
The Guide – entitled ‘Maize for Profit’ – is available through maize seed merchants or directly from KWS UK. For your hard copy, contact John Burgess direct on 01763 207309 or john.burgess@kws-uk.com. For the PDF version please click the link to the right.
