The maize harvest begins later this month and due to favourable growing conditions, the quality looks to be excellent.

Robin Billett, regional manager for Pioneer.

Some crops are a little ahead of normal in terms of maturity and those throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty are in good shape, thanks to the weather conditions and heat units we have enjoyed this summer.

The same conditions have also favoured grass growth and while farmers currently have plenty of pasture for their stock, maize silage is still important in helping prepare dairy cows for next season. Feeding maize silage enables dairy farmers to extend lactation and maintain or build body condition scores.

Mature cows need a condition score of 5.0 and young stock its 5.5. Feeding maize silage is one of the most efficient ways of achieving those body score targets.

Maize silage is a valuable, home-grown high quality feed which can yield up to 30 tonnes per hectare and help reduce on-farm costs. For dairy farmers, growing maize also presents an efficient and environmentally friendly use of dairy effluent which is an ideal fertiliser for maize.

New short maturity hybrid plants make it possible to now grow maize in areas such as the Central Plateau which in the past were not suitable for this crop. These new plants mature quickly in cooler climatic conditions which have less heat units than the traditional growing regions and therefore allowing paddocks to be re-sown in high producing new pasture species in time for the winter grazing rotation.

There is an increasing trend to install in-shed feeding systems. Kibbled maize is a high energy, cost effective feed which is an ideal option to be feeding through these systems. Pioneer brand products have produced a 'Maize Grain for Dairy Cows” manual which outlines this new feed in more detail. This manual can be requested or read at the website address below.

With maize now maturing, farmers should book in their contractor ready for harvest and start to prepare silage storage areas. This includes cleaning out the pit or preparing the bun site and making sure access is suitable for vehicles. If there is a pest problem, baits to control vermin should be laid.

To maximise their maize silage investment, farmers should consider applying inoculant at harvest time to lock in and preserve silage quality while at the same time minimising ensiling losses.

Your local Pioneer representative, merchant or contractor can help with advice on when crops are ready for harvest this season. There is also a useful maize silage harvest guide at www.pioneer.co.nz