Browse > Home / Farming, Rural / Maize silage yields boosted

Maize silage yields boosted

Posted on August 15, 2008, 8:08am

Maize silage yielded exceptionally well under a new centre pivot at Port Mac Dairies, Mount Gambier, last season.

Jed Boshier from the dairy said the 56 hectares of maize was planted on virgin, very rocky country and still grew up, even through the rock.

He said it yielded between 22 and 23 dry matter tonnes per hectare.

“We were predicting 16 tonnes per hectare, so to get that result was very pleasing.”

Mr Boshier said they had used a lot of maize in the dairy in the past and would normally buy the forage from other growers in the district.

This was the first year maize had been grown on-farm, and the results had been excellent in ground that had never previously grown a crop.

The Pioneer hybrid 35D28 made up approximately 10 hectares of the crop and impressed with its high yields.

In a side-by-side trial conducted by agronomist Robby Zeissig, of Horizon Farming, the 35D28 hybrid was compared to Maximus.

Mr Zeissig said the 35D28 hybrid yielded 23.3 tonnes per hectare compared to Maximus at 20.7 tonnes per hectare.

“The Pioneer hybrid was a bit quicker in maturity and had slightly better energy,” he said.

An analysis of both hybrids returned an energy level of 9.9 percent from Maximus compared to 10.3 percent from the 35D28 hybrid.

Mr Zeissig said 35D28 also exhibited excellent stay-green characteristics.

Stay-green is an important agronomic trait for maize silage to extend the harvest window.

The maize crop was planted on November 15 last season at a rate of 105,000 seeds per hectare.

It was sown into 30 inch (75cm) rows with some fertiliser applied pre-plant. Weed control was successful using the pre-emergent herbicides Atrazine and Dual Gold.

The crop received a side-dressing of fertiliser in small amounts on three occasions, with the majority of the nutrition applied through the pivot as fertigation.

Corn also responded well to phosphate-based foliar sprays at various stages of the season.

Mr Boshier said the maize stack was opened shortly after being ensiled and used as a valuable feed source for the 1500 cows milked through the dairy.

He said maize was a useful high energy, low protein feed source and was fed to cows during the late lactation period and during the spring.

Grass and grain also form the basis of the dairy cow diet.

Mr Boshier said 35D28 will form a major part of this season’s maize plant.

These articles might be of interest:
Tags: ,  

Email this post Email this post   Print this article Print this article

Comments

Feel free to leave a comment...