THE EARLIEST MAIZE EVER!

This year the forage trials team at Witham St Hughs, in conjunction with a local contractor, started drilling maize  on the 28^th March………the earliest ever! Twenty eight varieties were sown in replicated trials through a specialist drill which sows the seed, applies pre-emergence herbicide and then covers the seed rows with plastic.  This trial will test the performance of a range of LG hybrids when grown under a plastic cover. Richard Camplin. Technical & Development Manager, explains the background to this important evaluation within the maize trials programme.

“The performance of early varieties is very important as many are used in very marginal areas, such as Scotland and North Ireland. It is also possible to grow later maturing, high yielding types under plastic in areas of the UK where open sowing would not allow the varieties to mature.

“Richard says that the trial will evaluate yield and quality performance as well as speed of emergence through the plastic compared to a range of controls.

“This is the first of two trials to be sown under plastic. A second site is to be drilled in mid April on a more marginal site in North Devon.

”There is a whole Chapter on growing maize under plastic in our recently published, 44-page Technical Guide. If you would like a copy please e-mail us (info@limagrain.co.uk) and let us have your full address along with the postcode. Please write “Maize – A Growers Guide” in the subject box. We can supply either a hard copy and/or a CD whichever you prefer.

April 2011