5 ways to be more efficient at maize production in 2025

The value of maize in feed rations is not in doubt but farmers are facing challenges in continuing to use it with confidence amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

They need more certainty that the time and effort they put into growing the crop will deliver them a consistent, high-quality feed.

Developments in maize production are helping to tackle these issues. Below, technical specialists suggest how farmers can benefit from these.

See also: Maize Watch: Average year in Suffolk after wet winter

1. Crimped maize

Crimped maize is “rocket fuel” for dairy production and beef finishing, and more farmers could be using it in their feed rations.

With metabolisable energy (ME) typically about 14.5MJ/kg dry matter (DM), the rumen starch is degraded more slowly than it is from cereal sources, according to Andrew Cook of KWS.

“This supports a more stable rumen pH, creating healthier and more productive livestock. Combined with the higher level of bypass-starch, it’s one of the best home-grown feeds available,” he says.

Crimping is a simple, on-farm process, where the grain is “cracked” to expose the carbohydrate, explains Kelvin Cave technical director Michael Carpenter.

A suitable preservative is applied, and the resulting feed is ensiled. It is ready to feed about three weeks later.

Carbon footprint

“This eliminates the need for drying. Local farmer-to-farmer relationships can minimise transport costs and the carbon footprint of the feed compared with commercially bought-in feed materials,” he says.

Independent nutritionist Hefin Richards, of Rumenation Nutrition Consultancy, points out that crimped maize can offer a more cost-effective solution for those who traditionally buy in maize silage.

At the same time they can retain the benefit of being able to store it in outdoor clamps sealed with a sheet.

“Dry maize grain can be difficult to process; moist crimped material is more digestible, providing the crimper has been correctly set.

“In addition to feeding dairy cows, it is untouchable as a feed for finishing cattle,” he says.

Many arable producers have turned to maize following problems establishing autumn-sown cereals in recent years.

“The end result is there is more maize available than ever before, and many growers are happy to set up informal relationships with local livestock producers, rather than take on a formal marketing arrangement with a larger buyer,” says Michael.

2. Strip tillage

Growing numbers of contractors with strip-tillage drills could make the minimum cultivation technique available to more livestock farmers, with potential cost savings and soil health benefits.

Strip tillage involves cultivating narrow strips of soil between undisturbed ground. The seed drilled directly into the strips, with any residues from the previous crop left in place.

As well as labour and fuel economies, less disturbance helps the soil maintain its structure, making it less vulnerable to erosion, says Maize Growers Association (MGA) agronomist Jon Myhill.

This also helps build soil organic matter and carbon.

Somerset mixed farmer and contractor George Davis has been using the technique for maize at West Bodden Farm, Shepton Mallett, for the past two years.

The family farm grows 100ha (247 acres) of maize, 300ha (741 acres) of combinable crops and has a 300-cow dairy herd housed year-round.

Cows are fed a total mixed ration and are milked on six robots. Average yield is 10,500 litres/year.

Less compaction

“The cost saving with strip tillage can be significant,” George says.

“With plough and power harrow, maize establishment is about £70/ha – you’re saving on time, fuel and tractor size. Strip-tillage is £30/ha, and it keeps compaction to a minimum, as only a percentage of the land is travelled.”

A trial at West Bodden Farm looking at the feasibility of strip tillage also showed yield benefits: strip-tilled maize produced 32.5t/ha, while a conventionally grown crop of the same variety grew 28-30 t/ha.

George grows maize following a cover crop after winter barley, and before winter wheat. He opts for early-maturing varieties with high yield and good starch potential.

“Fairly light land is required, and plenty of organic matter will help with strong root development,” he says.

George is starting his third season with a Kuhn Striger 600 strip-tillage drill, which cost £29,000, and says he is now starting to use it in his contracting work.

3. Cover crops

Cover crops, drilled after harvesting maize, can protect soils over winter, reducing the risk of soil erosion and run-off, as well as providing nutrition for the following crop, depending on the mix.

They also attract Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) payments.

SFI option CSAM2 pays £129/ha to establish a multispecies seed mix after the maize harvest and is better for systems where maize is grown in rotation, says Tom Turner of KWS.

SOH4, at £203/ha, provides the option for farmers growing continuous maize to produce a cheap and easy mix such as Westerwolds, with vetch or Berseem clover adding N back into the soil for the following crop.

Seed-bed benefits

Cover crops can also benefit drilling and establishment of the following maize crop.

“Maize has to be sown into a friable, well-oxygenated seed-bed, and soil temperatures must have exceeded 10C for five consecutive days before sowing on standard soils, with 8C for light soils and 12C for heavy soils,” he explains.

“A wet soil will keep temperatures lower for longer to such a degree that selecting the right drilling date can be a challenge.

“This has been a recurring problem for maize growers after the most recent winters with very heavy rainfall.” A cover crop can actively pull moisture out of the soil, allowing drilling to take place a week earlier, he adds.

4. Ultra-early varieties

The use of film has allowed many growers in areas of the UK less favourable for maize production to produce reliably high yields of good-quality forage that would otherwise have been impossible, says Andrew.

However, varieties are now available that allow them to reach full maturity and feeding quality, with optimum yields, in much shorter growing seasons with fewer heat units available.

“These varieties are more able to cope with the wider range of growing conditions now commonly experienced, particularly in more northerly and exposed areas.

“In more marginal areas, film could now be unnecessary,” he says. Maize yields are increasing by about 1t/ha DM every 10 years or so, with ultra-early varieties now not far behind the highest yielders, he adds.

Jon says while choosing to reduce reliance on film needs careful consideration, there is little doubt of the potential cost savings.

“MGA costings suggest film adds £441/ha to the growing cost for maize, so being able to reduce the need for this will have serious cost benefits for growers.

“When you work through the numbers, taking into account all other production costs and rent, maize grown conventionally works out at £122/t DM, and with film it rises to £131/t DM.

“That’s a significant amount extra when scaled up across a dairy or beef business.”

5. Nitrogen use efficiency

Research suggests some maize crops may not be getting enough fertiliser, and a late application of foliar nitrogen (N) could benefit yield and quality.

“Increasing N has generally been shown to deliver a yield increase and improvements in feeding quality including higher dry matter, energy content and protein levels,” says Jon.

“Late-applied foliar nitrogen in particular has shown a significant yield boost.”

Crops with optimum N levels show significant improvements in N use efficiency (NUE) and yield, says independent crop nutrition specialist Ross Leadbeater.

NUE measures how much of the nitrogen available ends up in the crop and how much is lost from the system, he explains. It can be affected by factors including cultivations, application timing and product choice.

Foliar N

Some of the highest NUEs in maize have been seen when foliar N has been applied late in the season, typically between the 8-12 leaf stage, according to Jack Hill of crop nutrition company Intracrop.

On paper, a 20 litre/ha application of a urea polymer-based product combining magnesium, sulphur and two biostimulants only provides about 6kg N/ha, he says.

“But because it is a late-applied foliar product, it’s hitting a lot of biomass. This maximises interception and reduces the potential for leaching and volatilisation.

“That 20 litre/ha application is, therefore, equivalent to around 30kg N/ha. Our trials are showing NUEs of more than 95%, compared with 30-40% with soil-applied nitrogen in dry conditions.”

While there may be scope to apply more fertiliser, is also important to ensure crops do not get more nutrients than they need. This means knowing the value of what is applied.

“One of the biggest advantages of maize is the opportunity to use large amounts of farmyard manure and slurry,” says Ross.

But measuring the nutrients they contain is essential for making a nutrient management plan and ensuring these are not over-applied, he adds.

“Without measuring NUE, it is impossible to know how much of this nutrition ends up in the plant to drive production,” he points out.