Maize Watch: Challenging season spells early harvest

After a challenging growing season, crops on light soils with dried-out leaf and small cobs need to be harvested green so that the sugars ferment in the clamp .

This is according to Neil Groom, of seed merchant Grainseed, who says sampling crops that have suffered in the drought and are shorter than normal to determine their dry matter (DM).

These also need an additive to minimise the growth of yeasts and moulds in the clamp, he says, putting a value on maize silage of £50/t.

“We are all trying to maximise forage production to help control winter feeding costs, so getting harvest dry matter correct, ensuring good clamp consolidation and minimising clamp losses are a priority for all,” Mr Groom says.

However, where rain has recently fallen, stressed plants have refreshed and will continue to accumulate starch and mature normally. These should be harvested according to grain maturity, he advises.

See also: Farmer Focus: Maize not looking as healthy as hoped

On the upside, the early maize harvest allows growers the opportunity to reseed grass leys throughout September, or to drill a catch crop of westerwold ryegrasses, Italian ryegrasses or grazing rye, says Mr Groom.

These should be ready for grazing early in the spring, so could help reduce winter feeding pressures.

With the current dry soil conditions, reseeds can be sown with a grass harrow and rolled in, and the young grass will use any residual nutrients, help reduce soil erosion and maintain soil structure over winter.

Clamp management

When the first loads of silage come into the clamp, Mr Groom advises checking all the grains have been processed and the chop length is as required.

Typically, a chop length of 18-20mm will provide some scratch factor to the rumen.

“Load the clamp in thin layers and keep rolling continuously to exclude all the air,” he says. “When clamp space allows, have another tractor rolling the clamp alongside the buck rake.

“You need 25% of the delivery rate on top rolling, so if you have six trailers weighting 15t every hour, you need 25t of kit rolling on top.”