Maize Watch: What to do if frost hits before harvest

Timing the maize harvest after a cold spell should be informed by close crop inspection and leaf colour.

This is according to Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed, who has reported of clear skies leading to the scorching of maize leaves on low-lying fields this harvest.

“If this happens and you are able to chop within 48 hours, then you will save some of the sugars, but after two days, the leaves end up scorched because when the plant cells freeze, they explode and the cell sugars are lost,” he says.

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

Neil advises growers that have experienced frost to do the following:

1. Assess the level of leaf death. A rule of thumb is to harvest only if the leaves are all lost down to cob level. If stems and leaves are still green, the plant will continue laying down starch, which is what makes maize such a great feed
2. Walk beyond the headlands into the main part of the field, as headlands often show the most amount of frosting, while 12 rows in, only the top two leaves are damaged
3. Look at a short chop length to aid compaction in the clamp if the crop has a lot of frosting
4. Use an additive that will reduce heating and spoilage in the clamp and during feedout. There are now products on the market that will inhibit yeast and mould growth – this is the year to use them
5. Cutting early will reduce grain maturity and the starch content in the silage
6. Remember, the top couple of leaves are smaller and do not contribute significantly to overall yield as 60% of the crop yield is in the plant’s cob.