Wairarapa Maize and Cropping 2018

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 6, 2018

W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

Maize sector buoyant after strong growing season

Reuben Carter, Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group Vice-Chairman (Maize/Forage), said most growers enjoyed excellent growing weather and harvest conditions in 2018 and this is reflected in the latest AIMI survey.

Data from 77 survey farms, scaled up for a national picture, show an average maize grain yield of 12.8 t/

time last year only 52% of the harvest was completed.

The AIMI survey report noted some growers had said it was the best season they’d experienced.

The estimated total maize grain tonnage of 268,500 (included unharvested grain) was 53% up on the 2017 season because of increased harvest hectares (20% up) and increased yield (27% up).

“Coming out of a really dry season the year before (2016/17), it did feel like this year was one out of the box,” Mr Carter said.

For maize silage, harvest tonnes were up 12% on 2017, with almost no change in harvested hectares and an 11% higher yield.

“It was off to a slow start, with quite a wet October/November. But then we had some great heat and rain and it set us up for fantastic growing and an early harvest.”

Another indicator of the settled weather at harvest time in most districts was that 95% of the maize grain crop was in by the time of the survey (June 1) when at the same

The evidence of good relationships between farmers and contractors in managing wet paddocks during the harvest was pleasing, he said. It minimised damage and mud spread around public roads.

ha, compared with 10 t/ha in 2017, and 20.6t maize silage dry matter/ha (18.5t in 2017).

Levels of confidence are returning to New Zealand’s maize sector, with a healthy rise in average yields and prices remaining firm at around $400/tonne.

“That early finish is good news for growers and contractors,” Mr Carter said.

“It was a good effort by all parties.”

Continued on next page

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Thursday, September 6, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 6, 2018

Liaising with your contractor and technical advisor urea into the soil six to eight weeks after sowing). Your technical adviser will assist you in determining the best method for your conditions.

Most dairy farmers won’t have the specialist equipment required for growing maize and will therefore need to employ contractors for these tasks.

For those with limited time or experience, technical advisers from a range of merchant companies are available to offer crop management services and/or advice.

There are specialist contractors and advisers who concentrate on only one aspect of maize production (e.g. spraying or fertilisers).

Others provide a complete service from sowing to harvest.

The key to working with contractors and technical advisers is good communication.

Most have several hundred clients requiring the same service at much the same time.

Notice of your intentions well in advance and then regular updates will improve the service they can provide.

You will need to talk with your contractor and technical adviser regarding your specific requirements, which may include: 1. Spraying Your spray contractor will need to know your sowing date so that they can plan when to spray out pasture, and later when herbicides will be required for the crop. Monitoring will help determine if post emergence

herbicides will be needed.

2. Cultivation Your cultivation contractor can advise and outline costs of cultivation methods; however, this will need to be done well in advance of the projected planting date.

3. Sowing Your sowing contractor will need advance warning of both your intended sowing date and your fertiliser programme. Seed companies and rural supply firms will give advice on a suitable maize hybrid for your site, sowing date and planned harvest date. You should also discuss options regarding seed treatment for pest control.

4. Fertiliser Ensure you have a recent soil test, collected from 0-15cm deep from your intended maize paddock. Paddocks coming out of long-term pasture can supply up to 300kg N/ha just from soil organic matter, so soil test for mineral nitrogen (0-60cm) to determine post sowing urea applications. Technical advisers and fertiliser companies can organise soil tests and develop fertiliser plans. There are several different methods of fertiliser application; bulk spreader for base fertiliser, sowing contractor for fertiliser applied through the drill, post emergence N - often referred to as side-dressing (knifing or broadcasting

5. Harvesting Maize harvesting and stack building is an extremely busy and difficult time for contractors; with large hectares to harvest, a short time frame and often adverse weather to contend with. Maize is normally harvested from 30 to 40% dry matter. Let your contractor know your preference well in advance.

Determining maize silage maturity in the field requires considerable experience.

Generally harvest contractors will monitor crop maturity and determine harvest time.

Technical advisers will also give guidance if required.

Remember that stack sites and access areas must be prepared before harvest.

Aim to get this done early in case the crop matures faster than expected.

Post-harvest planning e.g. sowing new pastures, is also crucial to continued success.

Again your technical representative will be able to assist you with the best options for your site.

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

Source: Foundation For Arable Research, Best Management Practices for Growing Maize on Dairy Farms www.far.org.nz/ articles/159/best-managementpractices-for-growing-maize-ondairy-farms

Do you have your feed plan sorted?

Christina Williamson Jo Balfour Area Manager

W A I R A R A PA

Pahiatua Farmer

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Todd Williamson Pahiatua Farmer

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Are you ready for the FEI? Now is the time to plan your feed.

Our team based all around the country can help you plan your feed for the next season so no matter what the season throws at you, you’re covered. With knowledge of maize hybrids, forage products and the local growing environment we can make sure you have enough feed in your stack come the end of summer. We are ready when you are.

For more information call Jo Balfour 027 839 1578 or visit us at pioneer.nz Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase, which are part of the labelling and purchase documents. ®, TM, SM, Trademarks and service marks of DuPont, Pioneer or their respective owners.

22

Thursday, September 6, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age production and slower cycling.

Having maize silage on hand for the times of year when the season doesn’t go as expected makes great sense.

Provided it is well-compacted and sealed, maize silage can be stored on-farm for several seasons without a deterioration in quality and fed when required.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE Among the most significant reasons to grow maize is its ability to reduce nitrogen leaching.

Why maize silage W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

Farmers decide to feed or grow maize for different reasons, and they may be surprised to learn that maize silage can also benefit other aspects their farm business outside of how they have traditionally used it, says Pioneer A SOLUTION TO POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH FEI As of the 1st of September, this year, Fonterra customers will be penalised if the fat evaluation index (FEI) of their milk sits in either the C or D range. This may amount to a significant financial penalty. As PKE has been considered the key culprit, farmers have been advised to feed no more than 3kgPKE/cow/day. For those farmers needing to feed more than 3kgDM/cow/day, maize silage provides a very nice alternative without triggering the negative response in FEI.

A LOW-COST FEED Maize produces high yields, meaning plenty of feed at a low cost.

Assuming you are growing it yourself, and assuming a yield of 20tDM/ha, maize silage will cost 15 to 19c/ kgDM depending on the base fertility of your paddock.

Buying in maize silage will cost around 28-34c/kgDM landed depending on the region and how far it needs to be carted.

In contrast, the current spot price of bought-in PKE price landed on farm is 38c kg/ DM (dependent on carting distance).

IMPROVED PASTURE MANAGEMENT Many farmers are using maize silage to manage their pastures better. Maize silage enables cows to be stood off paddocks

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and fed when there is a danger of either pugging or overgrazing. Feeding maize silage creates pasture substitution, which can be very beneficial at crucial times of the year when pasture is short and round length needs to be lengthened.

IMPROVED COW CONDITION Maize silage is proven to be one of the best cow conditioners farmers have available. Feeding maize silage at the end of lactation means more days in milk and better cow condition the subsequent calving.

FEED ON HAND WHEN YOU NEED IT: Feed shortages, especially in early lactation, can increase condition score loss, resulting in an increased risk of metabolic diseases, such as milk fever and ketosis. There is also a likelihood of lower

Maize, with its deep-rooting structure, removes excessive soil nutrients which have dropped out of the root zone of shallow-rooted pasture species.

Feeding maize silage in conjunction with pasture also reduces urinary nitrogen levels reducing the risk of loss into the ground water.

A GREAT TRANSITION FEED Many farmers in cool regions winter on fodder beet.

There are a growing number of farmers who have discovered maize silage to be an ideal transition feed for cows moving from fodder beet back on to pasture.

Because it contains a balance of carbohydrate (from the grain) and fibre (from the plant), it helps the rumen adjust from a high sugar diet to a digestible fibre diet.

Source: www.pioneer.co.nz

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Thursday, September 6, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

Search on for effective biopesticide seed treatments AgResearch scientists involved in the Next Generation Biopesticides Programme are following promising leads to identify effective environmentally benign microbial seed treatments for use by arable farmers.

These treatments are based on soil bacteria that have been isolated from New Zealand pastures and shown to kill grass grub.

The grubs are significant pests in autumn-sown cereal crops and crops that follow pastures in a rotation are particularly at risk when the pasture has harboured high numbers of grass grubs.

W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

Insecticide seed treatments are common practice to protect seedlings against root feeding insects but many insecticides will be phased out in coming years so alternative solutions are needed for growers.

Microbial insecticides, or biopesticides, can be effective alternatives to chemical insecticides in many situations.

Inoculation of seed with insecticidal microbes places the microbe close to the plant roots where the target pest feeds.

This ensures rapid contact between the microbe and the pest. There is increasing interest globally in development of microbial seed treatments.

Programme leader Maureen O’Callaghan says that since

AgResearch has been testing microbial treatments of wheat seed on commercial farms in Canterbury.

2012, FAR and AgResearch, with support from the Ministry of Primary Industry’s Sustainable Farming Fund, have been testing microbial treatments of wheat seed on commercial farms in Canterbury for their ability to protect seedlings from grass grub attack.

“Seeds treated with insecticidal bacteria resulted in higher yields than untreated seeds where grass grub was present, and in some years these treatments were as effective as current insecticide seed treatments,” Dr O’Callaghan says.

“These trials have demonstrated that microbial seed treatments can protect

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cereal seedlings effectively from grass grub attack and suggest that further work and investment to scale-up microbial seed treatment processes is warranted.”

The Next-Generation Biopesticides programme aims to find new, safe and sustainable solutions to New Zealand’s key insect pest and disease problems.

Globally, primary producers are under increasing pressure from consumers and governments to sustainably and ethically produce safe foods and food ingredients.

The gradual withdrawal of chemical pesticides will leave growers with few or no alternatives to control pests

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and diseases that can cause major production losses.

Effective biopesticides are needed to control existing pests and diseases, and those emerging as a result of land-use change, farming intensification, climate change and biosecurity breaches.

Biopesticides are natural pesticides made from micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and nematodes) or their products.

The aim is to retain or improve productivity in New Zealand’s pastoral, horticultural and arable sectors, and help meet market demands for sustainably produced food.

Source: www.agresearch.co.nz

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 6, 2018

Good record keeping is good management practice There are numerous good reasons for keeping crop management records, these include: • Environmental reporting - All Fonterra suppliers are required to complete nutrient budgets and your maize silage crop should be done as a separate block.

• Financial reporting - A ‘Cost of Production’ worksheet can assist you to calculate the cost of growing your crop.

• Diagnosis - If something goes wrong with your crop.

• Repeat Results - When you grow a fantastic crop, you will know what was done so you can to do it again!

W A I R A R A PA

You may rely on others (e.g. technical advisers or a contractor) for some or all of your crop management.

However, you should still make sure you have copies of crop management records.

These will be useful if your advisor changes, or you change to another company or contractor.

AgResearch has been testing microbial treatments of wheat seed on commercial farms in Canterbury.

Crop management records to keep • Laboratory tests - Copies of any soil, plant and effluent analyses including when, where and how the samples were collected and by whom.

• Nutrient inputs - For all fertiliser, lime, effluent or other nutrient inputs (e.g. chook manure), make sure you record when, where and how it was applied, the rate and nutrient content of the product, and who applied it.

• Cultivation - When, how, who and any notable soil conditions (eg a bit dry, too wet).

• Crop details - The hybrid, sowing time, plant population and any seed treatment used.

Record the harvest dates.

• Herbicides - For each application record; when, the product(s) used, chemical and water rate, who sprayed, and weather conditions during application (especially wind direction and speed).

• Other inputs - Keep records of application rate and timing of other inputs such as; insecticides, irrigation etc.

• Crop monitoring records - Your crop should be regularly checked for; weed, pest and disease pressure, establishment and harvest maturity.

Those irrigating may monitor soil moisture and rainfall.

Keep records of all crop, soil and weather monitoring.

Harvest Record the harvest date(s).

If you are not weighing your crop, ask your technical adviser and/or contractor for their best estimate of crop yield and

DM%. On completion stacks can be easily sampled for analysis of DM% or feed quality.

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

This is done regularly for traded maize. Your harvesting contractor should be able to arrange this.

Source: Foundation For Arable Research, Best Management Practices for Growing Maize on Dairy Farms www.far.org.nz/ articles/159/best-managementpractices-for-growing-maize-ondairy-farms

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Successful hill country forage crops and pastures Factors that make hill country forage systems successful In harsh hill country environments, sound back-tobasics management practices and decisions are essential.

Forages need to be sown at the correct time and have sufficient moisture to become well established in hill country environments.

To be profitable, forage crops need to be high-yielding and used for high-return stock.

Why grow hill country forage crops?

Summer forage crops are used to grow out and finish young stock.

Winter forage crops allow a large number of animals to be wintered in a relatively small area. They are often used as a break crop as part of a pasture renewal programme.

This is particularly important when changing from wild endophyte to novel endophyte pastures.

Establishing forage crops and pasture on hill country

W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

The main problems establishing forage crops are: •

Poorly-timed sowing

•

Poor seed bed preparation

•

Lack of soil moisture hindering establishment

•

Difficult paddock contours.

To successfully establish forage crops and pasture on hill country, it is important to sow crops at the correct time and have good soil moisture.

On-farm trials have shown autumn pastures, sown following a forage crop, may perform poorly if sowing is delayed by extended grazing of the forage crop or conditions are very dry.

Summer fallow can be a useful tool in allowing soil moisture to accumulate before sowing.

The economics of hill country forages Factors to consider: • Product prices; the returns expected from a forage crop are largely dependent on product prices.

• Costs of developing new pastures; factors such as

location, contour, drainage and soil fertility all affect the final cost of establishing new pastures.

addressed. These may include poor soil fertility, drainage issues and grazing management.

the economics of summer forage crops in hill country was marginal and will not be economic in dry seasons.

• Summer forage crop yields; these are dependent on how the crops are established and the quantity of spring rainfall. While farmers can control crop establishment, they cannot predict the weather.

• Quality: New pastures are almost always of higher quality than old pastures.

They have less dead matter and increased legume content.

The choice of crop species will be critical as crops that persist for two years, such as clover, plantain and chicory, may help spread the cost of establishment.

Do forage crops and new pastures stack up?

Summer crops may be profitable if the crop is being used to renew a poor performing pasture.

• Winter forage crop yields; most winter forage crops are grown in summer moist environments and crop yields are generally consistent.

Yields can be compromised if soil fertility issues are not corrected and insect and pest problems are not addressed.

The value of new pastures The two main advantages of establishing new pastures are increased drymatter yield and increased pasture quality.

• Yield: Yield increases will be achieved as long as the problems causing poor performance have been

Results of a hill country forage crop and pasture research project carried out in 2009/10, found summer crops need to grow at least four tonnes per hectare of high quality forage to be profitable.

In winter, utilised yield need to be in excess of eight tonnes per hectare to be economic.

For hill country forages to be cost-effective, sheep and beef farmers must follow best management practices for establishing forage crops or new pastures and achieve maximum yields from those crops and pastures.

The research project found

Winter forage crops typically generate more reliable yields but they need to be yielding over eight tonnes/hectare of utilised feed to be economic.

Establishing new pastures will be economic if it is done successfully and the class of stock using the pasture are high return animals such as finishing lambs or growing young replacement stock.

Product prices are critical in determining the economics of growing forage crops.

Source: Beef & Lamb NZ beeflambnz.com

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 6, 2018

Summer dry property enjoying the benefits of lucerne Lucerne’s ability to make efficient use of water to grow high quality forage is making it an increasingly popular plant in dryland East Coast farming systems.

But has yet to fully catch on with sheep & beef farmers on Wairarapa’s east coast.

There are exceptions to the rule, however, such as Mike Murray and his son-in-law Michael Cammock who run a farm partnership at Kourarau, east of Carterton.

Mike and Michael have been growing lucerne on their farm for the past seven years.

The summer dry property comprises a range of moderate to steep slopes, and 177 hectares of cultivable ground flats.

The grazing stand of lucerne.

own specific purpose.

The main reason they got into lucerne, Michael says, “was because it provides a high source of protein for growing young stock.”

“The cut-and-carry is on nice flat paddocks but it also requires higher nutrient replacement, whereas the grazing stand gets most of its nutrient replacement from the dung and urine of the animals.

“Also, it is a legume so fixes its own nitrogen from the atmosphere. And it is also a very efficient user of water.”

“But it is a flexible system and we use the cut-and-carry stand for grazing and vice versa where needed.”

The farm maintains two stands of lucerne - a grazing stand fed to animals from spring through to early winter, and a “cut-andcarry” stand which they use to make lucerne baleage to feed out to animals over the winter months.

More Wairarapa farmers are putting in crops of lucerne and Michael recommends farmers look into it.

As a general rule, Mike and Michael keep each stand for its

“It is expensive to establish and requires quite strict discipline

However, some are put off by certain characteristics of the crop, he says.

around maintenance and winter spraying.

“Some farmers don’t like seeing the ground standing unused over winter but we feel the tonnage we grow in the months when we use it far outweighs the other times when we can’t use it.”

You can find lucerne advice online at beeflambnz.com from Lincoln University plant science professor Derrick Moot, winner of the Beef and Lamb NZ sheep industry science award for his farm practice-changing work with the crop.

For Derrick, the main reason for growing lucerne is its deep tap root, which can access soil moisture at a much deeper level than traditional ryegrass roots.

“Because it fixes nitrogen, lucerne is never N deficient and is able to use every millimetre of water very efficiently.

“Water use efficiency in plants is dependent on nitrogen availability. Pastures that are N deficient do not use water efficiently.”

Weeds and fertility, particularly soil pH, need to be taken into account before establishing a lucerne crop, Derrick advises.

Lucerne should always be sown in spring and he recommends carrying out soils tests in the selected paddock during the previous autumn.

All stock grazing lucerne will need a salt supplement.

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W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

28

Thursday, September 6, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

W A I R A R A PA

MAIZE AND CROPPING SEPTEMBER 2018

Maize crop establishment for dairy farmers Many dairy farmers use maize crop as part of their pasture renewal programme. However not all paddocks are equally suited for maize production.

Steep paddocks are not only difficult for cultivation and harvest but tend not to yield well.

Low-lying, wet paddocks often lead to cultivation delays and often don’t yield well unless drought conditions prevail.

A paddock that is wet under pasture acts as if 10% wetter when the structural strength of the pasture is removed by cultivation.

Wet paddocks risk loss of soil structure under cultivation which leads to lower yields.

Long-term effluent paddocks have high N and K levels and are ideal for growing a deeprooting crop of maize often without using bagged fertiliser.

Long-term dairy pastures have high fertility levels which means N fertiliser inputs for maize crops can be reduced

without impacting yield.

To grow high-yielding maize on farm for the least cost, consider the factors which make the contractors’ jobs speedy and efficient and reduce harvest cost, e.g. paddock location, access, entrance ways, track conditions, culvert strength, overhead wires.

Soil preparation Maize seed is normally sown around 5cm deep. An uneven soil surface (undulations, ruts etc.) makes it difficult for the planter to sow at a uniform depth resulting in variable emergence.

Maize does not need a very fine seedbed. It is a large seed and seed-to-soil contact is generally sufficient for germination, except on very cloddy soils.

Light rolling after sowing may help seed-soil contact, seal in moisture, and reduce risk of wind erosion.

both of which are present in dairy soils.

On cropping farms, N is the nutrient most likely to limit maize yields and the largest fertiliser input.

These inputs are generally unnecessary on dairy paddocks coming out on long-term pastures. Up to 300kg N/ha is released from soil organic matter when high fertility dairy pastures are cultivated.

Maize is unlikely to respond to K fertiliser unless soil K test levels are very low.

Replacement K fertiliser can be applied after harvest to avoid any luxury uptake by the maize crop (luxury uptake is the K uptake in excess of what the plant needs.

determine requirements. There are two soil tests regularly used for maize: • Basic soil test (0-15cm) for pH, Olsen P, K, Ca, Mg etc • Deep N test (0-60cm) for mineral N. Dairy effluent can be used as a nutrient source for maize provided the crop requires the nutrients and good effluent practices are followed.

Weeds Paddocks out of long-term pasture often have a broadleaf seed bank while paddocks previously run-out pastures often have grass weeds, e.g. summer grasses.

Maize nutrient requirements

K can be absorbed by plants in amounts higher than what is needed for optimum yield, this can lead to higher-than-normal concentrations of K in the plant tissue).

Weeds can cause a significant yield loss, and moistureactivated pre-emergence herbicides generally work well - however in some situations further post-emergence applications are required.

Maize requires substantial nitrogen (N) and potassium (K)

Soil test for N before applying post-emergence N fertiliser to

Source: DairyNZ www.dairynz. co.nz

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