Earliest maturing maize variety?

[Jdunn55]

What's the earliest maturing maize variety? I need to reseed my 50 acres of silage ground next year and I'm looking for a break crop between grass reseeds and thinking maize would give a lot of bulk if I can get it harvested early enough

I want to be harvesting as close to August as I can, I don't mind sacrificing a bit of yield if I can have an earlier harvest (as in it can be a lower yielding variety if i can harvest it on August 25th as an example)

Otherwise any alternative break crop ideas between grass reseeds? Needs to be able to be sprayed for docks so nothing like peas or a stand of clover etc

My other thought was wholecrop but it won't give the bulk like maize and its very expensive on a dry matter basis

 

[Enry]

Cito is the earliest out there - I'd have thought with a normal year you'd be early Sept down west. LG Gema similar

https://lgseeds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LG-Maize-Variety-Guide-2024-web-pages.pdf

 

[pappuller]

Cito is the earliest out there - I'd have thought with a normal year you'd be early Sept down west. LG Gema similar

https://lgseeds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LG-Maize-Variety-Guide-2024-web-pages.pdf

we will have some 3rd may drilled cito ready 20th september how things are progressing and im oop norf.
was advised by a well respected advisor that if quality and early harvesting are your aim cito is the choice and it appears to work

 

[frederick]

What's the earliest maturing maize variety? I need to reseed my 50 acres of silage ground next year and I'm looking for a break crop between grass reseeds and thinking maize would give a lot of bulk if I can get it harvested early enough

I want to be harvesting as close to August as I can, I don't mind sacrificing a bit of yield if I can have an earlier harvest (as in it can be a lower yielding variety if i can harvest it on August 25th as an example)

Otherwise any alternative break crop ideas between grass reseeds? Needs to be able to be sprayed for docks so nothing like peas or a stand of clover etc

My other thought was wholecrop but it won't give the bulk like maize and its very expensive on a dry matter basis

Youve got the right plan. Wouldn't be too worried about end of September for a reseed. Most important thing you can do to hurry it up is plan to get it in last week of April at the latest.

 

[Jdunn55]

Youve got the right plan. Wouldn't be too worried about end of September for a reseed. Most important thing you can do to hurry it up is plan to get it in last week of April at the latest.

Only trouble is I'm wanting to get a red clover ley in behind it so ideally want that in as early as possible. Should be OK until the 10th-20th of September but wouldn't want to go much later.

 

[davidroberts30]

Cito is the earliest out there - I'd have thought with a normal year you'd be early Sept down west. LG Gema similar

https://lgseeds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LG-Maize-Variety-Guide-2024-web-pages.pdf

i couldnt get either cito or gema so went with augustus
it is motoring along

 

[daveydiesel1]

Whats the cost per acre to grow maize under plastic. Seed,fert,spray,sowing and harvesting?

 

[davidroberts30]

Whats the cost per acre to grow maize under plastic. Seed,fert,spray,sowing and harvesting?

100ish ,muck and bit of dap or N.sowed mysef ,harvest 75ish?

 

[dinderleat]

Only trouble is I'm wanting to get a red clover ley in behind it so ideally want that in as early as possible. Should be OK until the 10th-20th of September but wouldn't want to go much later.

Don’t you struggle in the spring with drilling your maize? But as has been said drill early will gove the best chance

 

[som farmer]

some of the northern countries in Europe, have quicker maturing varities, we get a polish variety, through MVF arable. But it isn't going to be fit in August. And mid sept is getting late for R/clover

 

[clemmo]

If you want an early harvest not sure maize is the answer

Wouldn’t rely on maize for dock control either

 

[Boysground]

I think you may be risking your red clover too much by having to wait for the maize. That could muck up a few years of silage. Even if it’s less bulk whole crop would give you the certainty of timely clover establishment. And time to do some decent weed control if needed.

Although you may get away with it in cornwall

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[daveydiesel1]

100ish ,muck and bit of dap or N.sowed mysef ,harvest 75ish?

So what about spray and plastic

 

[davidroberts30]

So what about spray and plastic

pdm pre em and no plastic

 

[sjt01]

What's the earliest maturing maize variety? I need to reseed my 50 acres of silage ground next year and I'm looking for a break crop between grass reseeds and thinking maize would give a lot of bulk if I can get it harvested early enough

I want to be harvesting as close to August as I can, I don't mind sacrificing a bit of yield if I can have an earlier harvest (as in it can be a lower yielding variety if i can harvest it on August 25th as an example)

Otherwise any alternative break crop ideas between grass reseeds? Needs to be able to be sprayed for docks so nothing like peas or a stand of clover etc

My other thought was wholecrop but it won't give the bulk like maize and its very expensive on a dry matter basis

Cito drilled 15 May after first cut grass. We normally harvest mid to late September, last year it came in a week after our main crop and was at 29% dry matter as opposed to 33% for the main crop. You do not want it below 28% dry matter.

 

[Sambo]

Your wasting your time and money harvesting maize before it's ready, would be better off with a wholecrop of some sort if you want it off in August.

 

[som farmer]

you could try and take a cereal crop as green silage, as they do abroad.

but 50 acres is a lot of maize, have you sufficient stock to eat all of it ? Its a dear crop to grow, we reckon £500 ac, can you cashflow that ? And the cost of the grass reseed, your looking at £30,000+ altogether.

why not put part into rape/turnips, and graze y/s on it, much cheaper than maize, and will still act as a break crop. Agree, old grass doesn't help milk production, new does.

 

[pappuller]

Cito drilled 15 May after first cut grass. We normally harvest mid to late September, last year it came in a week after our main crop and was at 29% dry matter as opposed to 33% for the main crop. You do not want it below 28% dry matter.

or over 35 which it can soon get to

 

[Headless chicken]

Drill winter wheat instead

 

[Boysground]

you could try and take a cereal crop as green silage, as they do abroad.

but 50 acres is a lot of maize, have you sufficient stock to eat all of it ? Its a dear crop to grow, we reckon £500 ac, can you cashflow that ? And the cost of the grass reseed, your looking at £30,000+ altogether.

why not put part into rape/turnips, and graze y/s on it, much cheaper than maize, and will still act as a break crop. Agree, old grass doesn't help milk production, new does.

Only 14 ac but i have a field needing reseeding this autumn. Gone down the turnip route as i know i will have leather jacket issues. Ploughed out grass , planted turnip’s. Been so dry i won’t get loads but will be some cheap heifer grazing for a while. If the turnips totally failed I would have only lost £80 of seed so not a big risk.

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