Fertiliser recommendations for maize

[cowboysupper]

We've been offered a parcel of ground close by and we're thinking of growing maize for the first time. It has been soil sampled this spring. All of it is index 3 for phosphorus and either 1 or 2+ for potash.

The seed merchant is recommending for 17t/ac crop that we apply:

140 units of N
36 units of P
150 units of K

But I took a look at RB209 for comparison just to see what it is recommending and I'm coming up with:

80 units of N
16 units of P
173 units of K on index 1 and 125 units on index 2+

3 fields, one is pH5.8, and the other 2 are 6.2 and 6.3. The seed merchant is recommending 100kg/acre of g lime to give it a boost as well. The ground has come out of potatoes last autumn and for the most part is in good order.

Unfortunately we've no slurry available this time round so it all be chemical fertiliser.

Having never grown maize, we're not sure whether to go with the merchants fertiliser recommendations or RB209. There is a big difference between both. The nitrogen recommendations in particular are miles apart.

Anyone any thoughts on this?

 

[pappuller]

We've been offered a parcel of ground close by and we're thinking of growing maize for the first time. It has been soil sampled this spring. All of it is index 3 for phosphorus and either 1 or 2+ for potash.

The seed merchant is recommending for 17t/ac crop that we apply:

140 units of N
36 units of P
150 units of K

But I took a look at RB209 for comparison just to see what it is recommending and I'm coming up with:

80 units of N
16 units of P
173 units of K on index 1 and 125 units on index 2+

3 fields, one is pH5.8, and the other 2 are 6.2 and 6.3. The seed merchant is recommending 100kg/acre of g lime to give it a boost as well. The ground has come out of potatoes last autumn and for the most part is in good order.

Unfortunately we've no slurry available this time round so it all be chemical fertiliser.

Having never grown maize, we're not sure whether to go with the merchants fertiliser recommendations or RB209. There is a big difference between both. The nitrogen recommendations in particular are miles apart.

Anyone any thoughts on this?

We grew maize for the first time last year on some adjoining ground and our agronomist advised that maize only needs around 70 units of n so 1 would run with rb209 personally. but we had plenty of slurry and fym available.

 

[Headless chicken]

Total maize virgin but considering my agronomist wants me to put 150-180 units of N on my wheat surely 70 units seems low

 

[ollie989898]

Jaysus. Thats all there is to say. If I told any of my former customers to put 140 units of N on their maize they would tell me to go forth and multiply. It would never bloody ripen.

Are we assuming this land will see no slurry or manure of any kind??

If that is the case use 50kg per acre of DAP down the spout which will give you the P requirement and a sniff of N. Apply the K as MOP to the seeded bed and work it in. The pH 5.8 stuff wants a tonne an acre of lime on top of the ploughing, can go higher if finances allow but wouldnt go higher than 2 tonne an acre in one go.

What was the previous cropping in these fields? I would go careful with nitrogen if it was me. Maybe 90 units total but that is going some. I know people who apply similar to grass for first cut.

Do not use granular lime if at all possible as it is so expensive for what it is.

 

[ollie989898]

Find out if someone locally has some slurry or digestate to get rid off as well. You dont want to be buying in a lot of P and K as it gets expensive fast.

An average crop in a reasonable year, around 7ft tall should yield about 15 tonnes freshweight. You need to aim for 35 percent dry matter I always reckoned because wet maize in hard on the rumen. When harvest time aproaches invite as many people as possible to tell you when the crop is fit, I bet none agree and most people pick the cobs off to look at.. forget that, bend the stem over 12 inches off the ground and twist and see how much water runs out.
Best to use an additive I think to keep it a bit more stable once the pit is opened.

And whatever you do pick a day and check your own crop each week on that day because maize is the one crop that is always trying to fudge you with weeds. If you have any doubts post pictures and mention me by my username and I will reply within 12 hours normally. Pre em weed control helps.

 

[Blue.]

Only ever put 50kg of dap on ours,fym and slurry did more good.

 

[Zippy768]

Find out if someone locally has some slurry or digestate to get rid off as well. You dont want to be buying in a lot of P and K as it gets expensive fast.

An average crop in a reasonable year, around 7ft tall should yield about 15 tonnes freshweight. You need to aim for 35 percent dry matter I always reckoned because wet maize in hard on the rumen. When harvest time aproaches invite as many people as possible to tell you when the crop is fit, I bet none agree and most people pick the cobs off to look at.. forget that, bend the stem over 12 inches off the ground and twist and see how much water runs out.
Best to use an additive I think to keep it a bit more stable once the pit is opened.

And whatever you do pick a day and check your own crop each week on that day because maize is the one crop that is always trying to fudge you with weeds. If you have any doubts post pictures and mention me by my username and I will reply within 12 hours normally. Pre em weed control helps.

Off thread. Why are you going away from agronomy? You seem to talk with a lot of passion and "knowledge"

 

[cowboysupper]

Jaysus. Thats all there is to say. If I told any of my former customers to put 140 units of N on their maize they would tell me to go forth and multiply. It would never bloody ripen.

Are we assuming this land will see no slurry or manure of any kind??

If that is the case use 50kg per acre of DAP down the spout which will give you the P requirement and a sniff of N. Apply the K as MOP to the seeded bed and work it in. The pH 5.8 stuff wants a tonne an acre of lime on top of the ploughing, can go higher if finances allow but wouldnt go higher than 2 tonne an acre in one go.

What was the previous cropping in these fields? I would go careful with nitrogen if it was me. Maybe 90 units total but that is going some. I know people who apply similar to grass for first cut.

Do not use granular lime if at all possible as it is so expensive for what it is.

Two of the fields were in potatoes last autumn and one of the fields is currently in wheat but established poorly, so the landowner wants the field ploughed up again and put into spring crop.

A friend has worked the ground before and has no qualms about it producing a good crop if managed well.

We run an AD plant, unfortunately have no surplus digestate and it’s a bad time of year round to go asking for slurry from neighbours.

 

[Boysground]

@ollie989898 is right. Maize is more responsive to k than N so don’t skimp on that. Too much N will delay harvest.

Weed control much more important than fert. I always go for a pre em to make sure it gets a good start and take the pressure off me later on.

Bg

 

[Sparkymark]

I always put about 70 units N on at about 3-4 leaf stage. You get a good yeild response from it. Thats on top of 10T acre of FYM.

 

[ollie989898]

Off thread. Why are you going away from agronomy? You seem to talk with a lot of passion and "knowledge"

Several reasons really.

For starters, the industry is undergoing a systemic change. I dont forsee a slot for me in that future if I am honest. The niche I inhabited was all very well but had a very finite extent and lifespan in all honesty and with it so did my potential to earn what I wanted to. Fudge knows where my future will lead but I would like to do better.

Second, my passion for the job waned. It is a job that I found really rewarding but which required a lot of focus and organisation. Maintaining that level of discipline for many years is possible but my level of enthusiasm and commitment declined over time. I attacked the job in a way that often resulted it in it being very stressful for me personally because of how I approached it. If your level of enjoyment is not equal to that then it just doesnt work. Im the not the kind of person the leave ends untied. Im a bit of a perfectionist sometimes which is not a quality that works well in farming.

There is just no way I could operate with the individual focus I had if it meant I have to cover the 20,000 acres or whatever it is that is required to earn a good salary. How someone goes about that job was a very different approach to how I would do it. Ik not even sure I would enjoy working like that or if I could even do it.

If you ask around from people who know me you will hear that I virtually lived the job. I answered the phone any day of the week morning noon or night or was doing texts or emails instead. Id be out during the day then working late at night doing recommendations. I kept half the green chemical book in my head. I was either flat out and mental during the season or in the winter quite confused at the hugely different working pace.

Im hoping to find another career where that level of sheer zeal and focus is rewarded. Im a practically-minded sort but im the sad sort who is really defined by their work and life is secondary to that. If I fudge my shot at medicine ill be all ears as to where I go next but agronomy isnt something I think I can do any more. Its sad because I used to work best under pressure and stress and thrive on it but the kind I had doing that was apparently the wrong sort.

 

[More to life]

Without slurry fym I think you will be disappointed in the yield at the lower nitrogen rate after spuds .

 

[ollie989898]

Without slurry fym I think you will be disappointed in the yield at the lower nitrogen rate after spuds .

Depends, it may be that the land is inherently fertile and has been well fed anyway over the years. It can't be terrible dirt if you can grow spuds in it.

 

[More to life]

Depends, it may be that the land is inherently fertile and has been well fed anyway over the years. It can't be terrible dirt if you can grow spuds in it.

There not known for leaving nitrogen behind

 

[ollie989898]

There not known for leaving nitrogen behind

No but they are known for being very well fed. Also the tops all end up somewhere.

Gotta remember the first thing you remove from a field in a trailerload of spuds is water...

 

[More to life]

No but they are known for being very well fed. Also the tops all end up somewhere.

Gotta remember the first thing you remove from a field in a trailerload of spuds is water...

Ollie just admit I’m right

 

[ollie989898]

Ollie just admit I’m right

You will be right if the land in question has been robbed historically. If, on the other hand, it has been looked out to and dunged then there will be a lot of N waiting to be released in the dirt in forms that were unavailable to the potatoes. Also it was dry as dry last year and we dont know what kind of potatoes they were. If it was those little salad minters that are only in the ground 5 minutes the field could well be pretty ripe as it is.

 

[DRC]

I’m surprised at how many seem to rely on agronomists for their fertiliser recs.
one of my neighbours was moaning about the fact his agronomist told him to put more N on his OSR, and he’d have to put the narrow wheels back on. Thought he’d put enough on already.

 

[More to life]

You will be right if the land in question has been robbed historically. If, on the other hand, it has been looked out to and dunged then there will be a lot of N waiting to be released in the dirt in forms that were unavailable to the potatoes. Also it was dry as dry last year and we dont know what kind of potatoes they were. If it was those little salad minters that are only in the ground 5 minutes the field could well be pretty ripe as it is.

Like getting blood from a stone

 

[ollie989898]

I’m surprised at how many seem to rely on agronomists for their fertiliser recs.
one of my neighbours was moaning about the fact his agronomist told him to put more N on his OSR, and he’d have to put the narrow wheels back on. Thought he’d put enough on already.

Had this conversation the other day actually. I used to give advice if asked irrespective of whether they bought fertiliser from me or not. It was the same as soil testing. Id take the samples, send them away and advise what was needed, the customer got their test results printed out and a shopping list of what to buy. I did not insist they needed to buy any of it from me.
I did come across some characters selling seed and then offering their own agronomic 'guidance' which presumably garnered additional fertiliser sales for them. One farmer had been led to believe he had to drill everything at 50,000 seeds and apply 3 cwt of AN to his not inconsiderable acreage of maize and that the nutrients in his manures of slurries was 'just a bonus'...
Very few of my former clients applied any nitrogen to their maize besides what was in the DAP in the starter. Even where they did apply it I could not percieve any difference in the crop at any kind.
Several people still got tremendous crops of maize despite drilling it into what we had assumed was tired old grassland, in those situations I suggested a dose of aftercut type fertiliser in the seed bed could be a good idea, but more often than not they didnt bother but the crop of maize was still stonking anyway.

Be wary of maize. There is a lot of pressure out there to make you spend a lot of money on it.