Forage maize growing costs

[Matt77]

As per title, just interested in what the rough cost, per hectare say, of growing this and has anyone put it into a blackgrass situation and seen improvements, I’ve not been involved in maize for 10 years so well out of touch with costs and agronomy. If it could be broken down into establishment, chemical etc even better.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Drilling £15-16/acre by a contractor with a good drill and not a muppet.

Seed at 45,000 seeds/acre, say £65/acre for a reasonable, modern and very vigorous variety- don't choose a sleeper as the blackgrass will out run it.

50kg/ac DAP £15-20/acre- check the price of it.

Pre-em (good luck with your blackgrass without it that! £8-10/acre.

Post-em full rate Nicosulfuron, say £10/acre. Broad leaved weeds to taste- can soon add another £10-15 to that.

Nitrogen- take your pick at what amount which is nearly an entire thread on it's own. 150 units, I have no idea what these things cost these days, say £60/acre?

Check your blackgrass is actually sensitive to nicosulfuron/foramsulfuron before going down this route. I have seen maize swamped by blackgrass and it is not pretty.

Your own estimations of the cost of ploughing and subsequent cultivations needed for your dirt. £20 for ploughing, bit less for a go with a powerharrow?

 

[Matt77]

Drilling £15-16/acre by a contractor with a good drill and not a muppet.

Seed at 45,000 seeds/acre, say £65/acre for a reasonable, modern and very vigorous variety- don't choose a sleeper as the blackgrass will out run it.

50kg/ac DAP £15-20/acre- check the price of it.

Pre-em (good luck with your blackgrass without it that! £8-10/acre.

Post-em full rate Nicosulfuron, say £10/acre. Broad leaved weeds to taste- can soon add another £10-15 to that.

Nitrogen- take your pick at what amount which is nearly an entire thread on it's own. 150 units, I have no idea what these things cost these days, say £60/acre?

Check your blackgrass is actually sensitive to nicosulfuron/foramsulfuron before going down this route. I have seen maize swamped by blackgrass and it is not pretty.

Your own estimations of the cost of ploughing and subsequent cultivations needed for your dirt. £20 for ploughing, bit less for a go with a powerharrow?

That’s great thanks, I’d fancy a try using strip till, put game cover maize in with it and it’s looked well but of course there’s no yield as such to look at with cover.

 

[deleted user 837354]

That’s great thanks, I’d fancy a try using strip till, put game cover maize in with it and it’s looked well but of course there’s no yield as such to look at with cover.

If you have half sensible dirt, I would think strip till would work well. It's quite a large seed that just needs a good dose of finer dirt around it to get it going.

A reasonable seed bed will help get the maize away fast and outrunning the blackgrass.

 

[Brisel]

https://www.maizegrowersassociation.co.uk%2Fsystem%2Ffiles%2Fnews%2Fcosts-forage-production-28-06-17.pdf

Note that these are 2017 figures

 

[D14]

As per title, just interested in what the rough cost, per hectare say, of growing this and has anyone put it into a blackgrass situation and seen improvements, I’ve not been involved in maize for 10 years so well out of touch with costs and agronomy. If it could be broken down into establishment, chemical etc even better.

We rent land out for this because it means we get the land ploughed for free once in the rotation so saves us doing it ourselves. In terms of BG you don't get much in the maize crop to be honest but thats down to the ploughing which is why we are happy to do this. We then shallow till or direct drill the rest of the rotation and seem to get on top of BG. We charge £150/acre plus the subsidy ourselves as well as stipulating P & K must be applied for the maize crop so our index are not altered. They use our weighbridge at harvest and I can tell you its averaged 35t/ha over the last 6 years. This is for forage feed though not AD plant. We looked at doing it ourselves but we;d need a contractor for drilling and then harvesting and then you've got to sell it to home and we felt when asking around that when the time came to selling it we'd be held to ransom a bit as we've no use for the stuff so would have no choice but to let it go at whatever price. This way we are guaranteeing £150 rent, £80 ish subsidy and not being charged £20 + /acre for ploughing within our rotation. So net benefit in the maize crop year is around £250/acre. I am not going to say it does the land good growing maize but its good income in that year.

 

[Matt77]

We rent land out for this because it means we get the land ploughed for free once in the rotation so saves us doing it ourselves. In terms of BG you don't get much in the maize crop to be honest but thats down to the ploughing which is why we are happy to do this. We then shallow till or direct drill the rest of the rotation and seem to get on top of BG. We charge £150/acre plus the subsidy ourselves as well as stipulating P & K must be applied for the maize crop so our index are not altered. They use our weighbridge at harvest and I can tell you its averaged 35t/ha over the last 6 years. This is for forage feed though not AD plant. We looked at doing it ourselves but we;d need a contractor for drilling and then harvesting and then you've got to sell it to home and we felt when asking around that when the time came to selling it we'd be held to ransom a bit as we've no use for the stuff so would have no choice but to let it go at whatever price. This way we are guaranteeing £150 rent, £80 ish subsidy and not being charged £20 + /acre for ploughing within our rotation. So net benefit in the maize crop year is around £250/acre. I am not going to say it does the land good growing maize but its good income in that year.

Thanks, very interesting numbers, I’d want to keep it to feed the cattle, and reduce the amount of hard grub they get.

 

[goodevans]

We rent land out for this because it means we get the land ploughed for free once in the rotation so saves us doing it ourselves. In terms of BG you don't get much in the maize crop to be honest but thats down to the ploughing which is why we are happy to do this. We then shallow till or direct drill the rest of the rotation and seem to get on top of BG. We charge £150/acre plus the subsidy ourselves as well as stipulating P & K must be applied for the maize crop so our index are not altered. They use our weighbridge at harvest and I can tell you its averaged 35t/ha over the last 6 years. This is for forage feed though not AD plant. We looked at doing it ourselves but we;d need a contractor for drilling and then harvesting and then you've got to sell it to home and we felt when asking around that when the time came to selling it we'd be held to ransom a bit as we've no use for the stuff so would have no choice but to let it go at whatever price. This way we are guaranteeing £150 rent, £80 ish subsidy and not being charged £20 + /acre for ploughing within our rotation. So net benefit in the maize crop year is around £250/acre. I am not going to say it does the land good growing maize but its good income in that year.

Why don't you ask for muck back as well as it is going for livestock feed

 

[D14]

Why don't you ask for muck back as well as it is going for livestock feed

Because in this particular case they buy a lot of straw in so we could be increasing the BG problem. This arrangement suits us for the time being.

 

[nick...]

I’m being tempted to grow some next year for ad plants but hear a few things I’m not too happy about concerning the renters.
Nick...