Maize 2020

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fair crop, enjoying the heat
 

cowboysupper

Member
Mixed Farmer
Flowering taking place here at the minute. Weather couldn't be any worse unfortunately. Wet and windy.

As RobAdD mentioned this is our first year growing maize so learning as we go. Getting multiple cobs developing on the plants as per the picture. What has caused this to occur? It's noticeable on both varieties we have. Our agronomist suggested a couple of weeks ago that we'd normally want no more than 2. What are other opinions on this?
 

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sjt01

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North Norfolk
Flowering taking place here at the minute. Weather couldn't be any worse unfortunately. Wet and windy.

As RobAdD mentioned this is our first year growing maize so learning as we go. Getting multiple cobs developing on the plants as per the picture. What has caused this to occur? It's noticeable on both varieties we have. Our agronomist suggested a couple of weeks ago that we'd normally want no more than 2. What are other opinions on this?
The two factors influencing this are weather and plant spacing. If you join the Maize Growers Association there is lots of info on the web site. You really do want a single cob for best yield
 
Flowering taking place here at the minute. Weather couldn't be any worse unfortunately. Wet and windy.

As RobAdD mentioned this is our first year growing maize so learning as we go. Getting multiple cobs developing on the plants as per the picture. What has caused this to occur? It's noticeable on both varieties we have. Our agronomist suggested a couple of weeks ago that we'd normally want no more than 2. What are other opinions on this?

The usual answer was stress. Any kind of grief and it will attempt to respond by throwing more cobs. The bulk of secondary cobs often do not fully ripen or reach the size of the first.

Typically you would expect 1 fully formed cob to appear, often the second is a bit smaller. If they are both of equal size the plant has had a pretty good life I would say.

Seen plenty of two cobbed plants in the USA. It's a genetic trait but there is thought to be some environmental effects involved. Higher populations of corn (the USA pushed these to get more yield) seemed to encourage it but they can sometimes be barren if there isn't enough pollen about or they form/silk at the wrong time.

I don't recall ever walking a crop in the UK that had the bulk of the field only producing one cob.

Some good crops pictured above. Excellent weed control even now with no weeds present under the canopy.
 
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Ours is well stretched now, but still worried about the fact that most of it has 3 cobs. And also about whether the continual wet weather will knock all the pollen onto the ground

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Maize releases a heck of a lot of pollen. And it will fall down, that's why the silks are where they are. Wouldn't be much good the other way around, would it?

Nothing you can do about the third cob. I wouldn't worry about it as it isn't down to anything you have or haven't done. If it's wet and cool be on the look out for eyespot.
 

Durry cows

Member
Location
Derbyshire
Update on sunflowers in the maize, they look great! Just chucked a hand full in each hopper when drilling the maize on 12tg may, no post emerge spray. Bees in every flower nearly and hopefully will be bird seed later on? Wanting to have a go with vining beans/peas somehow next year to fix n/ up protein content in silage. Maize overall is good and in places tallest crop we’ve ever had. @Great In Grass supplied sunflower seed :D
 

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Joeblue

Member
Update on sunflowers in the maize, they look great! Just chucked a hand full in each hopper when drilling the maize on 12tg may, no post emerge spray. Bees in every flower nearly and hopefully will be bird seed later on? Wanting to have a go with vining beans/peas somehow next year to fix n/ up protein content in silage. Maize overall is good and in places tallest crop we’ve ever had. @Great In Grass supplied sunflower seed :D
Anyone done any work on inclusion rate of sunflower/beans/peas and its effect on protein levels?
 

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