Maize 2021

[Will Blackburn]

Could be disappointing, I have one light field in with stronger land waiting for dry weather. I could have drilled a month ago but soil temperatures were very low, I'm not seeing any evidence yet that we missed a trick as nothing is showing for earlier sowings. It looks very likely that some of my maize ground will switch into grass as I can't take the fall out from late harvesting, plus the risk of 2012 style yields.

 

[Sparkymark]

This could be the year maize under plastic wins.

 

[pappuller]

Could be disappointing, I have one light field in with stronger land waiting for dry weather. I could have drilled a month ago but soil temperatures were very low, I'm not seeing any evidence yet that we missed a trick as nothing is showing for earlier sowings. It looks very likely that some of my maize ground will switch into grass as I can't take the fall out from late harvesting, plus the risk of 2012 style yields.

We sowed everything 3 weeks today and just seeing emergence, we have a grass field we shall take for 2nd cut next week and then plant maize

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Drilled conventional last week of April, all up looking well. Think it will be a good crop if we have a sunny June. Soil temperatures were 10 degrees so we went for it.

 

[Beef farmer]

This could be the year maize under plastic wins.

Really? All our plastic blew off 3 weeks ago then the maize got a w4anking from the frost for a week. Looks sh!t

 

[Jamer]

I think any later drilled crops will match the earlier, round here. April cold and dry and if it warms up soon it will all be somewhere near. @Will Blackburn , I thought you didn’t grow maize? I seem to remember a comment about soil structure damage a few years ago?

 

[Will Blackburn]

I think any later drilled crops will match the earlier, round here. April cold and dry and if it warms up soon it will all be somewhere near. @Will Blackburn , I thought you didn’t grow maize? I seem to remember a comment about soil structure damage a few years ago?

We stopped then started when we took short term land after growing cow numbers. Now we've got enough land we'll pull back once again, after permanent crops are established after tidying up the farm.

 

[Jamer]

We stopped then started when we took short term land after growing cow numbers. Now we've got enough land we'll pull back once again, after permanent crops are established after tidying up the farm.

So do you use WC as well in a diet or all grass?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Could be disappointing, I have one light field in with stronger land waiting for dry weather. I could have drilled a month ago but soil temperatures were very low, I'm not seeing any evidence yet that we missed a trick as nothing is showing for earlier sowings. It looks very likely that some of my maize ground will switch into grass as I can't take the fall out from late harvesting, plus the risk of 2012 style yields.

There is no way I would have put maize in down here a month ago, it was so cold at night.

 

[Will Blackburn]

So do you use WC as well in a diet or all grass?

I have done, but not intending to this year, only lucerne, grass and maize. I find wholecrop the least nutritious of my forages, but handy for putting leys in

 

[Sparkymark]

Really? All our plastic blew off 3 weeks ago then the maize got a w4anking from the frost for a week. Looks sh!t

This is the difference in mine, shown on a bit that missed plastic.
My conventional was drilled 3 weeks ago only just emerging and looking a sickly shade of yellow.

 

[Jdunn55]

Only warmed up her since weve had some rain!

There is no way I would have put maize in down here a month ago, it was so cold at night.

 

[Homesy]

Could be disappointing, I have one light field in with stronger land waiting for dry weather. I could have drilled a month ago but soil temperatures were very low, I'm not seeing any evidence yet that we missed a trick as nothing is showing for earlier sowings. It looks very likely that some of my maize ground will switch into grass as I can't take the fall out from late harvesting, plus the risk of 2012 style yields.

On our previous farm back in 2006, we planted half on May 8th then got rained off. All ground was worked so the half that wasn't planted went to pudding. Planted the rest on June 8th. The early stuff took over 3 weeks to emerge. The later took 3 days and overtook the early and out yielded it. It is way to early to say what is going to happen yet. It all depends what comes now. Maize should never go into cold soil. People were planting it way too early just because it was dry. Had it stayed dry it may have been the correct thing to do but with the rain probably wrong. Good thing, hindsight. I wouldn't write anything off just yet.

 

[deleted user 837354]

On our previous farm back in 2006, we planted half on May 8th then got rained off. All ground was worked so the half that wasn't planted went to pudding. Planted the rest on June 8th. The early stuff took over 3 weeks to emerge. The later took 3 days and overtook the early and out yielded it. It is way to early to say what is going to happen yet. It all depends what comes now. Maize should never go into cold soil. People were planting it way too early just because it was dry. Had it stayed dry it may have been the correct thing to do but with the rain probably wrong. Good thing, hindsight. I wouldn't write anything off just yet.

I don't and never will understand people who go out and drill maize at the earliest opportunity when it is cold as hell. It is a tropical plant for goodnessake.

 

[Bramble]

Just about see mine up in rows, drilled 3 weeks ago.

Wouldnt be able to drill it for at least 10 days now, even if it stopped raining now. Glad mine was put in when it was

 

[Headless chicken]

I don't and never will understand people who go out and drill maize at the earliest opportunity when it is cold as hell. It is a tropical plant for goodnessake.

my understanding is all that matters is heat units. Ie it needs 200 heat units to mature. Time is irrelevant. This is why I believe they can grow it In Calafornia in 150 odd days

 

[deleted user 837354]

my understanding is all that matters is heat units. Ie it needs 200 heat units to mature. Time is irrelevant. This is why I believe they can grow it In Calafornia in 150 odd days

The varieties grown in California will be different, with a widely different ratio of flint to dent genetics. North America has serious temperatures and in some states I understand they can grow two crops in a single year.

Maize is a weird plant. Some strains of maize are actually aquatic, others are even perennial. The varieties we grow need good soil temperatures to germinate and thrive. In cold soils, its ability to find phosphate is really hampered and it has grief growing at all. It's very very important it's adventitious roots find phosphate very early on hence the use of starter fertilisers.

 

[rusty]

The varieties grown in California will be different, with a widely different ratio of flint to dent genetics. North America has serious temperatures and in some states I understand they can grow two crops in a single year.

Maize is a weird plant. Some strains of maize are actually aquatic, others are even perennial. The varieties we grow need good soil temperatures to germinate and thrive. In cold soils, its ability to find phosphate is really hampered and it has grief growing at all. It's very very important it's adventitious roots find phosphate very early on hence the use of starter fertilisers.

While I was on Holiday in Florida I visited a dairy farm near Sarasota where they were growing 2 crops of maize per year plus a cereal crop as well. The soil looked almost like beach sand.

 

[Beef farmer]

my understanding is all that matters is heat units. Ie it needs 200 heat units to mature. Time is irrelevant. This is why I believe they can grow it In Calafornia in 150 odd days

Most round here last year would have been 135 days. Mod September everyone was on it

 

[woodylane]

Sown 11th of may and just through, heavier ground sown Thursday just gone.