Maize 2021

[ollie989898]

Not been easy this year. Drilled 1st May, but then so cold and wet it didnt emerge for 3/4 weeks.
The drill missed a few rows I’d starter fertiliser on one field, and the difference was unbelievable

I've said this for years, even with high fertility like you obviously have, maize needs to find phosphate very early in it's life when the seminal roots are busy seeking it out. If it doesn't find it, the whole plant suffers.

I used to sell a proprietary starter blend which included trace elements, zinc, boron etc. The cost difference was negligible over DAP but I reckoned the little bit of insurance was useful.

Phosphate availability is a recognised problem in cold wet soils- I used to see it in barley and even in grass some springs. I would be very hesitant to ever try growing a maize crop with no starter fertiliser in this area.

 

[DRC]

I've said this for years, even with high fertility like you obviously have, maize needs to find phosphate very early in it's life when the seminal roots are busy seeking it out. If it doesn't find it, the whole plant suffers.

I used to sell a proprietary starter blend which included trace elements, zinc, boron etc. The cost difference was negligible over DAP but I reckoned the little bit of insurance was useful.

Phosphate availability is a recognised problem in cold wet soils- I used to see it in barley and even in grass some springs. I would be very hesitant to ever try growing a maize crop with no starter fertiliser in this area.

View attachment 973067

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I’ve never got on with micro fertiliser ( the two worst crops I ever grew), but use 50kgs DAP.

 

[DRC]

There’s the proof .

 

[ollie989898]

I’ve never got on with micro fertiliser ( the two worst crops I ever grew), but use 50kgs DAP.

No the one I sold wasn't a microfertiliser- these don't work in my view and are a waste of time. The product I sold was a blend of DAP + + + other things and went on at or around the usual rate. Would recommend and I bet there is a company selling it in your neck of the woods.

 

[ollie989898]

There’s the proof .
View attachment 973071View attachment 973072

Your pre-em worked very well for you this year.

 

[pellow]

Anyone heard that the EU has banned maize under plastic?

 

[ollie989898]

Anyone heard that the EU has banned maize under plastic?

I am honestly surprised the milk buyers or similar haven't done away with it.

 

[clemmo]

Anyone heard that the EU has banned maize under plastic?

believe Ireland has

edit ..https://www.farmersjournal.ie/maize-plastic-banned-from-thursday-632096

 

[som farmer]

There’s the proof .
View attachment 973071View attachment 973072

that looks about the same as ours, drilled 4th june, after h/rye vetch crop, of 15 ton/acre, you can nearly see it growing now.
Did spot some maize beginning to tassle friday, but l would think it started under plastic.

 

[dowcow]

Anyone heard that the EU has banned maize under plastic?

What's wrong with the plastic? I thought it was just a bio-degradable cellulose fibre, so not really plastic in anything other than name and looks?

 

[Sparkymark]

Its not a ban on plastic, just a ban on single use plastic. So as I understand they will just make it differently using a starch based product.
This will increase the cost of the plastic, but they are trialing drills that use a narrower row, so less plastic used.

 

[HarryB97]

We’re coming up to second cut in its first proper year. Last year it was established with barley plus a little tidy up cut later. Really comes into its own in the dry heat of the summer. My agronomist is a keen lucerne fan so weed control has been better than expected. Looks like being around for a while. In my judgement it’ll take off with N limits and changes to agriculture subsidy changes.

What herbicides have you used on your Lucerne? Had to write off most of my first attempt last autumn but have tried again this spring undersowing spring barley and it's looking promising!

 

[DRC]

that looks about the same as ours, drilled 4th june, after h/rye vetch crop, of 15 ton/acre, you can nearly see it growing now.
Did spot some maize beginning to tassle friday, but l would think it started under plastic.

That was a pic taken a few weeks ago

 

[clemmo]

What's wrong with the plastic? I thought it was just a bio-degradable cellulose fibre, so not really plastic in anything other than name and looks?

not strictly true, many fields still ploughing up ‘plastic’ from over 10 years ago

 

[Headless chicken]

not strictly true, many fields still ploughing up ‘plastic’ from over 10 years ago

it degrades in sunlight so if you plough it down it can’t degrade. Left in the soil it then blocks development

 

[Will Blackburn]

What herbicides have you used on your Lucerne? Had to write off most of my first attempt last autumn but have tried again this spring undersowing spring barley and it's looking promising!

Pinacle, headland spruce, kerb and fusilade max. Headland spruce is no more, pinacle was capable though.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Aren't some vegetables grown under plastic?

 

[ollie989898]

Pinacle, headland spruce, kerb and fusilade max. Headland spruce is no more, pinacle was capable though.

Can use some pretty nasty chemistry on problem grass weeds in lucerne as well. All the dims are used in North America on Alfalfa.

What rate of spruce did you use?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Can use some pretty nasty chemistry on problem grass weeds in lucerne as well. All the dims are used in North America on Alfalfa.

What rate of spruce did you use?

~2 ltr

We had some very strong PRG in some DDed into old leys, kerb and fusilade max sequence nuked it.

 

[Sid]

Heard of some maize that is over 7ft that was drilled under plastic