Farmlands

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Farmlands

Maize Field GuideYour complete guide to growingand harvesting maize silage

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2 Farmlands PLAN 365 MAIZE SILAGE Farmlands PLAN 365 MAIZE SILAGE 3

Table of contents

Introduction 4

Growingmaizesilage 5

Paddockselection 6

Soilpreparation 7

Maizenutrientrequirements 8

Selectingamaizesilagehybrid 9

Pioneerbrandmaizesilagehybrids 10

Pioneerbrandmaizesilagehybridsfor2010-11 11

Maizeseedtreatment 13

Planting 14

Weedcontrol 15

Cropchecks 16

Maizeinsectpests 16

Sidedressing 17

Guidetonutrientdeciencysymptoms 18

Maizeleafdiseases 21

Tipsformaximisingmaizesilageyields 24

Harvestingmaizesilage 25

Planahead 26

Silagestoragefacilities 26

Timeofharvest 28

Harvestdrymatterchart 29

Harvestmanagement 30

Pioneerbrandsilageinoculant 31

Pioneerbrandmaizesilageinoculantoptions 32

Compactingandsealing 33Maizecropdiary 34

Abbreviations

cm=centimetresCRM=comparativerelativematurity

DM=drymatterK=potassiumkg=kilogram

kgN/ha=kilogramsofnitrogenperhectarem=metres

m2=squaremetremm=millimetresN=nitrogen

P=phosphorus

Pioneerbrandproductsareprovidedsubjecttothetermsandconditions

ofpurchasing,whicharepartofthelabelingandpurchasedocuments.

,TM,SM,TrademarksandservicemarksofPioneerHi-BredInternational,Inc.

Theinformationinthispublicationisgeneralinnatureonly.Althoughthe

informationinthispublicationisbelievedtobeaccurate,noliability(whether

asaresultofnegligenceorotherwise)isacceptedforanylossofanykind

thatmayarisefromactionsbasedonthecontentsofthispublication.

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Growing maize silage

Successfulestablishmentofamaizecropreliesupon

followingalltherecommendedstepsonthefollowingpages

atthecorrecttime.

Introduction

MaizesilageisanintegralpartofNewZealandlivestock

systemsallowingfarmerstoincreaseproductionandprot.

Growingamaizecropincreasestotalannualdrymatteryields

andallowsfarmerstodecreasethebuild-upofnutrientsin

dairyefuentpaddocks.Maizesilageavaluablepartofa

pasturerenewalprogrammeallowingtheestablishmentof

new,higheryieldingpastures.

Havingastackofmaizesilageonhandthroughouttheyear

allowsfarmersto

Feedtheirlivestockyearroundregardlessoftheweather

anditsimpactonpasturegrowthrates.

Increasemilkproductionbyoptimisingstockingrates

andextendinglactationlength.

Increasecowconditionimprovingreproductive

performanceandprot.

Increasebeefliveweightgainsandtakeadvantageof

schedulepremiums.

ModernPioneerbrandmaizehybridsdeliverexcellentyield

stabilityallowingthemtoproduceconsistentlyhighyields

evenunderchallenginggrowingconditions.

Thiseldguideprovidesanoverviewofthemaizegrowing

andharvestingprocessaswellasbestpracticemanagement

guidelinestoensurethatyoumaximisethereturnfromyourinvestmentinmaize.

ContactyourlocalFarmlandsrepresentativeorcallthe

PioneerTechnicalAdviceLinetoll-freeon0800PIONEER

(0800746633)forcropspecicadvice.

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Soil preparation

Spray out pasture

Sprayoutpastureassoonthepaddockcanbetakenout

ofthegrazingrotation.Sprayingout3-6weekspriorto

plantingdateisidealasitgivesplentyoftimetocreatea

goodseedbed,howevermanyfarmerssprayout1-3weeks

priortoplanting.

Contour and lime

Ifcontouringisnotrequiredapplylimeassoonaspasture

hasstartedtochangecolour.Ifcontouringisrequired,

undertakecultivationandapplylimewhenshapingis

completed.Applyextralimewheredrainbanksorhumps

havebeenremoved,especiallyonpeatorclaysoils.

Base fertiliser

Spreadandincorporatethebasefertiliserdressing.Allow

7-10daysbetweenapplyingthebasefertiliserandplanting

toreducethechanceoffertiliserburndamagingtheseedor

seedlingroots.Thisisespeciallyimportantinfreedrainingsoils.

Cultivate seedbed

Keepcultivationtoaminimumandavoidcultivationwhen

thesoilistoowetortoodry.Bringtheseedbedtoacrumb

sizenolargerthanamaizeseed.Awell-preparedseedbed

enablesweedcontrolchemicalsandinsecticidestogive

optimumresults,enhancescropestablishmentandallowsplantingmachinerytofunctionmoreaccurately.

Final cultivation

Ifmorethan24hourshaveelapsedorithasrainedsincethe

lastpassofthecultivator,makeafurtherpasswithasurface

cultivator(e.g.rotor-tiller),beforeplanting.

Paddock selection

Timing

Mostfarmerschooseapaddockfortheirmaizecropduring

thewinterorearlyspring.Selectingapaddockandspraying

itoutintheautumnwillallowbettercontrolofhard-to-kill

perennialweeds.

Paddock type

Chooseaattorollingpaddockwithgoodvehicleaccess.

Consultyourplantingcontractorpriortonalisingyoursite

astheycanassistyouinselectingthebestpaddocktosow

inmaize.

Drainage

Maizedoesnotperformwellinwaterloggedsoils.Drainany

areaswherewaterpondstoallowearliercultivation,better

weedcontrolandlesschanceofnutrientleaching.

Soil test

Alwaystakearepresentativesoiltesttodeterminefertiliser

andlimeinputs.Soilcoretothedepthofcultivation-

normally150mmandupto300mmonpeatsoils.Ensure

thatthesoilsampleisfreeofplantorcropdebrisandlarge

rootpieces.Takeadeepnitrogen(60cm)soilsample2-4

weeksafterplantingtodeterminewhetheryourcroprequires

anysidedressnitrogen.

YourFarmlandsrepresentativecanarrangesoilsamplingand

assistwithinterpretationoftheresults.

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Selecting a maize silage hybrid

ItisimportanttochoosethecorrectPioneerbrandmaize

hybridforyourareaandfarmingsystem.Someimportant

factorstoconsiderare:

Comparative relative maturity (CRM).Thisisan

indicationofthegrowingperiodfromplantingtoharvest.

Seepages10-12foraverageplantingandharvest

datesforPioneerbrandmaizehybridsinyourarea.

High total DM and grain yield.Hybridsmusthave

ahightotaldrymatteryieldaswellasahighgrain

yieldtoachievemaximummetabolisableenergyyield

perhectare.Grainyieldisimportantasgraincontains

70%moremetabolisableenergythanthestover(the

greenpartofamaizeplant).

High population adaptability.Highplantpopulations

arenecessarytoensurehighsilageyields.AllPioneer

brandmaizehybridshavebeenfullytestedfortheir

adaptabilitytohighpopulationsandfulllthisrequirement.

Agronomic strengths.Selectinghybridsthathavethe

rightagronomicstrengthsforyourareawillhelpto

ensureyieldstability.Thatmeansthatyouwillgetgood

yieldsyearafteryear.Forexampleifyouareplanting

maizeonlightsoilsinalowrainfallarea,chooseahybrid withagooddroughttolerancerating.

Determine maize nutrient requirements

Themaizeplantproduceshighdrymatteryieldsandtherefore

hasahighrequirementfornutrientsespeciallynitrogen(N),

phosphorus(P)andpotassium(K)(Table1).

Itisnotusuallynecessarytoapplyfertilisertosupplyallthe

cropsnutrientrequirements.Thereareanumberofreasons

forthisfact:

Maizehasadeeprootingstructure(upto1.8m)and

canusenutrientswhichhavedroppedbelowtheroot

zoneofpasture.

Cultivatingpaddockswhichhavebeeninlong-term

pasturereleasesupto300kgN/hafromsoil

organicmatter.

Fertiliserrequirementswillvarygreatlydependingonthe

historyandfertilitystatusofthepaddock.Long-termdairy

pastureswhichhavehadahistoryofefuentapplication

mayrequirenoadditionalfertiliserwhilecontinuallycropped

paddocksorrun-outsheepandbeeffarmpastures

sometimesrequirecapitalfertiliserapplications.

Table 1:Maize silage nutrient requirements

Nutrient requirement(kg per tonne o DM removed)

Nitrogen 12.9

Phosphorus 2.6

Potassium 12.0

Magnesium 1.7

Sulphur 1.4

Source: National Research Council, 2001.

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10 Farmlands PLAN 365 MAIZE SILAGE Farmlands PLAN 365 MAIZE SILAGE 11 Farmlands PLAN 365 MAIZE SILAGE 12

Pioneer brand maize silage

hybrids for 2010-11

Pioneer brand maize silage hybrids

Pioneerofferarangeof21provensilagehybridsincluding:

33G26 (112 CRM).Averytallfullseasonplantwithsuperior

earlygrowth,dependabledroughttoleranceand

solidagronomics.

33M54 (112 CRM).Industryleadinggraindensesilageyields

withsuperiordigestibilityandreadilyavailableenergy.

34P88 (109 CRM).Atallhybridwithdependablestalksand

superiordroughttolerance.

34B23 (107 CRM).Combinessuperiordroughttolerance,staygreenanddelivershighlydigestiblesilage.

35A30 (105 CRM) NEW.Combinesgreatallround

agronomicswithdependablestaygreenanddrought

tolerance.HasstrongNorthernLeafBlightandCommon

Rustresistances.

36M28 (103 CRM).Dualpurposehybridproducing

outstandingsilageyieldswithexcellentdigestibilityand

readilyavailableenergy.

37Y12 (95 CRM) NEW.Exceptionalhybridthatproduces

silagewithexcellentenergyanddigestibility.

38H20 (91 CRM).Producesatallplantwithstrong

resistancetoNorthernLeafBlight,dependabledrought

tolerance,superiorroots,stalksandstaygreen.

38V12 (88 CRM) NEW.Strongearlyemergence,excellent

roots,soundsstalksandimpressivedroughttolerance.

39F58 (86 CRM).CombinessuperiorratingsforNorthern

LeafBlight,CommonRustandearlygrowth.

39T45 (84 CRM) NEW.Combinesexcellentagronomics

withtopsilageyields.

39G12 (78 CRM).Kingoftheveryearlies.Excellentyields,

sounddroughttoleranceandoutstandingearlygrowth.

Hybrid

Region 1

Northland

South Auckland

Coastal BOP

Gisborne

Northern Hawkes Bay

Region 2

North & Central Waikato

Estimated days rom planting to harvest

39G12 39T45 NEW

39F58 122 135 125 139

38V12 NEW

38H20 124 138 129 143

38P05 126 140 131 145

38B85 127 141 132 146

37Y12 NEW 127 141 132 146

37N01 NEW 132 146

37D25 127 141 132 146

36H36 130 144 134 148

36M28 132 145 137 153

35A30 NEW 133 147 138 154

35D28 133 148 138 155

34D71 135 151 139 156

34B23 138 152 141 155

34K77 136 150 140 155

34P88 136 151 140 155

33G26 142 156 145 159

33M54 NEW 143 157 146 160

33J56 144 159 146 162


hybrids for 2010-11 - cont

Hybrid

Region 3

South Waikato

Coastal Taranaki

Manawatu

Rangitikei

Southern Wairarapa

Central Hawkes Bay

Region 4

Central Taranaki

Rotorua

Taupo

Southern Hawkes Bay

Northern Wairarapa

Horowhenua

Estimated days rom planting to harvest

39G12 126 140 140 15039T45 NEW 134 148 144 158

39F58 135 149 143 158

38V12 NEW 136 150 146 160

38H20 137 152 148 162

38P05 140 154 149 163

38B85 140 155 150 165

37Y12 NEW 144 156 151 165

37N01 NEW 144 156 151 165

37D25 143 157

36H36 145 159

36M28 148 160

NOTE:Estimateddaysfromplantingtoharvestshouldbe

usedasaguideonly.Whenchoosinghybrids,alsoreview

carefullythetraitratingsfoundinthePioneerBrandMaize

forSilagecatalogue2010/2011.ContactyourlocalPioneer

brandseedsAreaManagerorFarmlandsrepresentativefor

furtheradvice.

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Maize seed treatment

NewZealandresearchhasshownthatestablishingahigh

maizeplantpopulationiscriticaltoachievingmaximum

silageyields.Thereareseveralimportantstepstoachieving

recommendedplantpopulationlevels.Theseincludeplanting

highqualityseed,preparingane,evenseedbedthatallows

goodseed-to-soilcontact,plantingatthecorrectplant

populationsandusinginsecticidetreatedseedtoreducethe

riskofinsectdamagetoseedlingplants.

Poncho1

Poncho1representsaquantumleapinseedinsecticide

treatmenttechnology.Itisthepreferredseedtreatment

optionformaizegrowersbecauseit:

controlsallthreemajormaizeinsectpests(Argentine

StemWeevil(ASW),BlackBeetleandGreasyCutworm)

inasingletreatment

givestheverybestcontrolofASWwhichmeansfarmers

canreducecropfallowperiods

isappliedatlowratessoithasminimalimpact

ontheenvironment

deliversahighdegreeofsafetytoseedtreatmentand

planteroperators.

Poncho Plus1

PonchoPlus1isaseedtreatmentcontainingPoncho1as

wellasMeasurol1

forbirdrepellency.

WhenyouplaceyourseedorderaskforPoncho1orPoncho

Plus1treatedseed.ThewithholdingperiodofPoncho1

is42days.

1PonchoandMeasurolareregisteredtrademarksofBayerCropScience.

Weed control

Goodweedcontrolisessentialtoachieveahighyielding,

highqualitymaizesilagecrop.

Weedsfallintotwomaincategories-grassweedsandbroad

leafweeds.Somesprayscontrolmainlygrassweeds,others

onlybroadleafweedsandathirdgroupgivecontrolofboth.

Timeofapplicationvariesdependingontheherbicideand

theweedspeciespresent.Thebestweedcontroloption

willvaryfromfarmtofarmdependingonthesoiltypeand

thenumberandspeciesofweedspresent.Planpreand/or

post-plantingherbicideapplicationsbasedonspecicweed

problemsbypaddock.

Pre emergent herbicide application

Preemergentherbicidesshouldalwaysbeappliedbefore

maizeandweedseedlingsgerminate.Theywillbemost

effectiveifappliedwithin24hoursofplanting.

Post emergent herbicide application

Postemergentherbicidesareusedtocontrolseedlingweeds

thatarealreadygrowing.Satisfactoryweedcontrolcanonly

beachievedifcropsaresprayedpriortorowcover.

Thetypeofherbicideusedisdeterminedbythetypeofweeds

present.SeekspecialistadvicefromyourlocalFarmlands

representativeorPioneer

brandseedsAreaManager.

Planting

Maizeplantingcancommenceoncethe9amsoil

temperaturereaches10Cat50mmandisrisingwhen

measuredoverthreeconsecutivedays.

Seed

Seedisalivingorganism.Storeitinacool,dryplacepriorto

plantingandhandlewithcare.Avoidthrowingbags.Cracked

anddamagedseedismorevulnerabletomicrobialandfungal

infectionsonceplanted.

Planting

Maizehybridsforsilagemustbeprecisionplanted.Choosea

competentcontractorwithwell-maintainedmachinery.Have

theinsecticidetreatedseedandstarterfertiliseronhandfor

hisarrival.

Plant population

PlantPioneerbrandmaizesilagehybridsatthe

recommendedrate(seethePioneerBrandMaizeforSilage

2010-2011cataloguepage18).

Starter fertiliser

ThisisamixtureofN-PorN-P-Kformulafertiliserwhich

isappliedthroughtheplanter.Thetypeandrateofstarter

fertiliserusedwillbedeterminedbyyoursoiltestresults.

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Black Beetle

BlackBeetlesdonotoccureveryseasonbutwhenthey

do,theyareaverydamagingpestinseedlingmaizewith

numbersaslowas1/m2causingeconomiclosses.Damage

ischaracterisedbyrough,raspedplanttissuedamagein

thebottom3cmofthestem.Visibleblackdamagemaynot

peakuntilthemaizeisinthe3rdor4thleafstage.Damage

totheplantgrowingtipresultsinplantdeath.Eachbeetle

killsoneplantonaverage.Stuntedplantsandplantswith

multipletillerscanalsooccurasaresultofblackbeetle

damage.Currentlytherearenochemicalsregisteredforthe

controlofBlackBeetlesinemergedmaizecrops.Thebest

controloptionistoplantPoncho1treatedseed.

SidedressingSidedressingwithnitrogenfertilisermaybenecessaryto

maximisemaizesilageyieldsespeciallyinpaddockswhich

havebeencontinuallycropped.Takeadeepnitrogen(N)soil

sample(0-60cm)3-4weeksafterplanting.Yourfertiliser

representativecanarrangesoilsamplingandinterpretationof

thedeepNsoiltest.DeepNresultscanalsoberunthrough

AmaizeN,afertiliserforecastingtooldevelopedformaize.

Ifyourcropdoesrequireadditionalnitrogenitshouldbe

appliedfrom6weekspostplantinguntiljustpriortorowcover.Ureaisthemostcommonlyusednitrogenproduct

forsidedressing.Methodsofapplicationrangefrom

broadcastingtheureajustpriortoraintospecicmachines

thatknifetheureaintothesoilbetweentherows.Talktoyour

localcontractorforfurtherinformation.

Crop checks

Fromabout6daysafterplantingcheckcropemergence.

Fullemergencenormallyoccurs7to14daysfromplanting

dependingontemperature.Continuetowalkthecrop,

preferablydaily,checkingforinsectdamageaswellasweeds.

Maize insect pests

ThethreemaininsectpestsofmaizeareArgentineStem

Weevil,BlackBeetleandGreasyCutworm.

Argentine Stem Weevil

PlantsthathavebeendamagedbytheArgentineStem

Weevil(ASW)turnablue-greycolour,theinsideleaveswilt,

andthentheplantdies.Thereis

noknownspraytocontrolASW

inseedlingmaize.Signicant

seedlingdamageisuncommon

wherePoncho1treatedseedhas

beenplanted.

Greasy Cutworm

ThesymptomsofGreasyCutworminthecropareplants

thathavebeencutoffatgroundlevel.GreasyCutwormis

adarkcolouredcaterpillarthatfeedsatnightandburrows

downintothesoilduringtheday.ToreducetheriskofGreasy

CutwormdamageplantPoncho1

treatedseed.Ifyouhaveagreasycutwormproblemin

yourcropandsignicantnumbers

ofplantsareaffectedanurgent

sprayprogrammeisrequired.

ConsultyourlocalFarmlands

representativeforassistance.

1PonchoisaregisteredtrademarkofBayerCropScience.

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Maize leaf diseases

Maizediseasesseldomcausesignicantyieldlossinmaize

silagecropsespeciallythoseplantedinpaddocksthathave

justcomeoutofpasture.Growersinhighrisksituations(e.g.

continuallycroppedmaize)shouldconsiderplantinghybrids

withatleastmoderatediseaseratingsof5orhighertohelp

reducerisk.

Northern Leaf Blight

NorthernLeafBlight(NLB)isafungaldiseaseofthemaize

plant.Itisoneoftheeasiestdiseasestoidentifyproducing

distinctcigarshapedlesionsthatare25mmto150mmor

longerandgrey-greenincolour.

Thefungioverwintersindiseasedmaizeleaves,husksand

otherplantparts.Sporesareproducedonthiscropresidue

andarespreadbyrainsplashandaircurrentstotheleaves

ofnewcropplants.Secondaryinfectionreadilyoccursfrom

planttoplant,andevenfromeldtoeldassporesare

carriedlongdistancesbythewind.Infectionsgenerallybegin

onlowerleavesrstandthenprogressuptheplant.Heavy

dews,frequentlightshowers,highhumidity,andmoderate

temperaturesfavourthespreadofthisdisease.

Common Rust

CommonRustcanbeeasilyrecognisedbythedevelopment

ofdark,reddish-brownpustulesscatteredoverboththe

upperandlowersurfaceofthemaizeleaves.Pustulesappear

ovaltoelongateinshape,aregenerallysmall,(lessthan6mm

long),andaresurroundedbytheleafepidermallayer,which

appearsasawhitishcovering.Thesepustulesmayappearon

anyabovegroundportionoftheplant,butaremostabundant

ontheleaves.

Therustfungusdoesnotoverwinteronmaizecropresidues.

Sporescapableofinfectingmaizearespreadbywindto

newcropplants.Rustdevelopmentandspreadisfavoredby

prolongedcooltemperaturesrangingfrom16Cto23Cand

highrelativehumidity.

Eyespot

Theleavesofplantsaffectedwitheyespotarecovered

withnumeroussmallroundspotswhichareabout3mmin

diameter.Thecentralareaofthespotsoondies,leavinga

tantocream-colouredcentersurroundedbyadistinctbrown

topurpleborder.Sincethesmallspotwithitsdistinctive

borderresemblesaneye,thediseasewasnamedEyespot.

SporesproducedbytheEyespotfungusarewidelydispersed

bythewind.Theysettleonsusceptiblemaizeleafandmay

germinateandinitiateinfectionwithinaweek,especially

duringcool,wetweather.Oldermaizeleavesappeartobe

moresusceptibletoinfection.Eyespotisfavoredbylong

periodsofcool,wetweatherduringthegrowingseason.

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Tips for maximising maize silage yields

Followingthetipsbelowwillhelpensurethatyougetthe

maximumyieldfromyourmaizesilagecrop.

Choose a good paddock.Chooseaattorolling

paddockwithgoodaccessandrelativelyevencontour.

Soil test.Takea150mmsoiltestpriortoplantingto

determinenutrientapplicationrates.

Plant early.Researchhasshownthatearlyplantedcrops

willyieldmorethancropsthatareplantedtoolatein

theseason.

Choose the right hybrid.WorkwithyourlocalFarmlands

representativetochooseahighyieldingprovenPioneer

brandmaizesilagehybrid.

Plant at the recommended population.Highpopulations

willdeliverhighersilageyields.Alwaysplantsilage

hybridsattherecommendedplantingpopulation.

Use insecticide treated seed.Thebestwaytocontrol

ArgentineStemWeevil,GreasyCutwormandBlack

BeetleistoplantPoncho1treatedseed.

Control weeds.Makesurethatyourmaizeprogramme includesacomprehensiveweedcontrolpackage.

Likemostotherthingsthathappenonfarm,goodmaize

managementisallaboutdoingtheright thingsattheright

time.Withagoodmanagementplaninplace,andalittle

helpfromtheweather,youwillbewellset-uptoachieve

highmaizesilageyields.

1PonchoisaregisteredtrademarkofBayerCropScience.

Harvesting maize silage

Goodharvestmanagementwillensurethatyoumaximise

silagequalityandminimisedrymatterlosses.

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Plan ahead

Thetimingofmaizesilageharvestandharvestmanagement

factorssuchaschoplengthandcompactionhaveamajor

impactonthequalityandquantityoftheresultantsilage.

Contractors

Chooseareliablecontractorwithwellmaintainedequipment.

Ensurethatheispreparedtovarychoplengthandprocessor

settingsifcropsaretoowetortoodry.Bookyourharvest

contractorassoonasyourcropisintheground.Makesure

thathecanapplyPioneerbrandmaizesilageinoculant

toyourcropasitisharvested.Keepintouchwithyour

contractorasyourcropnearsmaturity.

Silage making supplies

Talktoyourcontractorastowhatsilagemakingsupplies

willberequirede.g.cover,tapeandPioneer brandsilage

inoculants.Ifyouareresponsibleforprocuringtheseitems,

makesuretheyareon-farmwellbeforeharvesttime.Talk

toyourlocalFarmlandsstoreaboutthewiderangeofsilage

makingsupplieswehaveavailable.

Stack access

Discusswithyourcontractorwhereyouwillbuildthesilage

stackandwhowilldothestackwork.Whererequired,widen

gateways,culvertsand/orracestoalloweasyandsafe

accessforthesilageharvesterandsilagetransportunits.Checkoverheadelectricfenceandpowerwiresandtree

brancheshaveplentyofclearancefortheselargemachines.

Silage storage facilities

Maizesilagecanbestoredinabunkeroranaboveground

silagestack.Theapproximateamountofstoragefordifferent

amountsofmaizesilageisgiveninthetablebelow.

Building new bunkers and stacks

Buildyourbunkerorstackonarmbaseawayfromhedges,

treesandmajordrains.Chooseasitethatyouwillhave

accesstoallyearround.Wherepossible,stacksshould

bebuiltawayfromareaswhererats,opossums,wildcats,

ducks,pukekos,oranyotherwildlifethatcouldmakeholes

inthecovercongregate.Feed-outcostswillbereducedifthe

bunkerorstackisbuiltclosetowherethemaizesilagewillbe

fed.Thesizeofthefaceofthestackorbunkershouldmatch

therateoffeed-out.Ensurethestackisbuiltsothatyoucan

feedacrossthefaceofthestackeverythreedaystakingat

leasthalfmetrefromtheface.Alongandnarrowstackor

bunkeristhemostdesirable.

Permanent bunker or stack sites

Plantocarryoutanymaintenanceofpermanentbunkeror

stacksiteswellbeforeharvest.Crumblingdirtwallsshouldbe

re-cuttogiveastraight,cleanedge.Ifyouhaveapermanent

bunkerorstacksitethatyouuseeachyear,cleanout

residuesoflastyearssilage.Thisshouldbedoneatleasta

weekbeforethenewsilageisputintothestack.

Table 2: Storage space required or maize silage

Amount o maizesilage

(tonnes o DM)

Approximate storage space required(cubic metres)

Stack Bunker

25 125 111

50 250 222

75 375 333

100 500 444

125 625 556

150 750 667

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Time of harvest

Theidealtimetoharvestyourmaizesilagecropiswhenthe

wholeplantdrymatterisbetween30%-38%.Estimatingthe

kernelmilklinescore,theplantcob:stoverratioandtheplant

drymattercontentwillhelpyoudetermineifyourcropisready

toharvest.

Pleasenotethatthefollowingguidelinesshouldonlybeused

todetermineifthecropisreadytoharvest. There is a Code

of Practice for the Trading of Maize Forageavailablefree

ofchargefromwww.far.org.nz.

Milk line

Thewholeplantdrymattercanbeestimatedbylookingat

themilklineofthegrain.Tocheckwhetheryourcropisinthe

rangeof30%-38%drymatter:

1. Takeacobfromaplantthatisatleast20rows

intothecrop.

2. Break/snapthecobinhalfanddiscardtheendofthe

cobthatwasattachedtotheplant.

3. Holdthepointofthecobdownwardsandremovea

kernelfromthesnappedend.

4. Slideyourngernailalongthelengthofthekernelstarting

attheat(dented)endofthekernel.

5. Notethepointwherethesolidstarchendsandtheliquid

milkbegins.Thehybridwillbereadyforharvestwhenthe milklineistwothirdsofthewaydownthekernel.

Harvest drymatter chart

Ideallymaizesilageshouldbeharvestedat30%-38%

drymatterinordertooptimisefermentationcharacteristics,

feedvalueandutilisationbylivestock.

Usingbasiceldobservationsandthetablebelow,itis

possibletomakeamoreaccuratepredictionofthestanding

cropsoveralldrymatterpercentage.Thistableshould

beusedasaguideforthetimeofharvestonly.Accurate

drymatterlevelscanonlybeobtainedbyconductinganoven

(ormicrowave)drymattertest.

1/3Liquidmilk

2/3Solidstarch

ESTIMATED COB:

STOVER RATIO

MEDIUM COB

CONTENT

(52.5%)

HIGH COB CONTENT

(55%)

VERY HIGH COB

CONTENT

(57.5%)

HYBRID 33G26 & 34B23

33J56, 33M54,

34P88, 34D71

34K77, 35D28,

36H36, 37D2539G12

35A30, 36M28,

37N01, 37Y12,

38B85, 38P05,

38H20, 38V12,39F58, 39T45

HUSK COVER

COLOUR

STOVER DRYMATTER

CONTENT (%)

21%G

REEN

23%Y

ELLOWE

DGES

25%Y

ELLOW/BRONW

27%B

ROWN

21%G

REEN

23%Y

ELLOWE

DGES

25%Y

ELLOW/BROWN

27%B

ROWN

21%G

REEN

23%Y

ELLOWE

DGES

25%Y

ELLOW/BROWN

27%B

ROWN

COB

DRYMATTER

%

DESCRIPTION

OF

KERNELSANTICIPATED WHOLE PLANT DRYMATTER (%)

34Milky, starchycap only

26 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 31

42 1/3 Milk-line 28 30 32 33 29 31 32 34 29 31 33 34

48 1/2 Milk-line 30 32 33 35 30 32 34 36 31 33 35 36

54 2/3 Milk-line 31 33 35 37 32 34 35 37 32 34 36 38

60No milk let,solid starch

32 34 36 38 33 35 37 39 34 36 38 39

NOTE:ThistableisaGUIDEONLYandisNOTFORTRADE

USE.Thistableshouldnotbeusedforfrosted,nutrientor

droughtstressedcrops.

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Harvest management

Precision chopping

Precisionchoppingisnecessarytoachievetopquality

maizesilage.

Chop length

Theidealchoplengthis10-15mm.Thisisatheoretical

choplengthandyouwillndsomeparticlesthatareshorter

orlongerinyoursilage.Somelongerparticlesarebenecial

astheystimulatetherumenoftheanimalthatisbeingfed.If

yoursilageisverydry(greaterthan38%drymatter),decrease

thechoplengthto5-9mm.Inthecaseofverywetcrops

(lessthan30%drymatter)choplengthmaybeincreasedup

to20mm.

Agoodmethodoftestingwhetherthechoplengththatyou

areusingiscorrectforthemoisturelevelistotakeahandful

oftheharvestedmaizeandsqueezeit.Thepalmofyourhand

shouldfeelmoist.Ifyoucanwringwateroutofthematerial,

youarealmostcertaintohaverun-offfromyoursilagestack.

Eitherincreasethechoplengthordelaytheharvest.Onthe

otherhand,ifthemaizesilagedoesnotstaycompressed

aftersqueezing,themaizeistoodry.Choplengthshould

beshortened.

Plant processing

Useaplantprocessortoensurethatallofthekernelsarebrokenintoatleastfourpieces.

Pioneer brand silage inoculant

Youveinvestedinmaizesilagesomakesureyougetthe

mostoutofitbyapplyingqualityPioneerbrandsilage

inoculantsatharvesttime.

Quality Pioneer brand maize silage

inoculants provide the right strains o lactic

acid producing bacteria in ideal numbers to

erment your crop. The bacteria in Pioneer

brand inoculants have been proven to

reduce drymatter and quality lossesduring the ensiling process.

Pioneerbrand inoculantsProducts that

reduce heatingand spoilage ateed-out time

Guaranteedbacteria levelson the label oevery bottle

Crop specifcproducts

Patentedbacterialstrains

Extensive localtechnical back-upincluding Forage

Specialists, Animal

Nutritionists anda Veterinarian

Exclusive Appli-Proapplicator technologyor more consistent

and precise inoculantapplication

Qualityassured with

ISO 9001:2000accredited control

system

Comprehensive, globalproduct research including

ermentation studies,aerobic stability evaluationand animal perormance

trials

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inoculant options

Compacting and sealing

Rapidsilagefermentationwillreducedrymatterandenergy

lossesassociatedwithensiling.Fermentationisananaerobic

(oxygen-free)process.Theaimofthecompactionprocessis

toremovealloftheairoutofthemaizesilage.Sealinghelps

tokeepitoutensuringthatyoursilagewillretainitsquality.

Compaction

Toachieveagoodcompaction:

Harvestat30%-38%drymatter.Verydryorverywet

cropsaredifculttocompactwell.

Match the chop length to the harvest drymatter.

Aimforachoplengthof12-14mmforsilagethatis

between30%-38%drymatter.

Spread the chopped maize into 100 - 150 mm layers.

Thinlayerscompacttoahigherdensitythanthicklayers.

Ensure that compaction capacity matches the

harvest ratetoavoidpile-ups.Increasetheweight

and/orthenumberofvehiclesasrequired.

After harvest has nished, continue compacting

untilthestackorbunkersurfaceisrm.

Sealing

Oncealloftheairhasbeencompactedoutofthesilage

stackitshouldbesealedtopreventanyairreturning.Use

ahighqualityplasticcover.Tapeanyjoinsinthecover,sealtheedgesusinglimeorsandandweighthecoverdownwith

tyresthataretouching.

I want to reducesilage heating ateed-out time.

I want to eed-outmy silage up to one

day in advance.1

Maize silage

specifc inoculantthat helps improveorage quality and

drymatter recovery.1

Improvesdrymatter recoveryand silage qualityo all orage crops.

Revolutionary newmaize specifc

inoculant or high eedvalue and improveddrymatter recovery.

I want a lower costmulti-crop product whichwill improve silage quality

and milk or meatreturn.

I want toimprove fbre digestibilityand increase cow intake.

My goal is very highper cow perormance.

I want to eed-out mysilage up to oneday in advance.1

Pioneer brand

11C33maize specifc

inoculant

Pioneer brand

1174multi-cropinoculant

Pioneer brand

11CFTmaize specifc

inoculant

Product solution Product beneftFarming challenge

I want to maximise

the return on mysilage investment.

Silage heating at eed-out time isnt normally

an issue or me.

Produces top qualitymaize silage or highproducing dairy cowsand specialised bee

production.

Pioneer brand

1132maize specifc

inoculant

1For maximum aerobic stability benefts, silage must erment at least 30days beore eeding.

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Maize crop diary

Thefollowingcropdiaryoutlinestheidealtimingsforgrowing

andharvestingasuccessfulmaizesilagecrop.

Target date Actual date Notes Area 1 Area 2

ha ha

Soil test

Base ertiliser Fertiliser

Rate

Paddock sprayed out Herbicide

Rate

Cultivation Cultivation method

Planting Hybrid

Population

Seed treatment

Starter ertiliser Fertiliser

Rate

Pre emergent herbicide Herbicide

Rate

Post emergent herbicide Herbicide

Rate

Sidedressing Fertiliser

Rate

Inoculant Product

Harvest Total wet tonnes

Drymatter percentage

Drymatter yield (tDM/ha)

Future planting Autumn planting options

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Tokoroa


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