Grow more than great maize. Better value maize the power to grow
Why grow maize? Maize has been grown in Australia for more than 150 years. It is unique in that is has the widest geographical spread of all the field crops, and is grown from tropical North Queensland to southern Victoria and Tasmania. It has a wide number of uses from grain and silage for stockfeed to breakfast cereals, snack foods and for starch extraction. As a crop it tends to be grown in better rain fed and irrigated environments. Yield levels can range from 2.5t/ha to 25t/ha. A significant area of maize is also grown for whole plant silage, especially for the dairy farmers and feedlots, as well as growing markets for earlage and high-moisture grain. Maize is an excellent source of supplementary feed ME and can be very cost effective when grown well. It can offer a great rotation crop opportunity to clean up problem summer weeds. It can also enable across the fence opportunities for growers to supply neighbouring dairy or beef feedlot operations with a highly valued cash crop option. MAIZE ICONS Silage for cattle feed Grown for stock feed Gritting for human consumption Maize selection MAIZE CHARACTERISTICS DISEASE RESISTANCE LODGING Variety Maturity Grain type Husk cover Stress tolerance Turcicum leaf blight Rust Cob rot Root Stalk MFY 136 82 Flint moderate Good 8 7 9 9 9 MFY 139 88 Flint moderate Good 7 7 9 8 9 Maximus 102 Dent moderate Very good 8 9 7 9 9 Olympiad 112 Dent moderate Very good 8 8 8 9 9 Sirus 118 Dent moderate Very good 8 8 8 9 9 Amadeus 118 Large flint moderate Very good 9 7 9 8 8 All varieties are available SELECT treated with Gaucho for soil insect control
MAIZE OPTIONS 82 88 Quick maturity silage or grain option new quick type Quick maturity silage or grain option new quick type Fast maturity short season option Fast maturity short season option Good option for cool climate areas or to fit between winter cropping rotation under irrigation Good option for cool climate areas or to fit between winter cropping rotation under irrigation MFY 136SM is a new quick maturing maize option ideal for cool season silage production or to fit into cropping rotations under irrigation. This can enable a late sowing after winter crop harvest, with quick maturity allowing for harvest for ideal sowing time for next winter crop. MFY 139 SM is a new quick maturing maize option ideal for cool season silage production or to fit into cropping rotations under irrigation. This can enable a late sowing after winter crop harvest, with quick maturity allowing for harvest for ideal sowing time for next winter crop. Suitable for silage or grain Suitable for silage or grain
MAIZE OPTIONS 102 112 Quality feel for optimum animal performance Quality feel for optimum animal performance Early maturity (102 days ) Cold start specialist High cob to stover ratio Soft, high starch kernels Excellent disease resistance Ideal choice for farmers wanting fast results. Better water use efficiency. Suited to both dryland and irrigation Can plant earlier at 10 C and rising. Enables increased yield potential Produces higher digestibility and ME levels Enables higher feed conversion ratio Consistent high yields up to 30t DM/ha silage Maximus is the early maturity maize champion. It can planted early at 10ºC and rising. Maximus is suited to all quick growing maize areas in Australia. It has low NDF% and high quality silage and grain digestibility. Suitable for silage or grain High yielding hybrid Cold start specialist High cob to stover ratio Large starch filled kernels Large root structure Higher yields per hectare. Reduced costs per tonne Can plant earlier at 10 C and rising. Enables increased yield potential Produces higher quality feed Enables higher feed conversion ratio Enables plant to seek more available moisture. Confers improved drought tolerance Olympiad is a high yielding grain and silage hybrid with a high cob to stover ratio and large starch filled kernels. This results in high feed quality for improved animal performance. Olympiad is a ideal cold start option - it can be planted at 10 C and rising. Suitable for silage or grain
MAIZE OPTIONS 118 112 Full season dent for high starch Dual purpose grain or silage option Top end yields Dent corn with softer starch Good disease package Grain or silage variety Higher returns per hectare Enables higher feed conversion ratio Provides consistent yields Offers crop harvest versatility Sirus is a new versatile hybrid which produces quality silage or grain. A big robust plant type which will reward you if you are aiming at the top end yields. Suitable for silage or grain 112 IT variety High quality dense grain Good drought tolerance Good mid season option Suitable for use in fields previously treated with imidazolinone herbicides Can allow the use of Lightning herbicide for improved weed control Provides high quality silage or stockfeed for greater $ returns per ha Will perform under both irrigated and dryland situations Nero IT offers Australian grain and silage growers an excellent option mid-season variety. With 3% increased yield over Hannibal, it offers flexible management with the IT. Suitable for silage or grain
MAIZE OPTIONS 118 118 Dual purpose gritting or silage option Dual purpose gritting or silage option 118 High quality gritting maize High yields Good drought tolerance 118 High quality gritting maize High yields Good drought tolerance Good disease resistance Good disease resistance Good long season option Contracts available with Defiance Maize Products Compared to current gritting varieties for greater $ returns per ha Will perform under both irrigated and dryland situations Provides wide geographic adaptation Amadeus is a new high quality gritting maize, widely adapted with an excellent disease package. Amadeus provides a clean, bright grain sample of the highest quality. Suitable for silage, grain or gritting. Contracts available with Defiance maize products. Good long season option Contracts available with Defiance Maize Products Compared to current gritting varieties for greater $ returns per ha Will perform under both irrigated and dryland situations Provides wide geographic adaptation Amadeus IT is a new high quality gritting maize, widely adapted with an excellent disease package. Amadeus IT provides a clean, bright grain sample of the highest quality. Suitable for silage, grain or gritting. Contracts available with Defiance maize products.
Crop Growth and Nutrient Uptake VE V2 V3 V4 V12 V16 VR1 R6 Stage Emergence 2 leaves 5 leaves 8 leaves 12 leaves 16 leaves Tasselling Silking Maturity fully fully fully Pollination 20 leaves emerged emerged emerged Tassel & ear initiation Planting Emergence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Maturity % Water <0 1 2 4 5 7 10 11 12 12 11 8 6 5 3 2 1 <1 %N <1 <1 <1 2 7 11 14 15 16 12 10 6 4 2 <1 <1 <1 <1 %P <1 <1 <1 1 2 4 7 10 11 15 13 11 9 8 5 2 1 <1 %K <1 <1 1 3 9 16 21 20 16 8 5 1 <1 SILKING TASSELLING <1 Weekly crop requirements as a % of total need Sowing rates marginal dryland seeds/ha favourable dryland seeds/ha limited irrigation seeds/ha full irrigation seeds/ha Grain 35,000 40,000-60,000 60,000-75,000 75,000-90,000 Silage 35,000-45,000 50,000-75,000 65,000-85,000 85,000-100,000
Maize management Preparation Soil test 4 6 weeks prior to sowing to determine nutrient status of the soil and fertiliser program to achieve target yield. Amend soil with lime or gypsum if required. Control all existing weeds with appropriate knockdown herbicide. Prepare a weed free, seedbed suitable for good seed to soil contact. Sowing Being a large seed maize can be planted deeper than most other plant species to be sown where moisture is within the soil profile ideally 2 4cm depth. Wait until soil temperatures reach 12 C and above at the planting depth for a more uniform germination. Sow using a precision planter with starter fertilizer being added 5 7cm away and 2 4cm below the seed. Irrigation Maize has a high requirement for water and ideally should have 4 7mL for production, with the capacity to provide about 25mm water per week. This needs to be balanced with rainfall during the growing period with soil maintained at or near field capacity. Maize uses the majority (70%) of its water requirement three weeks either side of tasselling. Therefore if irrigation is limited, it is important to irrigate during the critical period from 2 3 weeks before tasselling until 2 4 weeks after tasselling. Making silage Maize is ideal for direct harvesting and storage as silage. Correct harvest timing can be determined by observing the developing grain in the cob. Aim for 35 38% plant dry matter with dent x dent hybrids. At this stage yield, feed quality and dry matter content will be optimised. Nutrition Maize silage has the potential to achieve yields in excess of 30t DM/ ha and will need adequate nutrition to achieve this. It is recommended that all the Potassium requirement and 80% of Nitrogen is applied prior to planting. This includes the DAP at planting with the planter and the other Nitrogen deep preferably banded, or broadcast and worked in with the Potassium. Side dressing of the other 20% of Nitrogen can occur all the way to tasselling, preferably through the irrigation water. * Maize nutrition requires a focus on the major nutrients N, P and K, plus the minor nutrients S, Ca and Mg. * Certain soil types may also have a requirement for the micro-nutrients Zn, B, Cu and Fe. Take a soil test to determine the best fertiliser regime to achieve your target yield. Silage yield tdm/ha N P K S Ca Mg 1 14 1.8 10 1 1.6 1.7 12 192 36 48 9.6 3.6 24 18 288 54 72 14.4 5.4 36 24 384 72 96 19.2 7.2 48 Source: Top fodder successful silage Grain yield tdm/ha N P K S Ca Mg 1 16 3 4 0.8 0.3 2 6 96 18 24 4.8 1.8 12 9 144 27 36 7.2 2.7 18 12 192 36 48 9.6 3.6 24
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