“To ensure maize delivers the maximum benefit in terms of reducing feed costs and improving margins, it is vital selected varieties deliver the highest quality forage,” comments Maize Manager Tim Richmond. “This means looking at varieties which combine good starch content with high cell wall digestibility, to maximise the utilisation of the feed value contained in the vegetative parts of the plant.”
Limagrain will be showcasing varieties which ranked highly in the 2017 BSPB/NIAB Maize Descriptive Varieties List as well as explaining the financial benefits to producers. Reason is a new variety with very early maturity which scores highly when assessed on energy yield, while Glory, a well-established and popular variety continues to top the list on starch yield.
“Variety selection can have a huge impact on margins. Selecting the optimum variety can mean the difference between a timely harvest of a quality crop and a disappointing harvest. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in milk yield per hectare between average and top varieties ranked on energy yield, so farmers need to look closely at what varieties to put in the clamp when planning cropping for next year.”
Visitors to the stand can collect a free copy of the Limagrain Maize Variety Selection Guide, that incorporates the 2017 BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List for Forage Maize.