Maximise the potential of your maize silage this season

Dairy farmers are being encouraged to maximise the potential of this year’s maize crops to boost their home-grown forage stocks for the winter.  

Following a difficult year for maize growing in 2024, Lientjie Colahan, forage technical support, is encouraging farmers to make the most of this year’s good growing conditions by paying close attention to crop nutrition and harvest timing.  

“Crops seem to be growing relatively well in all areas of the country this year, which is in contrast to last year when the majority of farmers were struggling with their maize,” she says.  

“To make the most out of this, I’d recommend doing everything you can to manage the crop proactively and maximise its potential.  

“Good quality maize silage crops will play an important role in winter rations this year, especially against the backdrop of lower energy first-cut grass silages.”  

Crop nutrition 

Mrs Colahan advises speaking to your agronomist to ensure a foliar nitrogen application is made at the 10-12 leaf stage to ensure optimal growth.  

“Depending on the variety you’re growing, if you miss this key application stage, your crop won’t reach its full potential and you’ll miss out on growth and quality,” she explains.  

Harvest planning 

Mrs Colahan recommends drawing up a harvest plan and being prepared to harvest earlier when the weather is good, rather than holding out for a higher starch level if the weather is looking variable.  

“It looks as though most crops will be ready to harvest during the normal harvest period, which tends to be the end of August and beginning of September for an early maturing variety, and mid- to late-September for a late maturing one,” adds Mrs Colahan.  

“Look at what the weather is likely to be doing during those time periods, because it’s better to lose a little starch and get the crop off in one day under good conditions, than holding out for higher starch levels and having wet weather set in.  

“This has happened in previous years when it started raining and there was never a dry spell that was long enough for the field to dry out so that you could travel on it and get the crop in.”  

When is maize ready to harvest? 

There are signs to look out for when deciding whether maize is ready to harvest:

Inoculant benefits 

Using an inoculant at harvest will help boost aerobic stability and reduce the risk of mycotoxins in the silage. 

“Trials at Lallemand’s Forage Centre of Excellence have shown that treating maize silage with an Magniva Platinum Maize – which contains two crucial bacteria, Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM I-3785 – reduced yeasts and moulds by 99.9%,” says Mrs Colahan.  

“By managing crop nutrition, harvest timing, and using an appropriate inoculant, farmers can maximise the value of their crops in a promising year for maize. This will pay dividends in the winter, especially in a year when many grass silage crop yields are down.”