Maize is a domesticated form of a wild grass, first cultivated over 5,000 years ago in tropical Mexico that produces an adaptable and productive grain. It has been inextricably linked with the rise of the South American civilizations and following their conquest by the Spanish, it was exported around the world. It was introduced to the UK in the early part of the twentieth century.

Today the bulk of maize production occurs in the US, China and Brazil. In the more northerly climates like that of the UK where there is insufficient summer warmth to ripen the crop, maize is grown largely for forage. Here it has become an important crop being the most important forage after grass with around 100,000 hectares grown annually, mainly in the south of the country. Nearly all is ensiled to produce a quality, high-energy silage that complements grass silage for the winter feeding of livestock.

Maize is a plant of sub-tropical origin that requires warm soil temperatures and photosynthesises in a different way to other UK crops. Known as the C4 pathway, the trait provides useful diversity for the farmer; maize responds to warm dry conditions, whereas grass does not.

Forage maize is relatively easy to grow and being drought tolerant is a consistent provider of high yields with minimum input from the farmer. From a practical point of view, forage maize also spreads the silage making season – maize is ensiled in September or October, long after most grass silage making has finished.

As a crop, forage maize has further advantages on the farm. Its late drilling date in early May provides the farmer with an area onto which he can spread the accumulated manure of the winter without damage. However, forage maize is not completely without its difficulties being low in both protein and minerals and as a crop sometimes difficult to fit into the cropping rotation.

Although a good cleaning crop once it is established, maize is not very tolerant of weed competition during early growth and so a herbicide programme is important. The residual herbicide atrazine has been a mainstay of maize weed control for some time however, this has now been superceded and a range of maize herbicides are now available to cover the spectrum of broadleaved weed attack.

Most current varieties require established populations of around 100,000 plants per hectare, usually being precision drilled in rows 75cm apart. Drilling depth is just as important as timing and ideally should be between 3 and 6cm, reserving shallower depth for heavier soils.

The harvesting window for maize is wider than for grass silage as maize holds its digestibility as a forage for longer. A good crop will typically yield between 30 and 50 tonnes of fresh matter per hectare (between 9 tand 15 tonnes of dry matter at 30% moisture content).

Maize produces palatable silage that livestock like but which also produces much less effluent than grass. For farmers near watercourses this significantly reduces the environmental risks of effluent pollution.

Further reading for Forage Maize - Production cycle >>