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This is how you get a good corn yield in extreme weather
For 4 years in a row we have been dealing with weather extremes in the growing season: from cold spring to extreme precipitation, prolonged droughts and summer storms.
The increasingly tight fertilization space is also putting pressure on maize cultivation. I will give you a number of practical tips to continue to achieve high yields. Watch my advice in the video or read more below the video:
Variety selection: early and made in Holland
A smart variety choice is the easiest way to protect your maize from the extreme weather. Usually you are best off with (very) early varieties:
- De early maize varieties establish their cob and plume early in the season; there is still no drought. The (very) early varieties therefore had much better cob development than mid-early and late varieties.
- The early varieties also fully ripen in a cold and gloomy late summer and thus achieve their maximum VEM per kilo of dry matter.
- The early varieties are ready for harvest earlier. An early maize harvest generally reduces the risk of sedimentation, diseases and structural damage to the soil. Growers on sandy and loess soils must use the catch crop from 2019 no later than 1 October sown, that works better with (very) early varieties.
- The yield potential of (very) early varieties has been increased enormously by breeding, and is not far below the yield of mid-early varieties.
In addition to earliness, the origin of the varieties is important. Limagrain's maize varieties have been developed and extensively tested in the Netherlands for many years. From Rilland in Zeeland, we have been selecting varieties that can best withstand Dutch weather conditions for decades. The other varieties available are all developed in countries with a continental climate, such as Germany.
Biostimulant for better phosphate utilization
Since maize needs to grow in a short time, while the fertilization space becomes tighter, we developed our own STARCOVER seed coating† This biostimulant enhances root growth and releases soil-bound phosphate and trace elements. Result: the maize starts up faster, can withstand stress better and delivers up to 5% more yield in dry matter! Read more about Starcover here.
Invest in your soil
The importance of (very) good soil quality is clear in both the dry and wet periods. Healthy soils (a good soil structure and sufficient organic matter) can store and drain more water, supply more nutrients and keep the maize vital and healthy for longer; even in extreme weather.
Prevent structure decay in maize cultivation: only carry out the spring treatments when the soil is sufficiently dry, ensure an early harvest with early varieties, and use crop rotation with grass where possible.
My advice
Choose early harvest-safe LG 31 maize varieties developed in the Netherlands with STARCOVER. They are best able to withstand the Dutch climate and, thanks to the coating, deal with moisture and nutrients even more efficiently. Would you like personal advice on your choice of variety? Click here for more information.
