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'Alternative for Mesurol and Sonido is very welcome'
Dairy farmer Arjen Schoustra in the Frisian Easterwierrum (Oosterwierum) had already sown the maize on 2020 April in 30. That was exceptionally early on the heavy Frisian clay. Sowing a total of 11 hectares with Ambition It turned out well, so there was no reason to check it regularly. He was therefore quite shocked when he wanted to check after 3 weeks whether it was necessary to irrigate the young crop. "The birds had eaten everything. Even the field edge with sunflowers was bare."
The damage was so extensive that complete overseeding was the only option. For cases like this, LG has the corn service introduced. This is an arrangement whereby the grower is reimbursed the costs of the seed in the event of heavy bird feeding. The processing is done via the seed supplier. Read here how Maisservice works.
Grain trade Pars in Sint Jacobiparochie is the seed supplier of Schoustra. In the past season, 8 Pars customers made use of the Maize service, says cultivation advisor Berend Terluin. More than 40 hectares have been sown on these farms. In certain regions, the maize was sensitive to a lot of bird food this year, says Terluin. "We had extremely dry conditions in April and May. The risk of damage is high, especially if the land is rough and the maize growth starts slowly. The birds then have a longer chance to take young plants out of the ground. Pull."
Challenge due to the disappearance of Mesurol and Sonido
Bird damage is a real problem now that the authorization of the drug Mesurol has been discontinued. And that's not the only challenge. The insecticide Sonido may also no longer be used in seed treatment. "Because of the disappearance of sonido, the maize is more sensitive to wireworms and the frit fly. I am concerned about that," says Terluin.
Pars' cultivation advisor points out the importance of a smooth start to maize growers. That makes the crop resilient. Good tillage and attention to the sowing depth ("down to the soil moisture") are crucial. The Starcover Force coating supports a quick start. This contains biostimulant Starcover and the insecticide Force 20CS. Terluin: "A biostimulant improves root growth and the absorption of nutrients. We have good experience with this in maize."
Best possible protection
The addition of the insecticide Force 20CS provides protection against wireworms. "We knew what it was about Sonido, but we can no longer use it. The new product, in combination with the biostimulant, is the best possible protection available."
Thanks in part to Starcover Force, the maize grows into a resilient crop and the damage to birds is also limited. In cases where bird damage does occur, only overseeding remains. Dairy farmer Arjen Schoustra is happy with the overseeding service provided by LG and supplier Pars. "From the moment we looked at the damage together, it was settled within 3 days." On May 22, the bare land was completely reseeded with the very early variety Atrium. The maize was chopped in the first week of November. Schoustra: "The maize was in good shape and ripe. Thanks to the favorable weather and a shredder on caterpillars, the ground suffered little. We were able to plow again the next day."
Corn service also in 2021
In the coming season LG will also offer the best crop protection with Starcover Force coating and the free Maize Service.
