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Have you harvested ripe corn?
The right choice of maize varieties is (rightly) determined on the basis of test results and multi-year practical experience on the own farm or from the environment. These experiences confirm time and again that the true precocity of a variety of maize should be based on the cob and not on the total plant.
The stage of maturity in which modern maize varieties are in late summer also determines the moment at which the contractor is called in and the maize can be chopped sufficiently ripe or not.
No corn without a cob
The main reasons for growing maize in the Benelux are clear, they have been the same since the start in the 70s and have basically not changed. The grower mainly cares about starch and yield. As is known, the flask contains the starch. Without the cob, not a hectare of maize would be grown in the whole of the Benelux. It is therefore important as a plant breeder, also for the cultivation of silage maize, to select based on grain yield and thus also on starch or feed value yield at the same time.
Starch provides especially glucogenic energy and has a strong milk-floating effect in dairy cattle. A variety with a higher grain yield yields a higher starch yield. Differences shown in tests are also the differences as they are achieved in practice. Compared to many other maize varieties, for example, PAPAGENO, CURACAO, MEGUSTO, GENIALIS and JOHANINIO quickly realize a €200-€250 additional yield per hectare. Choosing cheaper and often unknown maize varieties is expensive. Stories that these varieties are only suitable as grain maize can be relegated to the realm of fables. Their prominent position on the various silo maize varieties lists demonstrate just the opposite. When harvested at the right time, the grain yield is dominant in the silo maize trials, which is reflected in high dry matter and feed value yields. In addition, the level of the starch index is also a good indicator of the quality of the variety in question.
Early-ripening maize in the grain often ripens faster than expected
In addition to a good (grain) yield and excellent agricultural properties, it is important to base the choice of maize varieties for cultivation such as silage maize and grain maize on the actual precocity of maize on the cob basis. In order to realize the maximum yield and optimum energy density, a precocious flask is necessary. Certainly in a growing season like 2021, it has once again become apparent how important this is and that this makes the difference between sufficient ripeness at harvest and not.
The ripeness of the kernels in the cob determines the harvest moment in modern varieties and to a lesser extent the residual plant. If a maize variety appears to be early according to the dry matter percentage of the total plant on paper, this does not necessarily mean that it is also early in the grain. A low residual plant share and/or rapidly dying residual plants clearly have an influence. In practice, therefore, it is often necessary to wait longer before harvesting these types of maize varieties than was assumed prior to sowing. It is precisely for this reason that it is so difficult, if not impossible, to determine the correct dry matter percentage of maize on the basis of satellite images. For that, a number of cobs in a plot really have to be assessed.
Therefore, when selecting maize varieties for the coming season, always ask the maize variety advisor about the actual precocity of the maize variety, based on the grain. Only a maize variety that has been proven in trials to be early in the grain is also early in practice! Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, making a well-considered variety choice is therefore very useful and it is not an exaggeration to spend time on it in the coming period.
Would you like more information about timely ripe corn? Then look at the website or ask your regional KWS adviser.
