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Roughage tour Week 14 - corn

Corn cultivation on the doorstep, what are dairy farmers doing?

11 April 2022 - Ruben van der Maas

The days are getting longer, the soil temperature is rising and the start of the corn season is getting closer. The first fertilization and tillage takes place on maize fields. Which strategies will the ten dairy farmers participating in the Roughage Tour implement in the coming season in silage maize cultivation?

The gift of cattle slurry differs among dairy farmers. Between 40 and 50 cubic meters are fertilized per hectare. In addition to the cattle slurry, Silvain Kusters (L), Bert Wissels (Gld.) and Frank Rooker (NH) also spread solid manure. At Wissels, 4 tons per hectare of solid manure is added and at Rooker 10 tons per hectare. At Kusters on plots that need it, up to 35 tons per hectare is given. The Limburg dairy farmer indicates that the extra gift improves the soil quality, which can be beneficial for the ultimate maize yield.

To complete the fertilization plan, fertilizer is added. This is usually done with the participants in row fertilization with Maizemap or KAS. Robert Welhuis (Dr.) is very firm about what he wants to give one hectare: 114 kilos N, 83 kilos P, 300 kilos K. After the 40 cubic meters of cattle slurry, he supplements it with liquid fertilizer, so that the sum is reached. At Joost van Nostrum (NB) no fertilizer is used to fertilize the maize land. Van Nostrum is very clear about this: "I prefer to use nitrogen for the grassland".

Fighting weed pressure
The types of tillage differ per type of soil. For participants who grow maize on sand or loess, a lot of plowing is done with the furrow packer. After this, in some cases, rotary harrows are used to prepare an ideal seed bed. At Roel Assies (FL) the plot was plowed in the fall. The soil was then worked on March 30, with a speed harrow and rotary harrow. Assies indicates that the soil then has time to connect and create a false seed bed to counteract the weed pressure. Before sowing, cattle slurry is then fertilized with the drag hose, after which the soil is prepared for sowing with the power harrow. 

The ground will be worked at Assies on March 30th

Variety Selection
All participants in the Roughage Tour have already made their choice of varieties. Just like the national trend, very early and early maize varieties are mainly grown. Four out of eight contestants use two different races. For example, because a variety like LG 31.219 also does well on drier soils. Or to combine a familiar variety with a new one for testing. Or for the possibility to harvest the maize as cut and grain maize next autumn.

 
corn variety Number of choices
LG 31.206 (very early) 4
LG 31.207 (very early) 1
LG 31.214 (early) 1
LG 31.218 (early) 1
LG 31.219 (early) 3
LG 31.245 (mid early) 1

LG 31.206 is a new maize variety that will not be widely available until 2023. It is a successor to the most sown variety LG 31.205 in the Netherlands.

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Reuben van der Maas

Intern at the Boerenbusiness Roughage tour

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