Maize is a vital crop for many New Zealand dairy farmers; it also represents a significant investment in time and resources."Best Management Practices for Growing Maize on Dairy Farms" is anew booklet is aimed at giving farmers the tools that they need to extract maximum value from this investment.
This resource aims to provide all of the most topical information on maize crop preparation, management and harvest in one easy to access guide. Topics range from improving pastoral dairy farming using maize silage and liaising with contractors and technical advisors to understanding the drivers of maize yield, site selection, soil preparation and nutrient input. There are also chapters on crop monitoring, harvest and post-harvest management, the maize forage trading code of practice and record keeping.
Andrea Pearson, FAR's maize and soil research co-ordinator says "the emphasis is very much on providing practical, useful information, with a special section set aside on further resources to allow farmers to follow up with more comprehensive material if required."
One of over a hundred people attending the book launch at a specialist workshop on Monday 21 September, Dairy farmer Mike Visser commented"this is a great new tool for farmers it is comprehensive, relevant and a good resource for anyone considering growing maize on a farm".
The workshop entitled 'Making the most of Maize Crops' was of particular value to Dairy farmers and came amidst a three-year Sustainable Farming Fund project. Besides Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Sustainable Farming Fund, other funders of the three years' worth of maize silage trials are FAR, Environment Waikato and Genetic Technologies Ltd. The project has a year to go but has already gathered substantial data and produced results which are helping answer dairy farmers' questions about best management practices for growing maize.
Environment Waikato's sustainable agriculture coordinator Gabriele Kaufler commented,"Results from two years of trials confirm that if maize is planted on high-fertility land on dairy farms no extra fertiliser is needed to produce a high-yielding crop. Maize can be used strategically to manage nutrient loading on the effluent block, offering a win-win solution both economically and environmentally."
Authors of the book include FAR's maize and soil research co-ordinator Andrea Pearson and FAR researcher Mike Parker, DairyNZ Farm systems specialist Chris Glassey; Plant and Food Research Scientist Paul Johnstone; Genetic Technologies forage specialist Ian Williams; and Environment Waikato sustainable agriculture coordinator Gabriele Kaufler.
Copies of the book are available from FAR while stocks last, visit:https://www.far.org.nz/sho