Crops of forage maize across NI have grown well over the summer and are now ready for harvesting, according to local agronomists.

Gary Spence from Fane Valley said some crops have already been harvested and the initial indications are that yields have been strong.

He gave the example of a field of maize outside Poyntzpass, which harvested last week at 22t/acre and 33% dry matter.

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“There are some fantastic crops this year which have been well-fed and not been stressed. We probably have the best crops on the island because we had enough moisture to keep them growing,” he said.

His advice is to keep a close eye on crops as they approach maturity, especially as modern maize varieties do not require the crop to die back before harvest.

“We now have stay-green varieties. When the husks start to yellow and the bottom leaf starts to yellow, it is getting close to the target 30% dry matter,” he said.

Spence said he has seen examples of over-mature crops in recent days, which should already have been harvested and have lost 2-3t/acre in terms of fresh matter yield.

Contractors

An issue for maize growers at this time of year can be getting contractors, as some are reluctant to change headers on forage harvesters until the grass silage season is complete.

Robin McMullan from agronomy firm Agrii said the dry spell earlier this week has allowed silage to get finished up in most cases and contractors will be focused on maize from now on.

“There is a fair bit of variation in crops. Some stuff will be ready for cutting this week but crops that were planted later in mid or late May will not be ready for another few weeks,” he said.

Overall, the dry summer has largely proved beneficial, especially for crops that were planted in heavier ground.

“I have seen some crops on dry ground where there seems to have been a pollination issue and the tips at the end of most of the cobs did not fill.

“It’s usually rainfall during the flowering period that disturbs it, but this year I think it was drought stress. It’s almost unheard of in this part of the world,” McMullan said.