Livestock How under-sowing can help
tackle maize challenge • Establishment key for best results • Calaris loss poses hurdle for growers • Tailor strategy to individual weeds
U
nder-sowing maize with grass and reassessing post emergence herbicide
strategies have delivered positive results for Agrovista agronomist Phil Campion.
The impending loss of Cala- ris (mesotrione + terbuthylazine) will be a big challenge for some growers – and may mean an ad- ditional post-emergence spray, he explains.
But it could also encourage
farmers to commit to a strong pre-emergence spray to reduce early weed pressure – giving them more time to tailor their post-emergence sprays to the spe- cifi c weed burden in each particu- lar fi eld. Pendimethalin is generally ef- fective as a pre-em when applied at 1000g/ha. But it can struggle with weeds such as charlock so Mr Campion will follow with Gyo (pyridate) at 0.5-0.75l/ha part- nered with oil dispersion formu- lation Elumis as a fi rst-choice post-em spray.
Safe option
“Gyo has a quicker speed of knockdown on emerging weeds than Calaris, is crop safe and has
“
Improving yields is not just about an eff ective herbicide strategy
no following crop restrictions – important for farmers growing maize within a wider rotation,” he says.
Improving maize yield is not just about an effective herbicide strategy, says Mr Campion. Un- der-sowing maize with grass dur- ing establishment can improve soil structure, reduce soil erosion, retain nutrients and provide val- uable winter grazing for livestock. “Its important to understand that if it is done correctly, grow- ing maize and grass together will not negatively affect maize yields and, in many cases, will even en- hance yields,” he says. “The key factors in under-sow- ing are precision drilling, choos- ing the right grass mix and a se- lecting a herbicide strategy that controls emerging weeds while still allowing the grass to grow. Growers looking to under-sow should achieve a 25cm gap during drilling between grass and maize to prevent the grass from smoth- ering the maize – as well as com- peting against it for light, water and nutrients.
Trial results Previous trials have shown that a mixture of slower growing fes- cues found in Soilmax is one of the best combinations for the grass mix when grass is established at the same time as maize drilling, explains Mr Campion.
Plan buffer requirements now
to tackle silage shortages Correct buffer feeding remains critical to maximising cow per- formance with the impact of last summer’s dry weather still being felt on dairy units.
“Silage shortages are the big- gest concern for most, with the worst affected areas in the south and east of England, Wales and
58 ANGLIA FARMER • APRIL 2019
the Midlands,” warns KW nutri- tionist Charlotte Ward. The key is to work out addi- tional feed requirements now – both through the grazing sea- son and next winter – and build a plan to counter any shortfall be- fore new crop silages are ready to feed out, suggests Ms Warn.
Producers should be mindful of poor weather – regardless how well the grazing season starts. This means avoiding the temp- tation to simply cut back on buff- er feeding and being too reliant on summer grazing.
“There are plenty of cows still needing to regain condition lost last summer, so underfeeding this spring will only extend the prob- lem, with knock-on effects later in the year,” Ms Ward explains.
Feeds high in digestible fi bre and low in rumen degradable pro- tein include draff, brewers’ grains and Traffordgold wheat-gluten moist feed. For a dry feed option, producers should consider a 50:50 mix of soya hulls and palm ker- nel expeller. “All will supply more energy than a typical grass silage, and the extra milk that it produces can go a long way towards offset- ting the additional feed costs.”
Alternatively, if drilling grass
into the growing maize crop at the six-leaf growth stage, a mix of fes- cue and perennial ryegrass (En- viromax) is recommended. Both of these mixes have been tested and designed based on trials car- ried out by Agrovista. On herbicides, a pendimetha- lin based pre-em spray followed
by a post-em of Gyo + mesotri- one applied at the 3-4 leaf stage of the maize will control emerging weeds around the maize while al- lowing the grass to come through. If the key steps are followed
correctly, then there should be no adverse effects on yield, adds Mr Campion. Farmers adopting the strategy have also benefi ted from improved soil quality and reduced nutrient leaching, he says. “With environmental legis- lation on growing maize poten- tially set to change, under-sow- ing could be a key way to future proof the crop.”
Under- sowing
with grass improves soil
structure and reduces erosion, says Phil Campion.
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