Maize crops yielding up to 20t/ac in Co. Carlow
Maize crops yielding up to 20t/ac fresh weight were harvested yesterday (Thursday, September 11) on the farm of Thomas Salter near Bannon in Co. Carlow.
The beef finisher has 90ac of crop to harvest, all of which was sown under plastic on April 20.
Maizetech’s John Foley was on site to see the first 40ac of maize ensiled.
He said: “The 20t yield figure reflects the fact that most maize crops were not impacted by drought this year, where the polar opposite was the case for grass.
“Yield is of importance where forage maize is concerned. But of equal significance is dry matter and starch content.
“In the case of the maize grown by Thomas Salter, both figures were coming in between 32-35%. It all adds up to excellent forage quality."
Significantly, the land used by Salter to grow maize in 2025 has been used for the same purpose over the past three years.
Foley said: “It is possible to grow maize continuously on the same ground for many years without running the risk of an enhanced disease threat.
“Heat drives maize performance. Crops also received the rain they needed at the appropriate times.
“Dry matter yields in maize are driven by the number of cobs and their size.”
The Maizetech representative stressed the role of pollination in the successful yield.
“What we are seeing this year is excellent pollination rates. Cobs have fertilised seeds right along their entire length," he explained.
"Last year, the average pollination figure would have been down at around 75%”
It has been estimated that 54,000ac of forage were sown out across the island of Ireland in 2025.
“That’s up 1% year-on-year,” the Maizetech representative said.
Forage maize is grown in Ireland as a source of high energy forage, primarily for dairy and beef cattle.
Significantly, high starch and dry matter levels within crops translates into forages with high metabolisable energy (ME) values, once silage pits have been opened.
“There’s little doubt that maize silage will be of exceptional quality during the 2025/26 feeding season,” Foley stressed.
“This is very good news for livestock farmers with access to them.”
The area of forage maize grown in Ireland has gradually increased over recent years. It is no longer seen as a marginal crop to grow in many parts of the country.
The development of crop varieties that are specifically suited to the Irish climate is helping this process.
Moreover, those livestock farmers who have experimented with the feeding of forage maize, invariably, continue with it.
This is because of the enhanced livestock performance levels they invariably achieve.
