While most Irish cereal crops struggled throughout 2023, the opposite turned out to be the case for forage maize.
Maizetech’s John Foley told Agriland: “Yes, last year proved to be wet. However, temperatures remained well above average levels.
“A combination of heat units and moisture drives the performance levels achieved by forage maize crops.”
According to Foley, Irish forage maize yields averaged 20t/ac on a fresh weight basis.
“Dry matters came in at around 30% with starch levels more than acceptable. In some of the later harvested crops, dry matter values reached 33%,” he said.
“Crops were sown out a little later last year than normally would be the case. However, for the most part, they were planted into damp seed beds at the start of the warm, dry spell in May.
“As a result, crops got the best possible start. And this stood to them throughout the remainder of the 2023 growing season,” he added.
Foley also confirmed that maize pits are feeding-out well at the present time.
Maize outlook
Looking ahead, the Maizetech representative is predicting a further expansion of the area dedicated to forage maize production in 2024.
“The fact that so many tillage farmers could not get winter crops planted last autumn means that they have the ground available to look seriously at maize this year,” he continued.
“The current predictions of a shortfall in spring barley seed availability this year should also encourage tillage farmers to factor maize into their spring planting plans.”
Significantly, Foley has confirmed that availability of maize seed will not be an issue in Ireland this year.
“Suitable seed can be sourced in countries around Europe and beyond. There was an issue regarding seed availability at the beginning of last May,” he explained.
“But this reflected the short notice decisions taken by many farmers to opt for maize, given the fact that spring barley was not a viable crop option for them at that stage.
“Maizetech is operating on the basis that demand for maize seed will increase this year. And supplies have already been ordered with this objective in mind.”
Teagasc tillage advisors are also pointing to the potential for forage maize in 2024. In addition to being a spring sown crop, it is a tremendous sump for slurry.
However, all of this comes with the caveat that farmers growing maize should identify customers for the harvested crop before they commit to planting.