Since the abolition of dairy quotas in April 2015, the Irish dairy herd has grown substantially. With this growth comes extra demand for feed; especially high-quality buffer feeds to see farmers through tight periods of grass growth.
To help farmers learn more about growing maize, a Limerick-based company will host an informative event later this week.
Founded in 2014, Shines Agri has grown to be one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of seed, film and herbicides to maize growers – the three foundations of a successful maize crop.
The event hosted in conjunction with SAMCO and Pioneer will give farmers – those who are growing, those interested in growing and those who have previously grown maize – an update on the latest seed varieties, film trials and herbicides.
The open day is set to be one of the largest maize information events hosted in this 12-month period. Visitors to the event will be able to see 30 variety and 30 film trials.
It will allow them to clearly see the difference between various maize hybrids grown under different film types.
Gordon Shine, Managing Director of Shines Agri, said: “The event is open to everyone to attend and it’s a great opportunity for them to see the trial sites up close.
“Visitors will see three different trials on the day. They will be able to see the different options available when it comes to growing maize under plastic, the various herbicides available and how hybrid maize varieties are performing under Irish conditions.”
Hear from industry experts
No stone will be left unturned at the event and industry experts will host talks on maize silage nutrition, the economics of growing maize, ground preparations and fertility.
Renowned maize expert, Dr. Bill Mahanna, will speak on maize silage nutrition. He has been with DuPont Pioneer since 1987 and is currently the Global Nutritional Sciences Manager.
Mahanna has worked with dairy producers across the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China and is known to many as a frequent speaker at producer and nutrition conferences.
The Global Nutritional Sciences Team, which he leads, is responsible for providing technical leadership for Pioneer dairy and livestock field specialists.
The team also oversees on-farm field trials and nutritional troubleshooting, as well as working closely with Pioneer breeders and agronomy researchers in all aspects of selecting, growing, harvesting, storing and feeding quality forage and grain crops.
In addition, Gordon Shine, Managing Director of Shines Agri; Sam Shine, Managing Director of SAMCO; and Andrew Stainchorpe, Pioneer Business Manager UK, Ireland and Scandinavia will give talks on the economics of growing maize, ground preparations and fertility.
Live demonstrations
Along with presenting the latest information on maize varieties, films, herbicides and economics, visitors will also be able to see the SAMCO BagPress and Ground Breaker in operation.
Furthermore, OCE Engineering – a local company – will also be present with its latest range of silage forks. WW Doherty & Sons Ltd will showcase Deutz-Fahr and Keenan machinery; Trimble (GPS and satellite-based technology) will also be in attendance.
When and where?
The event will take place at SAMCO Agricultural Manufacturing, Adare, Co. Limerick on Friday, September 29. It kicks off at 12:00pm and runs until 4:00pm.
The event is open to all to attend and a free lunch will also be served. In addition, a signed Limerick under-21 jersey from the All-Ireland winning team will also be auctioned off; the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.
For more information on the event, contact Gordon Shine at: 087-8908517 or SAMCO at: 061-396176. Click here for more information
