North Canterbury bore the brunt of the recent El Niño summer with drought and irrigation restrictions creating pasture challenges for farmers and leading to feed shortages.
For Waimakariri farmer Geoff Spark, these challenges cemented his decision to grow maize as another feed option on farm.
“With the dry autumn we were faced with buying in more silage to feed out. In the past we’ve also bought in maize but last year I decided to try growing it.”
Geoff is one of a number of South Island farmers growing maize on farm. A third generation farmer, he and his wife Rochelle own two dairy farms in Eyrewell, Waimakariri – each with around 750 cows on 230ha; plus a beef farm and two support blocks nearby.
Geoff set up 18ha of maize on one of the support blocks and harvested just over 18.5 tonnes. Contract harvesting worked out to about 9.5 cents per kilogram of dry matter plus growing costs. By comparison, to buy in maize, farmers are generally looking at around 37.5 cents per kilogram of dry matter (this varies per season and region).
“We harvested in late April and resowed with oats. It worked out well and it’s likely to be an annual crop for us now. The oats will be grazed early spring then the paddocks will go back into a perennial ryegrass mix”
Growing maize in the South Island is a different proposition than in the North Island and choosing the right hybrid for the conditions is essential.
Farm Source Rangiora Technical Sales Representative Rachel Butt worked with Geoff to select the best hybrid.
“We have a shorter growing window here in the South Island, and we deal with frost, so we have to be very careful with our timing for planting. Hybrid selection is very important. We’re seeing advancements in genetics from maize vendors and each season we have new varieties and more options at our disposal. We’re using shorter growing hybrids down here than are what are planted up north,” Rachel says.
“We harvest in April and this means we’re able to plant another crop – grass or oats; and get a decent yield out of the paddock before the temperature drops again. We are fortunate to have some very knowledgeable vendors. Pioneer holds on-farm workshops for farmers, which are well worth attending. We have a lot of support from our vendors and they will come out on farm with us to ensure our farmers select the best hybrid for their farm.”
To find out more about maize and other planting options, talk to your local TSR or visit a Farm Source store.