One yields 10-20% more dry matter per ha than the other, but there is only a single point of difference between them. What might that difference be?
"The right pre-emergence herbicide programme!" says Nufarm Territory Manager Celese Smit.
Industry trials1 have shown waiting to control weeds for as little as four weeks after maize emergence can reduce crop yields by at least 10-20%.
So if you're wanting to harvest the most feed possible from every maize seed sown this spring, it's time to make sure you've got all the pieces in place for strong, healthy crop establishment.
A range of options is available depending on what weeds are most likely to challenge your crop, so it's always a good idea to talk to your Technical Sales Rep (TSR) about this.
"Roustabout® 840 herbicide (MOA Group 15) applied to the bare soil within seven days of the last cultivation is the cornerstone of a robust pre-emergence programme," says Celese.
This high strength acetochlor formulation, which includes a safener, provides up to 10 weeks pre-emergence control of a wide spectrum of annual broadleaf and grass weeds.
"It can be used across a wide range of different soils and conditions, and it doesn't need to be incorporated, although incorporation may be helpful where dry conditions are expected to continue as ideal conditions require the soil to be moist or you spray before a little rain."
If you expect a lot of broadleaf weeds - especially willow weed or fathen - Celese recommends tank mixing Nu-Trazine™ 900DF (MOA Group 5) with Roustabout® 840 for pre-emergence application.
Nu-Trazine™ 900DF is a high strength, granular formulation of atrazine, so there's less to handle and it's easy to use. Unlike ready-mixed formulations, with this tank mix you also have the option to vary the rate of either herbicide according to your conditions, so it's more flexible.
Another tank-mixing option for maize silage crops is Primiera® herbicide (MOA Group 27). "This can be a useful addition, again depending on your weed spectrum. Its strengths include controlling black nightshade, fathen, mallow, redroot, willow weed and wireweed and activity on summer grasses. This can be a great fit when you know you won't make it back in for a post emergent spray."
Yield protection is obviously important for growing profitable crops, but there are other benefits from a good pre-emergence herbicide programme in maize.
"If you don't control weeds at this stage, you end up relying entirely on postemergence herbicide to stop weeds competing with your maize seedlings; and that can be risky," says Celese says. "Why? Weeds are larger, and typically more difficult to manage. They've already had a chance to steal valuable moisture, nutrients and sunlight from newly sprouted maize plants. Post-emergence herbicides may control only grass weeds but not broadleaf weeds, or vice versa."
If, for any reason, your post-emergence spray programme is delayed, by bad weather for example, that can set you back even further.
For more advice on maximising maize yields with the right pre-emergence herbicide programme this spring, talk to your local TSR or visit your Farm Source store today.
Article supplied by Nufarm.
1 Foundation for Arable Research, Maize Arable Update, No.17. www.far.org.nz/resources/maize.
Roustabout® and Primiera® are registered trademarks of Nufarm Limited.
Nu-Trazine™ is a trademark of Nufarm Limited.