Top tips for achieving good establishment in maize
The buzz around maize is getting louder, and at this year’s Maize Growers Association (MGA) conference, it was hard to ignore.
Will Oliver, arable farmer and BASIS-qualified agronomist, hosted day one of the event at his farm in Warwickshire and reported good attendance, welcoming 200 visitors, up from 120 last year.
With multiple markets opening up, he also noted a marked increase in demand for knowledge around good nutrient management of maize for the coming season.
As more growers are eyeing maize for its place in modern rotations, its potential to deliver in the clamp, and increasing interest for maize as feedstock for anaerobic digestate (AD) plants, a new wave of first-time growers is emerging.
Timely and precise nutrient management in the early stages of your maize growing cycle is one of the biggest levers first-time growers and those returning to the rotation can pull to keep pace with seasoned maize growers who have the crop’s success down to a fine art.
Adequate nutrient supply during the initial stages is essential for supporting vigorous vegetative growth, robust root development, and ultimately, high yields.
Nutrient management
Effective management of nitrogen fertiliser application is critical for maximising maize productivity as it influences virtually every aspect of the crop’s development, from photosynthesis and protein synthesis to yield formation and stress tolerance.
Split nitrogen applications can be beneficial to accurately match applications to changing demands throughout the season.
Ideally, you should apply an initial dose to the soil pre-planting, and then subsequent doses during the growing season, influenced by results from regular soil tests to help meet the crop’s evolving demands.
Similarly, soil test results should also help influence phosphorus and potassium applications, two vital nutrients for maize root development, stress tolerance, and overall growth.
To learn more about the importance of soil testing, read our recent blog.
Incorporating these nutrients into the soil before planting is a great way to ensure their availability to developing maize plants, but top-up applications of these nutrients in line with the differing growth stages can be just as effective.
Phosphorus should be applied during maize’s vegetative growth stage, usually in late April to early May, to support root development, while potassium should be applied during the reproductive stage to enhance fruit set and grain fill, ultimately increasing yields.
Although nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium take the spotlight, micronutrients like zinc, boron, and magnesium also play essential roles in maize nutrition.
Zinc is a vital micronutrient for root development, pollen viability and chlorophyll production which has a direct impact on crop health and overall yield.
Boron and magnesium are key components of several biological processes within the leaves, including CO2 fixation in photosynthesis, protein and chlorophyll synthesis and phloem loading.
Together, these micronutrients aid the proper functioning of enzymes involved in transporting nutrients and sugars, which is essential for the accumulation of biomass and grain development.
Learn more about the role of micronutrients in crop nutrition in our recent blog.