Maize is having something of a moment right now, with more growers than ever noting its benefits and therefore introducing the crop into UK arable rotations.

However, as with any crop, it’s only as productive as the steps taken to manage it, whether that’s ensuring good planting conditions, applying optimum nutrition, or keeping on top of weeds.

According to Agrii’s John Vickery, maize is particularly responsive to biostimulants due to producing a large amount of biomass in a short window.

“Traditionally we’ve seen good responses to early foliar feeds containing zinc, phosphate and potassium phosphonate. But as the technology has developed, we’re finding slightly more complex biostimulants based on amino acids give plants more of boost than previously,” he says.

Biimore, made from fermented cane molasses, is one of those products, suggests John. This contains a mixture of free amino acids that promote plant growth, vitamins, sugars and secondary metabolites that help plants tolerate abiotic stresses. 

MGA trials

Last year it was included in trials by the Maize Growers Association (MGA) for the first time, delivering notable results. In fact, it increased both fresh weight and starch content – a combination that’s been relatively unusual in 10 years of trials involving more than 50 biostimulants, says Grainseed’s Neil Groom, who provides trials support for MGA.

“It’s usually difficult to observe a difference in fresh yields, but we’ve seen a difference in silage quality when we’ve tested for digestibility and starch,” explains Neil.

Such performance was also replicated in trials at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, and NIAB Morley in Norfolk.

Applied at 100 ml/ha at four-leaf stage, Biimore increased fresh yields at the Harper Adams site by 5.3t/ha over untreated, resulting in an increase in 1.7t/ha dry matter yields. Starch content was 4.2% higher.

While at Morley, fresh yield gains of 0.6t/ha were observed. “Importantly, the dry matter content was 1.4% higher, allowing the crop to be cut a few days earlier, with the earlier maturity increasing starch content by 0.3%.”

This translated into an additional 10,000MJ/ha at Morley and 29,400MJ/ha at Harper Adams. The economic impact of those type of gains, if repeated in commercial practice, are worth having, suggests John.

Delivering gains

Looking from a purely arable perspective, in some scenarios, maize can deliver 2-3 times the margin of alternative spring break crops such as spring oats or spring beans.

Rovensa Next’s Bruce Morton adds that with the growing appetite for UK maize continuing, maximising its performance through products such as Biimore will be critical in tapping into that margin potential.

“Biimore is gaining momentum across Europe, and is starting to attract attention in the UK too. This is thanks to its credentials in enhancing maize performance, energy output and farm profitability.

“In fact, we have three years of positive and consistent trial results in Belgium with CIPF, an independent maize advisory board. We’re confident we’ll see similar outcomes in the UK,” he concludes.