Maize is at the heart of a successful collaboration between the in-hand farming operation and tenanted farms on the Wynnstay Estate, near Wrexham, with modern varieties being key to delivering the significant benefits that are keeping both parties committed.

Two tenanted dairy farms now buy up to 250 acres of standing crop from the estate land managed by Agrii agronomist Ben Burgess, allowing them to focus on growing grass in the knowledge their alternative forage supply is in good hands.

As a grower, Ben is content having a market close to hand, whilst recognising the benefits within his rotation of an effective break crop.

A price per acre is agreed each year, once a crop is established, with all the seasonal variables taken into account. As with any negotiation, there has to be give and take, but mutual respect and understanding, as well as the crucial benefits of maize to both businesses, are making sure the arrangement continues.

Ben, who manages around 600 acres of the non-tenanted land on the Wynnstay Estate, first considered maize as a cropping option to replace oilseed rape in his rotation.

“Flea beetle was an increasing problem with oilseed rape, so we were looking for an alternative,” he says. “Maize was an option, and the fact that two dairy farms on the estate had demand for forage made it more attractive.

“We’ve now replaced all the oilseed rape, and oats, with maize, growing around 250 acres each year, alongside a similar acreage of first wheats. It’s working well, alternating the two crops, with the box muck and slurry that we get back as part of the agreement doing a lot for soil fertility.”

Successfully establishing winter wheat following maize is an important element, so Ben – who advises on everything from cultivation techniques to cropping options within the rotation on his managed land – initially prioritised very early maturing varieties. He has in the past few years, however, moved to slightly later maturing options, achieving a better all round outcome.

Ben chose Harmony based on its strong performance in trials.

“First and foremost, the aim is to grow the biggest and best quality crop of maize,” he says, “but it needs to be off in time to get the wheat in. We found with some very early maturity material that we weren’t achieving the yields, and – whilst we are paid for a standing crop rather than yield – we still strive to offer the purchasers the best crop we can. As a result, we’ve now moved to Limagrain varieties that deliver both the early harvest and a bumper crop.”

Initially growing Limagrain’s Gema, Ben has now turned to the new variety Harmony, which has performed to everyone’s satisfaction in the 2025 and 2026 seasons, despite drought conditions.

“Harmony is not one of the ultra-early varieties, having an FAO of 170, but from what I had seen in trials I was pretty confident it would do what we all needed,” he adds. “In the field, it has shown good early vigour, with the plants getting up and out of the ground quickly, and in the past two seasons it was ready to harvest by mid-September, producing big and fully mature cobs with the plants still retaining some greenness. The mid-September harvest meant we could drill winter wheat in good time, by the end of that month.

“Despite another dry year in 2026, the Harmony has averaged around 15-16t/acre, well above the UK average for this year. It’s a variety that could easily do 20t/acre, even 24-25t/acre, when conditions are favourable.”

Yield is of course important for the purchasing tenants, but so is the feeding quality. One of the recipient farms milks around 300 cows, yielding just over 9,500 litres/lactation, and maize silage plays an increasing role in the milking ration.

It has been fed alongside grass silage at around a 60:40 ratio in favour of grass, but the maize component is increasing to closer to half the ration.

Analyses are still to be carried out on the 2026 crop, but are anticipated to be similar to the high starch forage achieved in 2025, which – alongside high quality grass silage – helped to underpin production, pushing butterfat levels above 4.5%.

Despite the drought, Harmony averaged around 15-16t/acre, well above the UK average for this year.

Maize has become a key component of the milking ration, but is also fed to the youngstock. With everything retained on the farm, either as dairy replacements or for beef, there are 900-1,000 head of cattle on the farm, so there is high demand for quality forage. This also means the farm produces a lot of muck and slurry, a lot of which is going back onto the maize ground.

As Ben acknowledges, the manure delivers a lot back to the soil, not only feeding the maize but also helping the first wheats that follow produce the best gross margins. 

“Having the slurry and box muck is a big advantage, providing a level of soil nutrition that we can then build on and balance with other inputs,” he adds. “This typically includes a microgranular fertiliser in the seedbed and foliar-applied formulations, including some slow-release nitrogen as well as manganese, zinc, magnesium and potash for example.

“With the weed control, we’re typically targeting thistle and crane’s bill, for example, but also blackgrass, which is helping to minimise the challenge in the wheat.”

As an experienced agronomist, Ben will continue to fine-tune his maize growing methods, seeking the optimum seed rate to suit a given variety, considering variable rate drilling, and exploring how best to manage ground over the winter months.

For the 2027 season, he’ll certainly be growing Harmony again, such has been it’s performance over the last two challenging seasons.

Drilling precision, tailored fertiliser applications, and careful selection of varieties are amongst the areas where Cornish farmer Mark Philp is seeking continued progress in maize growing.

Though the crop has been ever-present for him during his time at the family’s Trenake Farm, near Looe, two consecutive seasons where a lack of rain has created its challenges has been a reminder that there will never be any room for complacency.

What’s more, he’s growing the maize to provide a key part of the ration for a 520-cow high input – high output milking operation, and that is a responsibility that he takes very seriously.

“We’re a mixed farm, with dairy, beef and arable, but milk production is our main enterprise,” he says. “My brother Miles is more involved with the cows, alongside our herdsman, and I take care of arable operations, which includes 300 acres of forage maize.

“It’s fed alongside grass silage, roughly 50:50 in the ration, providing a cost-effective source of homegrown energy. We’re also including our own homegrown urea-treated wheat in the milking ration.

“Since we installed our eight robotic milkers five years ago, our yields have increased significantly, and cows are now averaging over 42.5 litres/day at peak, equivalent to an average lactation yield of around 13,000 litres. We’re also trying to keep butterfat and protein as high as possible, so it’s critical that the cows have a ration that will support a very high level of performance.”

Despite another drought-affected season, the 2026 maize crop yielded over 14 tonnes/acre, well above the average yields being reported around the country. The 300 acres was split equally between three early maturity Limagrain varieties; Ambition, LG Highlight and Prospect. All three feature in the BSPB Descriptive Lists for 2027, and will have excelled over a number of years in Limagrain’s extensive UK trials programme, giving farmers high levels of confidence in their reliability. LG Highlight is new onto the lists this year, featuring strongly as a first choice variety in both the short-to-mid season and mid-to-long season categories.

LG Highlight is a brand new variety with very high dry matter yields, reducing the costs of production.

“We grow what we know works on the farm,” says Mark, “Ambition has proven to be a consistent performer for a number of years, but we’re always aiming to do better by looking at newer varieties and also improving how we grow and manage the crop.”

Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds UK and Ireland, comments on the farm’s variety selections, and points to the value of making the right choices for specific circumstances.

Tim has been pleased with the performance of LG maize varieties.

“On a high output dairy operation like Trenake Farm, feed value is as important as yield, so growing varieties that have been bred for higher cell wall digestibility is paying off,” he says. “It’s also clear that the maize is performing, despite really challenging conditions, and that’s down to growing varieties that have been developed with drought resilience built in. The Philps are applying best practice and constantly pushing for more in their maize growing, and that’s key to ensuring the best varieties perform to their full potential, whatever the seasonal challenges.”

One of the latest areas of progress is in seeding accuracy, with a new combination drill being used for the first time in 2026. Offering improved seed and fertiliser placement, and features such as automatic row shut-off, he noticed the benefits as soon as the seedlings emerged.

“We’ve always done our own seeding, using a power harrow-drill combination, adapted for single seed sowing, but this has been a significant step forward. We’re now running a Kuhn 4.5 metre folding combination, that is specially designed for a six-row maize drill to piggy-back on the power harrow. The accuracy of seed and fertiliser placement is far better than we could achieve before and we’ve seen an improvement in the vigour and evenness of establishment. This, plus the automatic row shut off that avoids any overlaps, means we’ve achieved much more even crops overall.”

More tailored crop nutrition is another area where Mark believes his maize growing is progressing, with the farm using the Omnia field management system to customise applications on a field-by-field basis.

“We’re growing maize as part of a cropping rotation, wherever possible, so it constantly moves around the farm,” he explains, “and then we are applying slurry and farmyard manure, which will contribute significant nutrients.

“It’s important to know what the maize crop requires, as accurately as possible, and that will be different across the farm.

“By only applying what’s needed, broadcast onto the seedbed or down the spout on a field-by-field basis, we may be saving on inputs, but most importantly we’re ensuring that the crop is going to perform to its full potential.”

As has been the case for the majority of maize growers in 2026, the crops at Trenake Farm came off a good month earlier than what would have been the norm, harvested right at the start of September. They were drilled, into a moist seedbed, between the 27^th April and 8^th May, which was the usual timing, so have in effect had a much shorter growing season. Despite this, and the rigours of a very dry summer, the maize clamps are full enough to meet the needs of the milking herd.

“The earlier harvest does give us more time to establish a following crop,” says Mark, “which may be winter wheat or winter barley, or increasingly a grass crop that will give us an early silage cut in the spring.”

Grown as part of a rotation, with winter cereals, spring cereals and grass, maize is a useful break crop as well as a vital source of quality forage for the cows. By continuing to tap into the progress made by the plant breeders, and fine tuning his own establishment and management techniques, Mark is well placed to continue delivering quality maize silage for the farm’s high performing herd.

Maize is a vital part of Cornish farmer Andrew Jackson’s specialist beef finishing business.

It provides the bulk of the energy in the ration, which – alongside premium Angus genetics – helps to keep daily liveweight gains across the enterprise above 2kg/day.

Whilst performance levels are already outstanding, Andrew continues to push for improvements, experimenting with areas such as maize seed rate and cutter bar height at harvest, and seeking out the best new varieties to suit his needs.

This year, he is growing  Limagrain’s new very early maturity variety LG Spotlight.  Developed through Limagrain Field Seeds’ extensive UK maize breeding programme, it promises high starch with improved digestibility, alongside good yield potential and standing power. By early July, the crop was already shoulder high, with tassling and cob development occurring before the end of that month, so there is considerable anticipation for how it develops and what it delivers come harvest.

Producing 2kg Daily Liveweight Gains from Beef Cattle

Beef finishing is the main farming enterprise at 200 acre Trethawle Farm, near Liskeard, with cattle currently arriving at around 10 months of age, typically about 350kg liveweight, in batches of over 200. These are grown on and finished on a contract with Sainsburys.

“We’re a high biosecurity AFU (Approved Finishing Unit), so everything is reared and finished inside,” explains Andrew. “The rations for growers and finishers are geared to high growth rates, so that we can maximise throughputs. Ideally, cattle are only with us for around six months, achieving 330-340kg carcase weights, so we can finish as many as five hundred in a year.

Andrew has been impressed with the digestibility and yield of LG Spotlight Maize.

Andrew benefits from being part of a Sainsburys farmer benchmarking group, which keeps a close watch on fixed and variable costs. The beef finishing contract he’s on provides security, with the end price being tied to costs of production, including fuel, feed and interest rates. There’s also an advantage in the known origin of the calves coming in, which are all from dairy farms supplying the supermarket and are currently in good supply.

“The calves are all Angus cross, bred using premium Angus genetics, so we’re starting with healthy animals with great potential,” he adds. “It’s then up to us to grow them as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Why Maize Silage Is Central to the Feeding System

All cattle are fed on a total mixed ration (TMR), with good quality grass silage balanced by maize, which typically makes up one-third of the dry matter. This is complemented with crimped barley, soya,  a rumen protected protein, a molasses blend with urea, yeast and minerals, and a bought-in concentrate blend.

“We take multiple cuts of grass silage, to maximise the quality, and cut our maize quite high, for increased starch density,” says Andrew. “We want the best ration that we can achieve, to maintain growth rates around 2kg/day, and keep improving the carcase grades.”

Growing Maize in Challenging Cornish Conditions

Trethawle Farm is marginal for maize growing, with lower heat unit accumulation than more favourable areas and relatively shallow soils, so varieties must be robust and reliable. Around 25 acres are grown each year, as part of a rotation with grass and winter barley, so there is usually at least five years between maize crops.

“We aim to take a first cut of grass as early as possible, which may be the end of March or early April, depending on the season, and then prepare the ground for maize,” explains Andrew. “The grass is sprayed off, and we apply farmyard manure, at 12 tonnes/acre, before ploughing and power harrowing. We’re trying to retain as much moisture as possible in the seedbed, and then – with the ground prepared – we wait for optimum soil temperatures before drilling, usually around mid-April.

Maize Establishment and Crop Management

“By drilling quite shallow, at about one inch, we’re putting the seed into warmer soil. It’s worked well for the last four or five years, with the crop emerging much more quickly. We’re also using a slightly lower seed rate than the norm, at around 40,000 seeds/acre, to give the plants more space and encourage better cob development.”

Crop nutrition is fairly standard, with nitrogen broadcast onto the seedbed at around 90 units/acre, and a compound applied down the spout at drilling, and weed control is limited to a pre-emergence herbicide, with a post-emergence application used only where required.

LG Spotlight Showing Strong Early Potential

The first half of the 2026 maize growing season has been quite favourable in Cornwall, but Andrew has nevertheless been impressed with the way LG Spotlight has grown.

“The crop was up and out of the ground early and has not looked back,”

“By early July it was up to my shoulders, and has more bulk and a better plant structure than anything we’ve grown before. For us, it’s all about the cob development, so we’ll hope it continues along the path it’s on and delivers at harvest.”

Focused on Starch Content at Harvest

With the season progressing as it is, Andrew anticipates the potential for an earlier harvest than his norm, which would be early October, allowing time for a following crop of winter barley. He’ll then be focused on the starch content of the maize silage, to ensure he has the energy required to continue pushing the growth rates and conformation in his cattle.

Growing maize in the Blackmore Vale, on challenging predominantly clay-based land, south Somerset farmer Paul Phillips achieves success by relying on robust early maturing varieties.

He also aims to be amongst the first to take advantage of plant breeding developments, by growing the latest top performers, as they become available, rather than necessarily always relying on older tried and trusted varieties.

In what has been one of the more difficult seasons in memory, his strategy has certainly paid dividends, with the newly listed LG Highlight delivering a very satisfactory 15-16 tonnes/acre, despite a potentially debilitating lack of moisture that forced a harvest weeks ahead of the norm.

Paul will be growing LG Highlight again next year.

“The maize came off in the middle of August, which was at least a month earlier than we’d expect to harvest,” recalls Mr Phillips. “The crop was losing moisture quickly, so we could possibly have gone earlier still.

“We aim for 20 tonnes/acre in a good year, so to achieve over 15 tonnes/acre, at 30% dry matter, is a good result in this very dry season.

“It’s a good variety that suits our conditions, so we’ll grow it again next year.”

New Park Farm, near Templecombe, which extends to 1,250 acres in total, usually grows 100 acres of maize, alongside grass and wholecrop cereals. The maize goes into a total mixed ration for beef finishing, but is also grown as a feed stock for AD gas production. In both cases, the aim is to grow high yields, of the best quality possible, with a harvest before conditions become unworkable in the autumn.

According to Nickerson Seed Specialist Fraser House, matching the variety to local conditions is a big part of the crop’s success.

Fraser believes that good management of the right maize varieties will achieve consistent results.

“The farm has done very well with Prospect in recent years, so we felt the new variety LG Highlight would be good progression on from that,” he says. “It has similar earliness, with an FAO of 170, and has done very well in trials. It has a slightly higher yield but with the same robustness of Prospect, demonstrating good standing ability and disease resistance qualities.

“This is not the easiest land for growing maize, being very heavy, poor draining and variable, but with the right varieties and good management it is possible to achieve consistent results, as is being shown.”

Maize is grown in rotation where possible, but may be grown continuously where circumstances dictate. Use of cover crops over the winter, typically mustard, as well as generous applications of digestate, help to maintain and improve soil health, alongside wider benefits.

“Cover crops over the winter are important, firstly as a green manure, but also to reduce the risk of soil run-off and provide habitat for the wildlife,” adds Mr Phillips. “We apply somewhere between five and seven tonnes of digestate to the acre on land destined for maize, with an application in the autumn and again in the spring. Apart from the nutritional benefits, the digestate acts as a soil conditioner, introducing valuable organic matter and improving drainage.”

All the maize land is ploughed and power harrowed ahead of drilling, which never takes place before the first of May.

“We avoid going any earlier, and always wait until soil temperatures are at an optimum level,” he adds, “as this helps us to combat what can be a significant wireworm threat. We aim to give the crop the best possible start.”

With the digestate contributing significantly towards soil nutrition, the maize requires only modest inputs of artificial fertiliser, with a standard amount of DAP applied down the spout at drilling and some nitrogen top dressed as the crop is developing. A standard pre- and post-emergence herbicide programme is applied, but no fungicides or any other inputs are needed.

Following another drought summer when growing anything has been challenging, achieving such a good return from maize provides some reassurance. With the right variety and carefully considered management, it is a crop that can deliver under the most extreme conditions.

Click to download the brand new guide!

The recent exceptionally dry seasons have challenged maize growers, with moisture stress affecting crop development and reducing yields. As a result, demand for forage maize is expected to remain strong, as dairy and livestock producers seek to rebuild silage reserves.

Continued expansion of the anaerobic digestion sector is also expected to support further market growth.

Improved genetics and earlier-maturing varieties are enabling successful maize production in more northern and marginal growing regions than ever before. Grain maize also presents increasing opportunities for arable growers, offering improved profitability, rotational benefits and greater cropping flexibility.

The independent five-year data featured in this LG Maize Guide highlights varieties that deliver consistent performance across a wide range of growing conditions and seasons. Key agronomic characteristics are included, such as rapid early vigour, which helps crops make the most of available soil moisture, establish strong root systems and achieve early canopy cover to maximise yield potential. By using the LG Maize Guide, growers can reduce risk, optimise variety selection and fully benefit from the advances in maize genetics.

The UK is not alone in experiencing weather extremes, with drought affecting many maize-growing regions across Europe. This has inevitably impacted maize seed production for all breeders, resulting in some supply challenges. We therefore encourage growers to discuss variety requirements and availability as early as possible to secure their preferred choice.

We wish you a successful and productive growing season!

Download the Limagrain Maize guide today.

For tips on how to get the best out of the brand new maize guide, you can watch Tim and Richard over on our YouTube channel!

To help growers follow crop performance through the season, Limagrain Field Seeds launched its inaugural Demo Farm initiative this year, hosting on-farm demonstration days across the country.

The aim was straightforward: to give growers the chance to see varieties performing in the field, discuss results directly with farmers and Limagrain experts, and gain practical, real-world insight beyond what trial plot data alone can offer.

One of these demo farms is hosted by Rob Atkin at Field Farm, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Rob has been involved in practical farm trials for many years, including work on variable rate technology and environmental initiatives aimed at improving soil health and reducing water pollution.

He has been integrating cover crops and livestock into his system, while maintaining a strong focus on economic performance.

“I still need yield to pay the bills, so yield is important,” he says. “But I want varieties that work in real farm conditions, not just in perfect plots. I want to know how they perform under pressure and whether they genuinely fit into my system.”

Field Farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from heavy clay through to high-organic-matter silt. It’s a mixed operation, combining arable cropping with beef and sheep enterprises, with a growing focus on soil health and cost control across the business.

Trials established at Field Farm this year include a field-scale comparison of establishment techniques in wheat and barley, alongside winter wheat, spring barley and oilseed rape variety trials. On one of the hottest days of the summer, under clear blue skies, visitors to the open day were guided through the latest cereal and oilseed rape variety trials. Limagrain’s newly recommended winter bean, LG Arctic, was also on trial, alongside a range of early maturing maize varieties.

Varieties discussed on the day ranged from those narrowly missing out on Recommended List inclusion, to new candidates progressing through trials, to recently listed varieties now available to growers. The overarching theme was consistency of yield across different seasons and drilling situations, alongside strong disease resistance profiles.

Find out more about our oilseed rape varieties here.

Yellow Rust

Yellow rust in wheat was the key issue leading discussions at the wheat plots. Ron Granger, arable technical manager for the breeder, urged growers not to discount any variety simply because of revisions to its yellow rust rating, especially where other favourable characteristics remained unchanged.

“Take LG Typhoon, for example — yes, you have to watch yellow rust more closely given the Yr15 changes, but it’s still got fantastic Septoria resistance, has the agronomics to suit wider-row direct drilling situations, and is still a true early drilling variety.”

He went on to suggest early rust control was vital, especially where juvenile plant resistance is not available in a variety. However, he pointed out that some varieties had held off yellow rust better later in the season, once adult resistance kicked in post growth stage 37.

“The speed of early rust development in different varieties is something that should be looked at more closely by the industry, as it’s evident this season that some varieties surprised us with how late rust developed in them compared with previous years. We still have a lot to learn, and our pathologist is certainly being kept busy this season.”

Maize in the Rotation

As part of the Demo Farm trial, a series of plots comparing maize varieties has been set up at the Staffordshire site. The site forms part of a wider network of farm trials Limagrain is running this year across the north, as the crop continues to grow in importance on more northerly farms. Yield and quality assessments will be taken pre-harvest to better understand how these varieties perform on more challenging sites.

After struggling with oilseed rape establishment a few years ago, Rob introduced maize into the rotation. “We are a marginal site here for maize, so we are looking for very early/ultra-early maturing varieties. This suits the rotation, as it gives us a good entry for a following crop of wheat. Growing ultra-early varieties also gives us some flexibility to drill a little later, should we need to. It’s also a useful break crop to help clean up weeds.”

LG’s ultra-early variety Flashmob fits this bill well and is used by Rob in his beef finishing ration, as well as being grown for a neighbouring dairy farm — a useful outlet for their slurry and a way of freeing up land.

“As long as the crop pays for itself and covers its costs, we are happy, and it has done this so far.”

This year’s trials cover a range of early and ultra-early maize varieties to assess performance under Field Farm’s conditions. “As well as commercial and near-commercial varieties, there are also some new coded lines for evaluation,” explains Richard Camplin, forage technical manager for Limagrain.

The plots were drilled after autumn stubble turnips, which sheep had grazed off. “We went in with a subsoiler before drilling, as it had been a bit wet and the sheep probably stayed on a bit longer than needed, so there was some compaction. The crop got 15t/ha of muck and 150kg/ha of nitrogen later on — and after struggling through a cold, wet June, is now knee high and starting to fill out,” says Rob.

PANEL: Cultivations Trial — Direct Drilling vs Shallow Cultivation

For Rob Atkin, one of the most interesting aspects of the trials was comparing cultivation methods and their effect on establishment and crop quality heading towards harvest.

“We started our min-till journey on the farm in 2003, moved into shallow cultivations, and now direct drill in the main,” Rob explains. “We were interested to see how the same variety — in this instance LG Defiance — grown in the same field, would look when direct drilled versus established after shallow cultivations.”

Wheat trial
“Initially, the wheat established in shallow-cultivated soil performed better, showing more early vigour than the direct-drilled crop,” says Rob. “However, this reversed through spring: the direct-drilled wheat tillered more strongly — likely because it had needed to work harder to establish its roots early on, leaving it better founded once the dry spring set in. By comparison, the shallow-cultivated wheat looked thinner. However, heading towards harvest, it’s now hard to tell the two apart. Harvest will tell the true story.”

Spring barley trial
A similar comparison was run in a field of spring barley, using new Limagrain variety LG Aquarius. The barley was drilled into a field that had previously been cover-cropped and grazed by sheep, leaving some soil compaction. Results followed a similar pattern to the wheat: “The cultivated crop established better initially, as it didn’t have to work through the compaction left by the sheep. However, the direct-drilled barley now looks stronger and hasn’t ‘shot’ in the way the cultivated crop has — again likely because its roots were forced to work harder and go deeper during spring, helping it hold up better through the summer heat. As with the wheat, harvest will reveal the full picture.”

Why it matters
Even small yield differences between the two systems are worth taking seriously, believes Mr Atkin. “A gain of just 0.2t/ha across a whole field can be enough to justify adapting cultivation strategy.” Rob acknowledges every year brings different weather and soil conditions, but the broader trend has been towards wetter winters and drier springs, as seen again this year.

New evidence highlights how rumen performance, not just yield, is the key metric for dairy maize selection.

As dairy producers face mounting pressure to reduce input costs and improve environmental performance, it is key to reassess how maize silage is evaluated — shifting the focus from field output to rumen efficiency, with fibre digestibility emerging as the critical performance driver.

The message comes from Benoît Delord, animal nutrition product manager at Limagrain Field Seeds France, who argues that traditional measures of maize value — tonnes per hectare, starch percentage, or dry matter yield — are no longer sufficient benchmarks for a sector under pressure to do more with less.

“The first effect of fibre digestibility is on dry matter intake,” says Benoît. “The second is that you improve the energy content of each kilogramme of silage. So you have a double effect.”

A Dual Mechanism for Performance Gains

At the heart of the case for fibre digestibility is its impact on two interconnected processes in the rumen. Improved neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFD) reduces rumen fill constraints, enabling cows to consume greater quantities of forage dry matter. Simultaneously, it increases the extent of fibre degradation, driving higher production of volatile fatty acids — particularly acetate and propionate — which are the primary energy source for the dairy cow.

Research indicates that a 1% improvement in NDFD is associated with an increase in dry matter intake of approximately 0.15–0.25 kg per cow per day, alongside measurable gains in milk yield. Across high-yielding herds, these incremental improvements compound rapidly.

Where NDFD values move from 55% to 65%, the energy contribution from the fibre fraction can be equivalent to several kilogrammes of additional concentrate on an energy basis — a significant commercial consideration given current input costs.

Reducing Reliance on Purchased Feed

One of the most immediate practical implications of improved maize quality is its effect on concentrate use. Higher-quality forage allows producers to increase the forage proportion of the ration and reduce purchased concentrate inclusion — a shift that directly improves the economics of milk production.

“In reality, you don’t reduce feed — you change the balance,” says Benoît. “You increase the forage part and decrease the concentrate part.”

In practice, improvements in forage quality can reduce concentrate requirements by 1–3 kg per cow per day, depending on system intensity and baseline forage performance. In grass silage-based systems — where starch levels are typically below 5% — the substitution of high-quality maize silage containing 30–35% starch alongside digestible fibre can substantially reduce the need for bought-in energy. The result is both a reduction in feed costs and greater control over ration consistency.

Improving Feed Conversion and Reducing Methane

The efficiency gains extend beyond intake and energy supply. Improved fibre digestibility has a direct effect on the conversion of consumed nutrients into milk, reducing losses through methane production — which typically accounts for 6–10% of gross energy intake in ruminants.

Benoît Delord, Animal Nutrition Product Manager at Limagrain Field Seeds France

“Methane is a loss for the animal,” explains Benoît. “It’s carbon that is not used, but when you improve digestibility, you reduce this loss.”

From a biochemical perspective, improved fibre degradation shifts rumen fermentation towards propionate production at the expense of methane. European research indicates that improvements in forage digestibility can reduce methane intensity — measured as grams of methane per litre of milk — by up to 5–10%, depending on ration structure and baseline efficiency. Combined with higher milk output, the per-litre emissions benefit is amplified further.

Rumen Stability at Higher Inclusion Rates

As maize inclusion in dairy rations increases — often reaching 40–50% of forage dry matter in high-performing herds — the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis rises, particularly where total dietary starch exceeds 25–28% of dry matter. Improving the digestibility of the fibre fraction allows maize to contribute more to total energy supply without further increasing starch load, supporting rumen pH stability and cud chewing activity.

“It’s about producing more milk per cow, but under safe conditions,” says Benoît. “You need rumen comfort.”

The LGAN Response

These shifting priorities are reflected in Limagrain’s LGAN classification — a selection framework for maize hybrids evaluated specifically on feeding value, with fibre digestibility and overall energy availability as core criteria. LGAN varieties are assessed across eight parameters using a robust dataset combining official BSPB/NIAB trial data with five years of Limagrain data from 12 sites across the UK.

Across multiple European datasets, LGAN varieties have delivered improvements of 0.4–3 kg of milk per cow per day compared with standard comparators, frequently alongside reductions in concentrate use.

“First, you produce more biomass in the field. Then you improve the efficiency of converting that into milk,” says Benoît. “Fibre digestibility is key for that.”

Limagrain advises that variety selection should consider feed quality characteristics — particularly NDFD — alongside agronomic performance, and that ration formulation should reflect the full energy contribution of silage where forage quality allows.

 Book onto our Demo Days!

Suffolk Summer Demo Day – Thursday 4th June 2026

Staffordshire Summer Demo Day – Monday 22nd June 2026

Limagrain Field Seeds is taking variety trials beyond the plot with the launch of a new UK farmer-led Demonstration Farm network.

The initiative is designed to give growers a clearer, more practical view of how varieties perform in real farming systems, moving away from purely small-plot data and into field-scale reality. Instead of relying solely on trial sites and headline figures, the network will showcase Limagrain genetics under the pressures that shape day-to-day farm decisions, including soil type, rotation, cultivation and input strategy.

Nicolle Hamilton, marketing director at Limagrain, says the aim is to give growers a different perspective. “We want to offer growers a more meaningful way of looking at our varieties, through a farmer lens,” she says. “That means taking them out of controlled conditions and putting them into real farming systems, managed by farmers making commercial decisions every day. While she stresses that formal trials and the AHDB Recommended List remain important benchmarks, she says they do not always reflect the realities of commercial farming.

“This is not about replacing trials, it’s about adding another layer,” she says. “Farmers want to know how varieties establish, how they cope with different soils and how they perform under lower inputs or after cover crops. That is where this approach adds value.”

“It’s about working with farmers, listening to them and learning from them.”

Heather Oldfield, Limagrain cereals product manager, says the strength of the network lies in its farmer-led approach. “This is about genuine collaboration,” she says. She adds the focus is not on identifying a single standout variety, but on understanding where different genetics fit. “There is no perfect variety,” she says.

“Success comes from putting the right variety in the right place. What works on one farm may not work on another. These Demo Farms help us show those differences in a way that is much more relevant to growers.”

The Farmers

The first two farms in the network are based in Suffolk and Staffordshire, offering two contrasting systems. Ryan McCormack hosts the East Anglian site at Dennington Hall Farms, while Rob Atkin farms over in Staffordshire. Together, they provide a broad snapshot of how varieties perform across different soils, climates and management approaches.

Ryan McCormack is testing Limagrain varieties in systems that include reduced tillage, cover crops, and livestock to understand what works best under these conditions

At Dennington Hall Farms, Ryan McCormack is running a highly integrated system combining arable, livestock and environmental management. The farm operates a 12-year rotation and places strong emphasis on soil health, with cover cropping, minimal cultivation and livestock grazing all playing a role. “I’m farming for margin, but also for my soils,” he says. “That means I need varieties that can cope with reduced tillage, cover crops and lower inputs. The only way to understand that is to test them in those conditions.” His trials include comparing multiple varieties under different establishment systems within the same field, giving a clear view of how genetics respond to management.

In contrast, Rob Atkin’s Staffordshire farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from heavy clay to high-organic-matter silt. The mixed farm includes combinable crops alongside beef and sheep, with a growing focus on soil health and cost control. “I still need yield to pay the bills,” he says. “But I want varieties that work on farm, not just in perfect plots. I want to know how they perform under pressure.” For Mr Atkin, the value of the network lies in its honesty. “It’s about seeing what works, what doesn’t and why, that’s far more useful than just looking at figures.”

Rob Atkin believes that seeing varieties in real situations helps him make better decisions

To help growers follow crops through the season, Limagrain Field Seeds is supporting the Demo Farm initiative with on‑farm demonstration days. These demonstration days offer the opportunity to see varieties in the field, discuss results with farmers and Limagrain experts, and gain practical insight into real‑world performance.

Maize has been grown for grain at Cross Hill Farm, near Goole in Yorkshire, for over fifteen years, delivering multiple benefits for the Welburn family’s arable and cattle enterprises.

It is a valuable break crop, particularly complementing winter wheat, and – crimped and clamped – provides an ideal high energy feed for the farm’s 400-head beef finishing enterprise. Crimped maize is also sold off the farm, adding a further revenue stream, and in recent years the crop has also been ensiled for forage.

In total, Chris Welburn and his father Neil farm up to 600ha of rented or contract farmed land, with soil types varying from wind blow sand through to heavy clay. Winter wheat is their main crop, but on some of the neighbouring contract farmed land, where flooding is a common issue, spring cropping predominates, with maize proving to be a reliable and valuable option over many years.

“We’ve grown maize since around 2009, and have always combined it,” says Chris. “On the lighter land, we’ll grow it several years in a row, then swapping in alternative spring crops like sugar beet, carrots or potatoes, whilst on the heavier land it will be part of a more conventional arable rotation, with winter wheat.

“Across all the land we’re farming, we’re growing around 150ha of maize. Over and above the value of the crimped grain, we find it puts quite a bit back into the farm, both in terms of soil fertility and also wider weed control.

“Growing it for grain means a lot of crop residue is going back into the soil, whilst we always precede a maize crop with good applications of cattle manure, which is another good source of organic matter and soil nutrients.  

“Weed control for maize uses different herbicide chemistry, and we find that is helping with the control of blackgrass and other grass weeds in the wheat.”

Variety choice is important, particularly when growing a crop for grain, and Chris’s current ‘banker’ is Limagrain’s Conclusion, a high yielding, high starch option with exceptional cell wall digestibility. He’s also growing the earlier maturing Duke, which alongside high dry matter yields has very low cob moisture content making it particularly well suited for grain. LG 31.205, known for high starch and well-developed cobs, is another variety favoured at Cross Hill Farm in recent seasons, whilst the latest high performance specialist grain option LG 31.160 is set to be included going forward. 

“Our Conclusion crops produced over 11t/ha of grain maize in 2025, and it wasn’t a particularly good year given the drought conditions,” adds Chris. “The other important point about Conclusion, and other Limagrain varieties, like Duke and Ambition, is that they crimp really nicely. It’s important, because it affects how long the crimping takes as well as the quality of the crimped grain.”

Chris has found crimped and clamped grain maize form the foundation of the farm’s feeding system

The aim is to have the cobs at 65-68% dry matter for grain maize, with the harvest at Cross Hill Farm taking place anywhere between October and early December, depending on the season. The Welburns have their own maize header for their New Holland combine, simply changing the concave to adapt for grain maize. The aim is to crimp the crop straight off the combine.

“When we’re combining grain maize, most of the crop residue goes under the header, so it creates a carpet for the combine to travel on, minimising soil damage,” say Chris. “We can crimp up to 25 tonnes/hour, adding an inoculant as we go, and clamp everything we need for the cattle. The rest we sell, for clamping off the farm, usually for a little below the price of wheat.”

The crimped maize goes into the farm’s beef finishing ration, typically fed in equal proportions with barley. It’s a feed that Chris believes contributes significantly to the performance of the cattle enterprise, which buys in pure dairy and dairy-cross calves at a week to ten days old and takes everything through to finish at 500-600kg, averaging an impressive 1.3kg/day liveweight gain.

Chris Welburn feeding crimped maize to his cattle, a core ingredient in the farm’s rotation

“Our aim to grow as much of the cattle ration ourselves as we possibly can and crimped maize is an integral part of the finishing ration, fed from around 12 months,” he adds. “It’s pure energy, but can be fed at high levels without the risk of acidosis.

“In recent years, we’ve also starting taking some of the maize as forage, for inclusion in the TMR for the growing cattle.”

The main strategy around growing maize at Cross Hill Farm is to do so as economically as possible, so full use is made of cattle manure to boost soil fertility. The ground is always ploughed when maize is grown after maize, to minimise disease risks, whereas minimum tillage and sub-soiling may be sufficient following sugar beet, for example.

Drilling is typically carried out in the last week of April and into early May, with a liquid fertiliser (16:0:8 NPK), applied down the spout at 200l/ha, and a granular fertiliser spread before the end of May.

“We’re also applying a molasses-based foliar fertiliser whilst the crop is just still sprayable, towards the end of July, as it is a very efficient way of using nitrogen,” says Chris. “We’re always trying different things, in order to grow maize in the best way possible. For example, we’ve tried sowing westerwolds ryegrass after winter wheat, and then taking a crop in April before spraying it off. We’ve then minimised the cultivations by doing low disturbance sub-soiling and using a strip tiller ahead of the maize drill.

“It’s important to keep trying to move forward, to grow the crop more efficiently and with less impact on the environment.”

Amongst all the uncertainty in farming, growing maize brings a degree of consistency and reliability on this North Yorkshire farm. It provides undoubted rotational benefits, will outperform wheat in a drought, underpins the performance in the beef enterprise, and offers the option of a saleable cash crop. With new improved varieties coming through every year, there’s little doubt that it will remain central to plans at Cross Hill Farm for many years to come.

Maize now has the potential to outperform many alternative break crops in gross margin terms whilst offering arable farmers significant rotational benefits such as improved grass weed control, according to experts taking part in a recent Limagrain Field Seeds webinar, attended by farmers from across the UK.

Speakers pointed to the growing demand for anaerobic digester (AD) feedstocks and the high value of grain maize as evidence of market-led opportunities for growers.

They also highlighted the accelerated plant breeding progress that is allowing increased yields of a higher quality crop within a shorter growing window, which is giving more farmers the opportunity to follow maize successfully with winter wheat, for example.

“Potential returns for arable farmers in many parts of England are attractive, with maize offering around two or three times the gross margin of spring oats or spring beans,” said James Webster-Rusk, Senior Agribusiness Analysist for The Anderson Centre.

James Webster Rusk is confident that maize will deliver stronger margins than other spring crops

“The market is there, with growing demand for AD feedstocks and many plants looking to replenish depleted stocks in 2026. With regards to grain maize, we currently import 2.5 million tonnes a year, so there are opportunities to replace at least some of this with homegrown crops, and also to grow maize on contract for crimping, wholecrop or forage.

“In terms of rotational benefits, the different herbicide chemistry used for maize tends to help with the control of grass weeds, including blackgrass, and – being a spring drilled crop with a relatively late harvest – it offers a helpful spread in workloads.”

Whilst maize has historically been associated in some areas with difficult harvesting conditions and the risk of soil damage, speakers agreed on the modern-day potential for the crop to be environmentally beneficial.

“Breeding advances within the last ten years now mean we are growing high yielding crops of maize that mature in a much shorter growing window,” said Limagrain’s Richard Camplin.

“Earlier harvests are most certainly desirable in terms of soil health, not only avoiding structural damage but also allowing the establishment of a following crop that will use up surplus nutrients and prevent soil erosion.

“With the emergence of specialist grain maize options like LG 31.160 and very early maturity high yielders such as Harmony, breeding programmes are delivering varieties that work well within rotations and are suited to helping arable farmers respond to the market opportunities.”

Maize in Practice

Leicestershire arable and poultry farmer Will Oliver said, as part of his practical overview, that grain maize grown within his arable rotation now rivals winter wheat as the main crop. “We have a ready market for grain maize, selling to local poultry units, and it’s a crop that we find fits well into the rotation,” he said. “There’s a positive for soil health, because of the organic matter that’s being incorporated and reduced traffic when growing it, and it fits well within our SFI agreements. “Winter wheat usually performs well enough following maize, but I’d accept a lower margin in return for the wider benefits that it brings to the rotation. “It’s important to factor in drying costs when growing grain maize, but earlier maturing varieties are helping to ensure more of the moisture is lost in the field.”

Leicestershire farmer Will Oliver explains why grain maize has become a key crop on his farm

In their summing up, speakers reiterated the opportunities for maize as a break crop in the arable rotation, but reinforced the importance of seeking out markets in advance and growing varieties from the latest BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List best suited to specific farm conditions and the planned end use.     

Maize: The New Game-Changer for Doddington Dairy’s Forage and Sustainability Strategy

Farming in the rain shadow of the Cheviot Hills and with predominantly light sandy soils, Neill and Jackie Maxwell and their team at Doddington Dairy find growing grass to be a challenge.

Fodder beet bolsters the ration for the 400 strong crossbred milking herd, but what they have really wanted to include for quite a number of years is maize.

Neill and Jackie Maxwell make French-style raw milk cheese and ice cream at Doddington Dairy and won Best Food Producers in the BBC Food and Farming Awards in 2015.

Based near Wooler, in Northumberland, on the same latitude as Moscow and the south of Sweden, that’s not been an option, at least not until the 2025 season.

“Maize is a potential game-changer for us, particularly on a farm where grass growth is often difficult,” explains Neill. “Our aim is to produce as much as possible from homegrown crops, so to have our own maize in the ration will be a big step forward.

“We did try growing it around 15 years ago, but without any success. Growing maize under plastic has seemed like our only option, but we would not want the risk of microplastics in our soils and we have a strong sustainability agenda across the business.

”We decided to try growing maize unprotected again after attending an alternative forages workshop where we heard about the progress in maize breeding.

“From our experience this summer, it’s quite possible that maize will perform best for us in the years that are the most difficult to grow grass. Farming is about mitigating risk, so having another crop in the mix that can add great value to the ration whilst bolstering our overall forage output will be a great result.”

The event Neill refers to was organised by Nickerson and featured a presentation from Limagrain Field Seeds UK on the increased potential of earlier maturing varieties. Seed specialist David Watson, who hosted the meeting, helped the Doddington Dairy team in the choice of variety and the management of the crop.

“I advised growing a variety called Prospect, because I knew it had a great track record and felt it would best suit the site,” he explains. “With an FAO of 170, it’s an early variety, though not the earliest produced from the Limagrain breeding programme, but the farm has light soils and the fields in question have a southerly aspect, so I felt sure it could do well. The early vigour certainly helped the crop and with high starch and very good cell wall digestibility it should deliver what the farm wants in the ration.”

The farm grew a cautious 21 acres in 2025, on land close to the farmstead. After plentiful applications of muck and slurry, the sandy ground was ploughed and cultivated before being drilled and then rolled. A compound fertiliser was included down the spout and nitrogen was applied onto the seedbed at 125kg N/ha. A standard programme of pre- and post-emergence herbicides, as advised by the farm’s agronomist, were the only other inputs.

“We drilled on 1^st May in dry conditions, but there was moisture in the seedbed,” recalls Neill. “The crop was out of the ground quickly, and then it rained in June. Thereafter conditions remained largely dry.

“It was not the conditions for growing grass, but the maize continued to thrive. Our biggest issue turned out to be the crows feasting on the maize seedlings.”

The crop was fully mature and harvested on 30^th September, yielding 18.5 tonnes/acre at 33% dry matter, but the on-board yield monitor on the forager revealed some areas of the field yielding 22 to 23 tonnes/acre.

“The variation in yields was almost certainly due to the crow damage,” adds Neill. “Despite that, we’re delighted with how the crop has performed, and particularly with the earliness as it has allowed us plenty of time to drill a following crop of wheat. We don’t ever leave bare ground over winter, so such early maturity is a big factor in the crop being viable for us.”

The farm, run by Neill and Jackie Maxwell, their herd manager James Kelly and his dedicated team, extends to 1,200 tenanted acres. Wheat, barley and fodder beet are grown across about 300 acres, with all crops fed at home.

Calving all year round, the milking herd at Doddington Dairy averages around 8,500 litres/cow. Milk solids are particularly important, with around 20% of production going into the farm’s specialist French-style raw milk cheeses and ice cream. The majority of the milk is sold on a contract to Arla.

Maize has been a game-changer for Jackie and Neill.

“We’re striving all the time to lower our carbon footprint and maximise sustainability,” continues Neill. “So, despite the challenges, we try to make as much as we can from grazing, and will aim to have some cows at grass from the beginning of April through until Christmas if we possibly can, as well as making up to four cuts of grass silage.

From this winter, maize will be included in the milking ration for the first time, replacing a proportion of the grass silage and potentially some of the bought-in straights. The aim is to take the pressure off grass production and also boost the performance of the cows at a critical time.

“We’ll include maize in the ration for the early lactation cows, to maximise intakes and yields,” says Neill. “We’ll go into it steadily at first, but do see great potential going forward.”

The milking ration is fed twice daily, after milking, not least to avoid the risk of cows gorging on fodder beet, which – once available – is fed at a rate of 15kg/cow/day. Also included is a set level of 12kg/cow of concentrate feed, fed as straights, as well as ground maize, soya hulls, barley and wholecrop wheat. There is no bought in compound feed or soya.

“Our herd manager James is first class and I know he and his team are really looking forward to feeding maize,” concludes Neill. “It will allow us to reduce our reliance on grass, making more milk at a similar cost, and that’s all building sustainability into the business and reducing our exposure to risk. If all goes as we hope, we’ll look to increase the maize acreage next year by two or three times.”

Farming on the northern margins of the North Wessex Downs, Hamish McIntosh has always tried to maximise the contribution maize makes to his milking ration.

Soil types vary across the farm, some being challengingly heavy, so success has come with tailoring variety selection according to field conditions, as well as staying abreast of the latest developments in maize breeding, in order to continually improve his output.

In 2025 – a year that has proved challenging for many maize growers – the decision to grow one of the very latest early maturing varieties to come onto the BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List has certainly paid dividends.

Based at Hardwell Farm, near Knighton in Oxfordshire, Hamish runs a 400-cow milking herd alongside 200 acres of arable cropping and a similar acreage of grassland. The herd is conventionally managed, calving all year round, housed in the winter months, and outside during the grazing season. In an area where TB is a continual threat, as many heifers as possible are retained on the farm, in a quest to maintain numbers.

Hamish McIntosh and his dairy herd at Hardwell Farm.

The aim is to minimise parlour-fed concentrates and derive as much as possible from the mixed ration, to support average yields of 9,000 litres/cow. Maize silage certainly plays a key part in this strategy, comprising around half of the forage component.

Around 200 acres of maize are grown on the farm, fitting into a rotation with winter wheat and grass, and this year a quarter of the acreage was given over to newly listed LG Highlight.

“It’s a variety that has looked really promising in trials and fits perfectly with Hamish’s requirement for high dry matter yields, quality in the clamp, and a sufficiently early harvest to allow a following crop of winter wheat to be established,” says Nickerson seed specialist Fraser House. “LG Highlight will be one of the top new varieties for dry matter yield on the 2027 maize Descriptive Lists, and with an FAO rating of 170 it certainly has the earliness. It also has high starch yields and strong agronomic characteristics. Where farmers are looking for the combination of yield, quality and earliness, this is a variety that really hits the sweet spot.”

It was grown alongside Prospect, also FAO 170, and the slightly later maturing Conclusion, both from the Limagrain Field Seeds UK breeding programme and having a proven track record on the farm.

“Some of the land at Hardwell Farm is not the best for maize, so the policy is to grow what we think will perform in the particular circumstances,” continues Fraser. “Robust varieties with early vigour, good standing power and the necessary disease tolerance are what’s required, plus early maturity and high dry matter yields. Increasingly, we are seeing varieties that will deliver this full package, with the additional benefits of high cell wall digestibility that ensure farmers like Hamish can rely on having a full clamp of energy dense forage.”

Hamish was delighted with the yield and quality of the LG Highlight silage.

With so much rain falling throughout the winter and spring, Hamish had to work hard to create a suitable seedbed for his 2025 maize crop. All the maize ground is ploughed, with slurry and manure applied before and sometimes afterwards.

“The heavy rain seems to be becoming more common and it does not help our heavier ground,” he says. “We’re increasingly needing to sub-soil, and on our heavier ground we’ll normally need to power harrow before drilling. We have our own maize drill, so we can be timely, going when the conditions are right.”

Optimum drilling date is 1^st May at Hardwell Farm, and maize is drilled with DAP fertiliser down the spout and 125kg N/ha onto the seedbed. Pre- and post-emergence herbicides maintain good weed control, and – with that including a reduction in blackgrass on the farm – offers a wider benefit of having maize in the rotation.

“I’m aware of the specialist maize fertilisers and developments like foliar sprays, and we’ll keep a close eye on any ways to improve, but – at the moment – our system seems to be working. Growing the right varieties is a good part of our success, and being aware of the progress in maize breeding.”

The maize at Hardwell Farm was harvested on 20^th September and, whilst it was not the best year for maize generally, Hamish was happy to see the LG Highlight standing out.

“It was our largest crop with big mature cobs, so it delivered what we wanted,” he says.

“We probably cut a little earlier than some, because I like to see some green leaf in the clamp. Overall, I’m very happy with the performance of the maize, and it was off in good time to establish the winter wheat.”

The maize will go into the ration at what Hamish considers the optimum level of around 50% of the forage, alongside grass silage, biscuit meal, a rape-soya meal and urea.

With maize breeding progress providing earlier varieties that avoid any compromise on dry matter yield or forage quality, it is a crop that will continue to be of great value at Hardwell Farm, for both milk production and crop rotation.