Early Maturing Maize Varieties: What Farmers Really Gain by Going Earlier

Producing milk without maize isn’t something that Flintshire dairy farmer Tom Beltcher would like to consider.

Not only is it a vital part of his 450-cow herd’s ration, but it has become an integral part of his farming system, fitting into a rotation in which double-cropping is now commonplace.

Success in recent years has come through the use of the earliest maturing varieties available, with continuing progress by maize breeders meaning that an early harvest does not have to result in any compromises on yield, nutritional value or digestibility.

“We’ve grown maize for as long as I can remember, but it has become more important to us in the last ten years,” says Tom. “Our cows are averaging around 10,000 litres, so maize silage is essential to complement grass silage. We make our grass silage using a multi-cut system. This produces a high quality forage but, with grass, there is always more risk of inconsistencies resulting from variable growing conditions and unpredictable weather at the time you’re cutting. Maize now typically makes up around half of our forage ration and offers all-important stability and consistency that ensures we keep the cows performing.”

The Beltchers are based at Argoed Hall Farm, near Mold, and typically grow around 250 acres of maize each year, with a further 150 acres usually grown on contract on neighbouring farms. Whether the maize is grown at home or on contract, Tom insists on a responsible approach that looks after the land and minimises the risks of any problems associated with a late harvest in wet conditions.

“The aim is to have the crops off as early as we can, allowing the opportunity to establish another crop in the autumn,” he says. “On our farm that is usually winter wheat, but it can be a grass crop that will provide an early first cut. We apply the same thinking with crops grown on contract, because double-cropping is the best way to manage the land, environmentally and economically. It’s about working together for the best mutual outcomes.”

Tom Beltcher with his father Roger.

Argoed Hall Farm is predominantly a heavy clay site, so is considered marginal for maize. The policy is to grow the earliest maturing material available, with Limagrain Field Seeds’ Ultra Early variety Duke standing out in 2025. Duke is an example of the type of genetic progress resulting from an extensive UK breeding programme that is focused on producing stable varieties that deliver high yields of dry matter within a shorter growing window, without compromising on nutritional quality and digestibility.

With up to eight trials sites across the UK, Limagrain Fields Seeds is selecting LG varieties that have the proven consistency of performance required in UK conditions by farmers like Tom Beltcher, delivering a number of new improved varieties onto the NIAB/BSPB Descriptive List every year.

“Overall, we’ve averaged around 18-19 tonnes per acre across all our maize crops this year, and Duke has been the standout performer,” adds Tom. “We drilled about a week earlier than usual, in the first week of April, because seedbed conditions were right. It was something of a gamble, but it paid off because we had moist soils during the critical establishment phase. Given the early start the maize had, it’s been a good year for the crop, and our earliest harvest ever.”

Making up around half of the forage ration, maize provides much-needed stability and consistency alongside grass silage.

For Tom, maize is his priority, which he admits sometimes means the farm is not making full use of cover crops grown over winter. It’s a sacrifice he considers worthwhile, however, as it means the maize always has the best possible start.

“We want to have the maize ground mucked, ploughed, broken down and power harrowed by early April, so we can drill as soon as soil temperatures are right,” he says.

“That may mean we’re taking a very early first cut off a grass crop, and losing potential yield, but I’d rather maximise what we can achieve from the maize.”

Maize is drilled with a microgranular phosphate and nitrogen fertiliser down the spout, and receives a further 100 units of nitrogen per acre when the crop is around knee-high. Crops receive pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, but no other specialist inputs.

“It’s a great crop, when you consider the amount of high quality dry matter you can put in the clamp, and an ideal complement for grass silage.

“Maize has at times had something of a bad name, in relation to issues such as soil erosion, but there is really no need for that to be the case. Growing the very early maturing varieties, which can now deliver great yields and quality, should – more often than not – allow the opportunities to harvest in good conditions and establish an over-winter crop. In the majority of cases, this should be a positive for soil health and the environment, as well as producing clamps full of high quality forage.”

High-Quality Maize is Driving Exceptional Dry Matter Intakes in UK Dairy Herds

For Somerset dairy farmer Andrew Bristol, dry matter intake is the key parameter as he seeks to maintain performance in his 240-cow high yielding Holstein Friesian herd. 

At an impressive 27.1 kg DM/cow/day with the full ration included, he is on target, driving yields of 11,400 litres/cow and with an improving milk from forage figure sitting close to 3,500 litres/cow.

Though it makes up only around twenty percent of the dry matter in the ration, high quality maize is an essential element, giving much needed balance alongside grass silage, and boosting the energy levels of the forage component.

“Intakes, intakes, intakes … that’s my mantra,” says Andrew. “I am a great believer in giving the cows variety in order to stimulate intakes, and maize certainly delivers that, and more. If we could grow more maize and increase the proportion in the ration, we would, but most of our land is simply too heavy. Improvements in maize breeding are certainly helping, so the contribution is growing, and perhaps in the future we’ll be able to increase from current levels.”

Maize is an essential part of the milking ration, offering an ideal balance to the grass silage and helping to drive intakes.

Based at Greenlands Farm, near Wincanton, Andrew operates a relatively simple dairying system, with just himself and one herdsman employed. Running a flying herd, and calving all year round, with grazing only for the later lactation cows, the focus is primarily on management of the cows and their housed ration, with full reliance on contractors when it comes to maize growing, for example. Andrew also works with Pearce Seeds agronomist Ben Allard, who is involved not only in maize variety selection but also has a valued input throughout the growing process.

“Given the heavy wet clay soil type on most of this farm, we are looking for very early varieties in order to achieve a mature crop in the shortest window, to avoid harvesting in wet conditions that can result in soil damage and erosion,” says Ben. “On Andrew’s heaviest ground, we grew Limagrain’s new ultra early variety LG 31.152, the earliest he’s ever grown. This variety yields very well and also benefits from good early vigour, so the crop was up and out of the ground very quickly, resulting in a good start that proved particularly important this season. On the lighter ground, we grew the slightly later variety Dignity, another Limagrain variety with good early vigour and strong agronomic characteristics, and very high yielding.”

The good start culminated in a very impressive outcome, with maize being harvested at the end of August, a full month earlier than usual, and the overall average yield across the farm’s sixty acres averaging around 18 tonnes per acre.

“Our yields were slightly up on what we normally expect,” reveals Andrew, “and the LG 31.152 most certainly contributed to that, despite being a very early variety. From an early forage analysis, the dry matter percentage is a little lower than optimal at 29.0%, but a starch level of 33.4% and ME of 11.7% are where we want them to be.”

Maize yields at Andrew Bristol’s Greenlands Farm were higher than usual from a harvest that was around a month earlier than the norm.

Another factor that impressed Andrew was the stay-green characteristic of the varieties, something that has been a feature of Limagrain’s breeding programme for many years as it strives for better and better nutritional value in forage maize.

“To have a good hard mature cob whilst the leaves and stem are still green is a real benefit,” he says. “It means the crop ensiles better and the end result is a more stable and palatable forage for the cows. You can see it on the clamp face and in the cows’ intakes.”

Maize is grown as part of a rotation at Greenlands Farm that includes wheat, which all goes into the milking ration either rolled or caustic-treated. The ground destined for maize receives around 6,000 gallons/acre of slurry and 10 tonnes/acre of farmyard manure in the spring before being ploughed. Two passes with a power harrow are usually sufficient before drilling, with the heavier ground also being sub-soiled when necessary. Maize was drilled in 2025 on 26^th April, when soils were still moist. Apart from pre- and post-emergence herbicides, the only other input is nitrogen fertiliser applied to the seedbed at 60 units N/acre.

The summer of 2025 proved to be a good one for growing maize, at least in Andrew’s area, but it was still a surprise to have a mature crop as early as the end of August. The fact that yields were slightly up on the norm underlines how modern maize breeding can deliver earlier maturity without compromising significantly on output.

Andrew began feeding the maize almost immediately, including it in a mixed ration alongside grass silage, a rape meal and protected rape blend, rolled and caustic treated wheat, minerals and yeast, fed once a day.

“It’s a key ingredient in the ration so I don’t like to be without it,” he adds. “There’s no doubt that having earlier varieties that deliver high yields is making the crop more viable on a heavy land farm like ours, which could in future mean we are able to grown more. In addition, qualities like stay-green help to add value when it comes to feeding out, not least in helping to drive those all-important intakes.”

Table: Typical fresh weight milking ration at Greenlands Farm

The exceptionally dry season proved challenging for many crops this harvest, and although some yields did suffer, others fared much better, with some stand-out performers, as the LG Legends explain.

The LG Legends are a group of farmers from around the UK, working with diverse situations on-farm. They share their honest and practical on-farm experiences, from variety selection and husbandry, to harvest results and everything in between.

LG Typhoon tops the charts

Ryan McCormack

In Suffolk, LG Typhoon was the star performer at Dennington Hall Farms, where a 100 ha block averaged 10.1 t/ha, with good grain quality and plenty of high quality straw, says farm manager, Ryan McCormack.

“It was the first of the wheats to be harvested, starting on 14 July, and gave the highest average yield out of all wheat varieties we grew last season; one small field achieved 11.7 t/ha, which was a good result given the dry conditions.”

All LG Typhoon was grown as a first wheat after beans, with minimal surface cultivations ahead of drilling in the first week of October – slightly later than he would normally sow the variety.

Another strong performer was LG Beowulf, which was coming in at over 10 t/ha, until 60mm of rain in the third week of July interrupted harvest for 10 days, Ryan says. “That rain delay seemed to knock the specific weight by 7-8%, and had a similar impact on yield. Despite that, it still did well overall, and, like the LG Typhoon, stayed pretty clean.

“We didn’t see any yellow rust, although to be fair, it was quite a low disease pressure season. We will be growing more LG Typhoon and LG Beowulf next year, combatting any yellow rust risk by applying tebuconazole at T0 to bolster disease resistance”. LG Redwald is another wheat variety the farm will grow again this autumn, as the extra vigour ideally suits later sowing after sugar beet, he notes.

 

After achieving an impressive 10.75 t/ha this harvest, winter barley variety LG Caravelle is another that will be grown again in 2025/26, along with LG Capitol, 100 ha of LG Avenger oilseed rape, and the new candidate hard wheat, LG Defiance. “We saw LG Defiance in trials and really liked how it looked, so will give it a try this autumn as a first wheat after oilseed rape.”

OSR is stand-out performer

Rob Atkin

For Staffordshire grower, Rob Atkin, oilseed rape has been the “crop of the year” on the 380 ha mixed family farm.

His 14 ha of LG Armada yielded around 5 t/ha (2 t/acre), well above the farm average of nearer 4.2 t/ha (1.7 t/acre), and with relatively high oil content.

“For us, it was one of the best years for growing oilseed rape for a long time.”

The two fields both followed winter barley; one drilled on 5^th August, the other on the 25^th. “The later-sown field did struggle a bit with pigeon damage last autumn, but other than that, there wasn’t a lot to choose between them. They established quickly and looked well all through winter, and into spring/summer,” he notes.

Rob has increased his oilseed rape area to 60 ha for 2025/26, split 50:50 between LG Armada and the cabbage stem flea beetle-resilient variety, LG Avenger. “Although CSFB pressure was very low last year, and we haven’t seen much activity so far this year, it can be an issue here, so it’s another tool to help reduce risk.”

On the cereals front, Rob acknowledges dry weather did reduce the farm’s average wheat yield by around 2.5 t/ha across all fields and varieties, although there were stronger performers within this, in a very challenging season.

“LG Rebellion is one variety that’s really surprised me in how well it’s done considering the year. We tried a small 5 ha area for the first time, which despite being drilled late in unfavourable conditions after maize, still did really well, yielding 7.4 t/ha (3 t/acre). There was a lot of rain soon after drilling, but it survived really well, with nice even establishment, and got going quickly in the spring. It also stayed clean and produced a decent amount of straw.”

A similar trial area of LG Beowulf did equally well, coming in just shy of the farm’s highest average yield, at 8.4 t/ha (3.4 t/acre), with good specific weight (77 kg/hl), protein (12.3%) and Hagberg (283).

Given this strong performance, he plans to grow both varieties on a larger scale this coming season, increasing the total area to 40-50 ha.

Overcoming late-sowing challenges

Trialling new varieties in a season as challenging and stressful as 2024/25 was never going to be ideal, but Leicestershire farmer Will Oliver says there were still some interesting differences, which will help shape future decisions.

A small area of three LG varieties was trialled on the 650 ha arable, grassland and indoor poultry farm last season, including LG Beowulf, LG Rebellion, and LG Redwald (500 kg of seed for each).

Will Oliver

“They were all fairly late sown, direct drilled after maize in November, onto heavy, high magnesium content clay soil, so it certainly wasn’t ideal conditions. There were challenges at every end of the growing season; crops were drilled in the wet, and then when we needed rain, there wasn’t any.”

As a consequence, the average yield across all varieties and total wheat area of 300 ha was down 1.4 t/ha on the farm’s five-year average of 8.5 t/ha, with LG Redwald and LG Rebellion performing best out of the LG trial varieties, Will says.

He was particularly impressed by the establishment and growth of the LG Rebellion through last autumn and into spring, as well as its final specific weight, which came in at 78 kg/hl.

“We will probably grow LG Rebellion again on a larger scale this autumn, alongside KWS Vibe, and Champion; all of which will be for seed.

“It’s been a hard year to judge varieties on yield performance alone, so I’m basing my decisions on how varieties established and looked through the season. We want a variety that can establish in late-drilling, more challenging situations, and I felt the LG Rebellion emerged well and looked better than some others we trialled.”

The wheat area is likely to be down to nearer 200 ha this autumn though, as after a six-year hiatus, oilseed rape is back into the rotation. Some 130 ha of LG Avenger was direct drilled after wheat in late August, just ahead of forecast rain.

“We’ve not grown oilseed rape for six years, but have decided to give it another go,” Will notes.

Other cropping includes 200 ha of maize, mainly LG Prospect and LG30.179, drilled in early April. “We normally combine our maize, but because of the forage shortage this year, we took the decision to sell it as a standing crop. Everything looks good, and it sold well at auction. Although it’s been a challenging year for maize, I’d say it’s been our stand-out crop.”

Will likes LG Prospect and LG30.179, and plans to grow both varieties again next year. “I like the early maturity, which really helps us get the following wheat crop in. They also have good standing power, good cob size, and they also tend to combine easier than some other varieties.”

Defying a tough season

Luke Palmer

The winter barley variety LG Capitol was one of the highlights from a challenging season for Cambridgeshire grower, Luke Palmer.

Some 100 ha (250 acres) was grown for seed, on a range of different soil types, with yields averaging 9.1 t/ha across the board, and excellent grain quality.

“That’s a pretty good result considering the season, and the fact that none of it was drilled particularly early last autumn. Most of the LG Capitol followed either sugar beet, potatoes, or maize, so was sown anywhere between the 1^st October and 20^th November. It got up and grew away really well though.”

All straw was baled, although he admits straw yields were down on normal, due to the exceptionally dry spring and summer.

Mr Palmer plans to grow a similar area of LG Capitol again this coming season.

“It’s an excellent variety that I’m really pleased with. It has a high specific weight, strong disease profile, and seems to yield well on our land.”

Located just outside Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, Rob Atkin manages a 1,000-acre farm with a focus on arable cropping and grass -fed, home-reared cattle. As a third-generation farmer, he works alongside his father Peter, combining experience with a practical, forward-thinking approach to land management.

The farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from organic-rich alluvial soils to heavier, more challenging clays; Mixed – light alluvial (9–12% OM) to heavy clay (3–4% OM).

To maintain soil structure and workability, Rob has used a shallow tillage system since 2003, working to a depth of 10–15 cm, but remains flexible — what he refers to as “thoughtful farming” — adjusting his methods according to seasonal and soil conditions.

The cropping strategy is designed around maximising first wheat performance while maintaining oilseed rape (OSR) as a break crop just once every five years. The rotation includes wheat, barley (winter and spring), oats, beans, maize, and OSR. Cattle are fed using home-grown rations based on forage maize and beans, contributing to a fully integrated farm system.

How many different varieties are grown and how long is a variety grown for?

Wheat: LG Beowulf, LG Rebellion, Oxford, Bamford, LG Typhoon
Winter Barley: LG Caravelle
Spring Barley: LG Diablo, Planet, Skyway
Oats: Ascani
Beans: LG Raptor (spring), Tundra (winter)
Maize: KWS Leto, LG Gema

Rob grows a wide range of varieties tailored to different roles in the rotation.

His current wheat portfolio includes LG Beowulf, LG Rebellion, Oxford, Bamford, and LG Typhoon, grown for feed and marketed through Openfield and ADM. He aims for around 8.5t/ha.

“A variety is typically grown for two to three years to assess performance across different seasons. If it continues to deliver strong results, it remains in the programme until yield performance begins to decline,” he explains.

Barley plays a smaller role in the rotation, with 13–14 ha of winter barley (currently LG Caravelle) and around 80 ha of spring barley split between LG Diablo, Planet, and Skyway.

OSR remains an important break crop, typically covering 50–60 ha. While the farm has long favoured Dekalb hybrids, this season Rob is trialling LG Armada and LG Avenger to evaluate their performance.
Rob prefers to use local trials when looking at new varieties to grow. “ We are an Agrii iFarm and host trials for then, so that gives us an invaluable insight to how varieties will grow on our farm, I also judge for the Staffordshire Agricultural Society so get to visit farms in the region and look at a range of different varieties that way.”

What characteristics are most important to you when choosing a variety?

For Rob, yield remains a key priority — but not at any cost. He looks for varieties that offer good performance without needing excessive inputs.

“Yield is always important,” he says, “but I want that to come without ridiculously high inputs— we are not interested in a variety that requires high spend to push for yields.”

High disease resistance is just as critical. “That’s really linked to yield and just as important,” he adds.

Crop vigour is another major consideration, both in autumn and spring. “I’d much rather be managing a forward crop in March than trying to catch one up.”

Early drilling suitability rounds out the main criteria, as drilling around the third week of September is standard practice on the farm. “Any later than this and crops just don’t have the time to get the tillers on before the winter.”

1. Yield
2. Disease resistance
3. Vigour
4. Early driller

Have these characteristics, or weight of importance, changed over recent years?

No! Rob believes his priorities in variety selection have remained consistent. While environmental and regulatory pressures may be evolving, the fundamental traits he values have stayed the same.

“It’s always been about finding the right balance between yield and reliable agronomics,” he says.

Why LG varieties?

LG varieties feature strongly in Rob’s rotation because they offer a practical combination of yield and agronomic strength.

“In my view, LG produces farmer-friendly varieties,” he explains. “They’re high yielding, but they’re also clean, vigorous, and manageable. That gives us a kind of yield security — and that’s worth a lot.”

He also values how clearly LG varieties are positioned in terms of agronomy and management. “Take LG Typhoon — it’s well suited to early drilling, and it’s a very clean variety. You know where it fits and how to get the best out of it.”

How have the varieties performed this season?

Crops are performing well so far, with low disease pressure across all varieties. Rob reports that the season has allowed for a reduction in fungicide inputs, helping to control costs without compromising crop health.

“Disease levels have been low this year, so we dropped the T0 spray. We’ll go in with a T2 as the flag leaf pulls away from the ear — what I call a ‘head & shoulders’ spray.”

To compensate for the lighter fungicide programme, Rob has focused on supporting plant health through nutrition:

• Nitrogen: All wheat crops receive around 200 kg/ha in three splits, with early applications of sulphur
• Micronutrients: Particular attention is paid to managing trace elements, especially on the alluvial soils where nutrient availability can be more variable
• Spring applications: Crops received boron, sulphur, magnesium, and manganese to support key growth stages

“On the light soils, trace elements like magnesium and manganese are critical. If they’re not available when the plant needs them, it shows.”

“Among the wheats LG Beowulf and LG Rebellion are looking very clean this spring, and in the dry conditions appear to be holding on better than other varieties.”

OSR crops are also showing promise, supported by slurry applications pre-drilling and targeted spring nutrition.

“LG Armada has held onto its petals just that little but longer than other varieties, so hopefully this will play out in numbers of pods.”

• Early slurry helps establish strong root systems
• Spring sulphur is applied to maintain growth and yield potential
• A cost-effective fungicide approach is used — selecting varieties with good phoma and sclerotinia resistance is essential

“We don’t overspend on fungicides for OSR — that’s why varietal resistance is a key factor for us.”

As experienced contractors and longstanding maize growers in their own right, Martin Evans Farming know all about the importance of good variety selection.

In their own case, very early maturity is a key priority, to ensure harvest is underway by the end of September so that following crops can be established in good time.

They also require consistent performance, with starch and energy levels as high as possible to underpin the ration of their 1,500-cow herd of high performing pedigree Holsteins.

“Maize is the mainstay of the forage ration for our milking herd, making up around 60% alongside grass silage,” explains Josh Evans. “The higher the quality, the better, as it reduces other feed costs, but we’re also focused on crops reaching full maturity early. We always aim to establish a following crop to cover the ground over the winter, whether that’s after maize grown within a rotation or a crop that’s grown continuously. It’s important to prevent soil erosion over winter, and to have a crop in the ground to minimise any leaching of nutrients.”

Martin Evans Farming, based at Priddbwll Mawr, Llangedwyn, near Oswestry, usually grows between 500 and 600 acres of maize each year, most of it as part of an arable rotation and typically followed by winter wheat. The remainder is grown on ground suited to continuous maize, where the usual practice is to follow it with an over-winter cover crop, such as a Westerwolds and Italian ryegrass blend.

The farm’s agronomist, Ian Evans of BCW Agriculture Ltd (Frontier), provides guidance on varieties, with the 2024 acreage largely being drilled with the very early variety Skipper or the slightly later maturing Saxon, both from Limagrain and bred through the company’s robust and extensive UK screening and testing programme.

“With such a large and important maize acreage, we’re looking for varieties that will reliably get up and out of the ground, and stand up and perform in terms of yield, starch and energy,” Josh explains. “Skipper meets all these criteria, and as it is very early – often selected to perform in more marginal areas – it delivers the early harvest. Saxon has similar attributes, but is slightly later and therefore a better option for our lighter ground.”

The Priddbwll Holsteins are split into two herds, one milked through a rotary and one through a semi-rapid exit parlour, calving all year round. Milked three times daily, the cows are averaging around 13,000 litres/lactation.

“A typical milking ration will contain 22kg of maize silage and 16kg of grass silage, with rape, wheat, ground maize and a protein blend making up the mix,” adds Josh. “The maize is a primary source of energy, so we are trying to maximise the amount we include in the diet.

“It’s important that we fill the clamps with as good a quality crop as possible, so we need reliably performing varieties, and we do the best job we can with everything from seed bed preparation through to nutrition.”

The maize ground at Priddbwll Mawr benefits from applications of either farmyard manure, slurry or poultry muck, so baseline soil nutrition is good. After ploughing at 8-10 inches, the ground is sub-soiled, usually between 14 and 18 inches, and then power harrowed to create a fine tilth.

“We’ll go over with the power harrow twice if necessary, in order to create the seedbed conditions that we need,” says Josh. “There’s little to be gained trying to cut corners with seedbed preparation.”

Drilling date is dictated by the season, but would be as early as 24th April if conditions allowed. In 2024, with cold and damp conditions dominating until beyond the end of April, drilling was delayed until 12th May, further underlying the importance of selecting early maturing varieties like Skipper to counter harvesting delays due to seasonal conditions. As with variety selection, agronomist Ian Evans advises on any further inputs, with the farm using both pre- and post-emergence herbicides to ensure all crops have a clean start.

With base level soil nutrition underpinned by the application of the farm’s own manures, any additional fertilisers are for targeted use, designed to help early establishment and deliver a boost when the crop needs it most. To this end, a starter fertiliser is applied down the spout at drilling, at a rate of 125kg/ha, delivering nitrogen, phosphate and key trace elements. Then, at around 6-8 weeks, Josh has seen benefits from the use of the slow-release urea Nutrino Pro, applied as a foliar spray.

“We’ve used the liquid fertiliser over the last couple of years and it’s something we’ll continue as it seems to give the crops an advantage.”

Harvest date is determined with the help of Ian Evans, with the optimum dry matter range being between 28 and 32% in order to optimise the starch percentage, metabolisable energy (ME) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) available to the dairy cows.

“Even in what has been a difficult year for growing maize, we’ve harvested a mature crop in good time and have what we need in the clamps,” Josh concludes.

Learn more about our high performance maize varieties here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the Maize Variety Selection Guide here

Despite traditionally being regarded as a niche crop in Scotland due its requirement for warm soils and long hours of sunshine, an increasing number of growers north of the border are successfully harvesting maize as a reliable source of winter forage for livestock.

“With careful planning and attention to detail, early maturing maize varieties can produce consistently high yields of dry matter, starch and easily metabolisable energy,” explains Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds UK and Ireland.

The latest generation of ultra early varieties means maize is now a viable forage crop for some Scottish growers.

“Thanks to significant investment in maize breeding programmes, Scottish growers now have the option to grow maize without having to drill crops under plastic and without automatically having to sacrifice yield or crop quality in order to secure a safe and early harvest.

“In fact, many growers in Scotland, typically in the Borders but also further north, have achieved good yields from varieties such as Gema, Dignity and Skipper, all of which are able to produce cost-effective crops in a shorter growing season. In the right conditions, all three can be drilled in May and harvested successfully in October, leaving sufficient time for a following catch crop such as forage rye to be grown before the next maize cycle begins. And with the next generation of ultra early varieties such as Duke which has an even shorter growing season, yield, quality and earliness of harvest are even easier to achieve.”

In addition to a variety which matures early and can therefore be harvested in favourable conditions, and which has a high lodging resistance rating to enable it to cope with unfavourable weather conditions, the key to growing a good crop of maize in Scotland is to ensure crops are drilled into a well-prepared seedbed which has warmed to at least 8oC for at least five consecutive days.

“How well a crop performs at harvest ultimately comes down to how it was cared for in its infancy,” Tim continues. “Even the very best genetics can’t compensate for poor soil preparation, a lack of nutrients or seed which hasn’t been drilled to the correct depth, so attention to detail and selecting the right location is vital to ensuring the crop’s success.

“A sheltered location with free draining soils and preferably with a south facing aspect will be beneficial, with growers also advised to work with an experienced maize contractor and agronomist before jumping into growing maize for the first time,” Tim adds. “And growers should also do their own homework to make sure they’re using a suitable variety. The first port of call should be to study the independent data provided by the BSPB/NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List to create a shortlist of potential varieties, but growers can also access free tools such as the LG Seeds Maize Manager App to determine which variety or varieties are suited to their specific location.”

The LG Maize Manager App simplifies the decision about which variety to grow.

The Maize Manager App uses the latest trials data and postcode-specific Met Office data to calculate Ontario Heat Unit accumulations for the specified location and processes this information to recommend relevant varieties. In doing so, growers can easily select the optimum variety for their location. The App also features a Sowing Manager tool which calculates the optimum seeding rate for the chosen variety, and a Maturity Manager to determine if the selected location is likely to receive sufficient heat units to grow maize and to advice the optimum date for harvest.

“Growers can also find most of the information they need in the LG Maize Variety Selection Guide,” Tim concludes. “As well as making maize variety choice simple, this handy guide also provides a wealth of crop establishment and nutritional advice, as well as some key pointers in terms of bird, insect and disease control.”

More info

For the BSPB/NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List, click here

To download the LG Maize Manager App from Apple, click here

To download the LG Maize Manager App from Google Play, click here

To view the 2025 LG Maize Variety Selection Guide, click here

Maximising methane output is the primary objective when running an anaerobic digester and, for the Channing family, that means growing the most consistent and high-quality maize feedstock across 1,000 variable acres. Good advice, on-farm analysis and growing the best varieties all play a part in success.

Consistency is key to maximising ad feedstock value

Running a 500kW anaerobic digester fuelled solely by maize, Alistair Channing has – over the past nine years – learned more about growing the crop than most.

From soils to crop sample analysis, he’s left no stone unturned to achieve not only high yields, but also consistency and quality, all in a remarkably short harvest window.

For most of this time, he has worked collaboratively with the specialist maize team at Limagrain, benefiting from agronomic advice, using an assortment of their varieties, and even hosting crop trials.

Alistair Channing grows 1,000 acres of maize as the sole source of feed for his 500kW AD

“We’re growing 1,000 acres of maize in total, half on our own land and half coming from six neighbouring farms,” explains Alistair. “There is naturally a variation in soil types and soil fertility across this acreage, not least because maize is a break crop on most of the neighbouring farms, so the challenge is to have it all, as far as possible, reaching optimum maturity at the same time.

“At one time we grew maize for dairy cows and growing for AD is basically the same. We want an optimum dry matter of 32% and good levels of starch and digestibility in order to maximise the methane output.

“Over the last eight years, average yields on our home ground sit at 18.8t/acre, compared with 17.35t/acre on the other farms.”

In 2024, the 1,000 acre maize harvest for Channing Digester was completed between the 2nd and 6th October, this being at the better end of their target of 5-7 days.

A dry matter of 32% and good levels of starch and digestibility help to maximise methane output from maize.

“Firstly, we select varieties to suit the soil type and the soil fertility, generally earlier maturing types but it depends on the fields, and this helps to achieve consistent maturity dates,” Alistair continues. “This year harvest was a little later than the norm, largely due to conditions in the spring forcing later drilling, but we were still ahead of most other growers. Working with a reliable contractor that runs two full teams is certainly a big part of hitting our objectives.”

At the Channing’s own farm at Brandon Grange near Coventry, where they once grew a lot of potatoes, the sandy loam soils are generally well-suited to growing maize. Varieties this year have included relatively late maturing types, such as LG31.207, but also one of the newer very early varieties, Promise. By matching varieties to soil type and fertility, the aim is to have everything mature at the same time, as close to 32% dry matter as possible.

“Every trailer goes over a weighbridge and we sample every second or third load to measure the dry matter,” says Alistair. “We have our own mobile laboratory to carry out NIR (near infra-red) spectroscopy and also check dry matters in an oven. Payments are made on weights adjusted to 32% dry matter and we want to be scrupulously fair to all parties.”

Yields range from 17.35 to 18.8t/acre depending on soil type and fertility across the farmed acreage.

Consistency in crop yields and maturity is also achieved with a standardised approach to growing, as far as possible. All maize grown for Channing Digester now has to be sown with a maize drill, with DAP (diammonium phosphate) applied down the spout, and there is a collaborative approach to variety selection. At Brandon Grange Farm, maize is now grown with tramlines, allowing digestate to be used between the rows and the application of late nitrogen. Foliar applied nutrition has also been used.

“We’re constantly looking to improve the way we grow maize, with developments such as slow-release nitrogen under consideration,” adds Alistair.

Growing maize sustainably has always been a priority for the Channings, and the early harvest is important as it allows the establishment of a cover crop, which now enables the farm to qualify for an SFI payment.

“We usually use a mixture of spring oats and mustard, which we seek to establish soon after the maize comes off,” concludes Alistair. “We see this as a green manure, and destroy it mechanically, preferring not to use glyphosate, usually in February. This leaves ample time to apply digestate before preparing the ground for the next crop.

“It’s all about doing the job the best way that we can.”

ROBUST CROPPING PLAN ESSENTIAL

With the government’s Green Gas Support Scheme open to applications until March 2028, interest in growing maize as an important part of the feedstock for biomethane plants remains high.

According to Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds UK & Ireland, AD plants are increasing in scale, but the principles around growing a crop remain very much the same.

“Whatever the size of the operation, maximum efficiency will be achieved when all the maize is harvested at the optimum dry matter, and as early in the season as possible,” he says. “A robust cropping plan is even more important for someone that may be harvesting as much as 10,000 acres to supply a biomethane plant.

“After a harvest like 2024, the importance of early maturing varieties cannot be emphasised enough. Avoiding a wet and muddy harvest should be a priority within that cropping plan. Furthermore, early harvests will allow the establishment of cover crops, which is first and foremost best practice but now has the added benefit of an SFI payment.”

When it comes to the suitability of varieties for AD, Limagrain does test varieties for gas output, but as important is the anecdotal evidence coming back from the many plants that the company is working with.

“Often the advice is to grow a range of varieties, tailored to soil type and conditions, that will deliver 32% dry matter within a safe harvest window, with the starch level and cell wall digestibility to maximise gas production,” he adds. “We have a lot of experience of supporting biomethane plant operators, not just in choice of varieties but also how to grow maize to achieve the best outputs.”

Find out more

Learn more about our high performance maize varieties here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the Maize Variety Selection Guide here

For North Wales mixed farmers Neal Morris and his son George, maize is an important forage for their milk production and beef finishing enterprises. It is also an integral part of their wider farming system, playing a key role as a break crop in their arable rotation.

The important point for Neal and George is that all enterprises are complementary to one another, with nothing done to the detriment of anything else. For that reason, they are constantly evolving their maize growing strategy, with earlier maturing varieties an essential element going forward.

Neal Morris (right) and son, George, run a mixed dairy, beef, sheep and arable business at New Sontley Farm in North Wales.

“We aim to create a balance in everything we do,” Neal says. “With maize, we are looking for consistency, rather than necessarily pushing for the highest yields, and it’s vital that we’ve harvested a mature crop in time to plant winter wheat.

“After the very challenging conditions we encountered in 2023, we’ve done things a little differently in 2024. Instead of growing a single variety, we’ve looked at several different options, including the very early maturing Duke. This has delivered exactly what we’d hoped, in terms of starch and dry matter, but most importantly it produced fully ripe cobs well before the end of September.”

New Sontley Farm, near Wrexham, runs the large, high-yielding Erddig herd of pedigree Holstein Friesian milking cows on a conventional winter housed and summer grazed system. With sexed semen used to optimise the production of replacement heifers, crossbred calves are retained and go into the farm’s beef finishing system. In addition to a substantial arable acreage, the farm also runs a flock of breeding sheep.

350 acres of maize are grown in rotation following either barley, Italian ryegrass or stubble turnips.

The ground is predominantly of a medium loam type, with some heavier land. Maize has been grown since 2000 and now extends to around 350 acres each year. It usually follows barley in the rotation, with stubble turnips or an Italian ryegrass grown over the winter preceding the maize. A lot of attention is paid to seedbed preparation, which Neal considers to be one of the most important aspects to successful maize growing.

“We burn off the preceding crop and apply generous quantities of farmyard manure before ploughing,” he explains. “After applying fertiliser on the furrow, we’ll then go over with a minimum tillage type of subsoiler, to remove any compaction, and then a pass with a power harrow before drilling.

“We never drill before the 1^st May, and are then guided by soil temperatures, ideally getting the crop in before 15^th May. This is to an extent gut feel, but we’ll also take valued guidance from our agronomists and maize seed suppliers Mark Hancock and Buddug Williams, who offer a wider perspective on conditions in the area.

“We do everything except forage chopping in-house, so we’re completely in control of activity and can work best with the conditions.”

Whereas it was once the policy at New Sontley Farm to roll after drilling – to enhance soil contact for the pre-emergence herbicide – Neal now considers the need to minimise compaction to be the greater priority. A post-emergence herbicide will only be used if needed, with an assessment made at around four to six weeks after drilling, and nothing else is required after that.

“One of the things we’ve been trying, with the aim of achieving more consistent maturity, is to vary seed rates,” adds Neal. “By dropping the seed rate slightly, by about 10% on our heavier ground, we’ve found we can create a more even cob maturity across the farm, which helps a lot when it comes to harvest. It’s something we’ll continue to look at.”

When it comes to determining harvest timing, Neal is experienced enough to know when cobs are mature and what the optimum date will be to achieve the most consistent forage stocks in the clamp.

The rule of thumb he’s worked to for years is to start chopping on 1^st October, but this year he found that the Duke, one of the latest generation of ultra early varieties from Limagrain’s breeding programme, was fully mature by around the 10^th September.

“We could have taken the Duke in the first half of September which would have enabled us to drill the following wheat earlier, but we actually delayed harvesting until around ten days later, because nothing else was ready and we didn’t want to have to re-open the clamp,” Neal explains.

Harvesting is largely carried out in-house, with the exception of a contracted-in forage chopper. Neal is not obsessed with yields, so doesn’t measure them, but his contractor reports crops at New Sontley Farm to be well above average for the area.

Maize makes up about 40% of the forage ration on a fresh weight basis, alongside grass silage. These are fed with a protein blend and concentrates in the parlour.

“We want starch and energy for the ration, but the most important thing we need from our maize is that it provides a consistent feed source,” concludes Neal. “It is a natural crop, grown within the balance of a sustainable rotation, that drives milk production. Earlier varieties, like Duke, will help us to achieve these goals, even in the most challenging years.”

Learn more about our high performance maize varieties here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the Maize Variety Selection Guide here

For Devon dairy farmer Jono Mock, growing early maturing maize varieties is as much about feed quality as it is about harvest date, establishing following crops, soil health or environmental benefits.

All are important, but most notable in terms of the direct impact on the performance of his high-yielding Holstein Friesian herd, is the fact that he knows he is maximising the digestibility of starch from the day he opens his maize silage clamp.

Jono Mock is in the process of expanding his Devon based herd of high yielding Holstein Friesians from 180 to 220 cows.

That’s particularly important for his forage-based dairy system, where maize typically makes up fifty percent of the dry matter of the herd’s ration.

“I remember times when our maize harvest would be later, and we’d often be opening the clamp before the crop was fully fermented,” he says. “The silage would go right through the cows, and we knew we were not making the most of the forage. Now, we’re able to keep the clamp closed for at least four weeks after harvest, possibly longer, and it makes a big difference.”

Farming at Bircham Farm, Burrington, Jono is in the process of expanding from 180 up to 220 cows next year, with a new rapid exit parlour due to come online early in 2025. The farm is in mid-tier Countryside Stewardship, which includes the SW5 Enhanced Management of Maize Crops option. Amongst the requirements are that the crop is harvested before 1st October, and that a cover crop is drilled within two weeks.

Very early varieties that have helped the farm to successfully achieve these objectives in recent years have included Limagrain’s Pinnacle, Ambition and Dignity, and for the last two years he has grown Skipper.

“I first saw Skipper at one of Limagrain’s pre-harvest trial days and it really stood out,” recalls Jono. “We pre-ordered it there and then, and it performed extremely well in 2023, yielding up to 21 tonnes/acre.

This year has been more challenging, with overall yields being nearer to 17 tonnes/acre, but we’ve still harvested a fully mature crop before the end of September and we’re very pleased with the quality.”

Maize makes up 50% of the dry matter of the herd’s ration, with LG Skipper being used to ensure the crop is harvested before 1st Oct

Milk yields currently average around 9,000 litres from a ration of maize and grass silage, with a blend also fed to provide nutritional balance. Going forward, cows will receive supplementary feeding in the parlour, on a feed-to-yield basis, and Jono expects yields to rise.

Calving all year round, the herd is typically at grass for five months during which time quality grass and white clover leys play an important part. Long-term dual-purpose leys, such as the LG Sinclair McGill Castlehill mixture, are integral to both grazing and silage output.

Since growing cover crops after maize, Jono has noted a definite improvement in soil health. He usually grows Humbolt forage rye, though has also grown an Italian ryegrass this year. “We take the cover crop as an early silage cut, around the first week of April, and this ground will either go back into maize or into grass,” he adds.

At Bircham Farm, creating the optimum seedbed is one of the main priorities when growing maize, to ensure the best soil-to-seed contact.

“It does take time to prepare a good seedbed, and often it will mean two passes with the power harrow,” says Jono, “but it’s not an area where we want to take shortcuts.”

Selecting maize varieties which are very early maturing ensures the crop is fully fermented before the clamp is opened.

Drilling typically takes place at the end of April, or the first week of May, but like so many in the cold and wet spring and early summer of 2024, this year it was as late as mid-May. A contractor drills the maize, with an available phosphate source applied in the seedbed. The ground at Bircham Farm is relatively clean, but a pre-emergence herbicide is used if possible, as well as a post-emergence spray as a routine.

Support from Limagrain’s Graham Parnell has proven invaluable over the years, according to Jono, both in terms of variety selection and also in forecasting optimum harvest dates. Maize is most certainly a cornerstone of milk production at Bircham Farm, and is only likely to become more important as the herd expands. Another very early variety, Duke, new to the Descriptive List for 2025, is now on Jono’s radar: noted for its high starch content and good digestibility, it has all the attributes to suit his system.

“We had a five-year period operating organically, when it was just too difficult to grow maize, and we really missed it,” Jono concludes. “We wouldn’t be without it in our current set up and, because we are growing within an agreement where an early harvest and post-harvest cover cropping are essential, I believe we are making the best of the crop by using early varieties.”

Learn more about our high performance maize varieties here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the Maize Variety Selection Guide here

Early maturing maize allows Somerset farmer to improve soil health and earn an SFI payment from cover cropping.

Growing 800 acres of Gema allows Jon Bult to produce a high yielding, energy dense crop of maize to feed his 700 dairy cows. As an early maturing variety, Gema also enables him to prioritise soil health by establishing overwinter cover crops in maize stubbles.

Jon Bult, Somerset Farmer

“We’re on heavy ground; some of which is marginal for maize, so it makes sense to use the earliest maturing varieties,” Jon says. “Gema is ideal as it delivers high starch, but its earliness does not impact yield. “We grow Italian ryegrass after maize and can establish this even in late October. In the past, we’ve established grass with light cultivations but have had to work deeper due to the recent wetter conditions.”

As a cover crop after maize, Italian ryegrass qualifies for the Sustainable Farming Incentive action SOH4, which is currently worth £203/ha, although Jon believes the greater value is the improvement of soil health. “Minimising soil erosion and nutrient losses is the main priority. We terminate the cover crop in spring and apply manure and slurry before drilling maize. I aim to sow maize around 20th April, but recent cold, wet springs has pushed this back to 14th May. We’ll be growing Gema again in 2025, as its early harvest suits our system well”.

With a second consecutive maize harvest significantly hampered by another wet autumn, growers should choose wisely to ensure their 2025 crop is ready to be harvested in good time.

That’s the advice from Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds UK and Ireland, who explains that growers no longer have to sacrifice yield or crop quality in order to secure an early harvest.

“Maize breeding programmes have advanced significantly in recent years, with modern varieties such as Gema, Dignity and Skipper enabling growers to produce a high yielding crop in a shorter growing season,” Tim explains.

An early maturing variety like Duke can mitigate wet weather risks according to Limagrain’s Tim Richmond.

“Likewise, Duke – the latest ‘very early’ variety to come out of Limagrain’s extensive UK testing programme – also offers a significant improvement in terms of earliness of maturity, yield and quality in favourable and less favourable maize growing regions.”

Despite being one of the earliest maturity varieties on the 2024-25 BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List, Duke (which has an FAO of 140) delivers an exceptional dry matter yield of 18.1t/ha and combines this with very high quality.

“In fact, its starch yield of 6.96t/ha is the highest of all varieties on the Less Favourable list, and the highest of all Very Early varieties on the Favourable list,” Tim explains.

“Duke also has superior feed value thanks to its improved cell wall digestibility which increases its ME yield – something that is unusual for such an early variety. It also has good potential as a crimping or grain variety, and, thanks to its very early vigour and good standing ability, is less likely to be impacted by another wet year as it can be drilled later in the spring but will still be ready to harvest in good time.

“And, should the 2025 maize harvest be hampered by another bout of wet weather, Duke’s excellent disease resistance and stay green genetics will ensure it’s still in premium condition even if harvesting is delayed.”

Cover cropping and SFI potential

As well as enabling growers to exploit optimum harvesting conditions, Duke’s very early maturity also gives growers more time to establish a following crop.

Limagrain’s extensive testing and screening programme assesses all new varieties in UK conditions.

“Planting a winter cover crop after maize is now the recommended best practice, as it delivers important soil health benefits, but can also allow growers to access additional payments through the Sus­tainable Farming Incentive (SFI),” Tim continues.

“Italian Ryegrass and Westerwolds are proving popular as winter cover crops after maize, as are forage rye varieties such as Humbolt which performs well in most scenarios.”

Undersowing maize with a companion crop is another potential SFI payment opportunity, and it has the added benefit of ensuring the cover crop is already established when the maize comes off. “Undersowing does however need access to the right equipment and must be done at the correct timing to avoid the risk of affecting the primary crop’s performance,” Tim says.

“Alternatively, a multi-species cover crop such as Limagrain’s Lift n Fix combination of forage rye and common vetch will provide the ideal combination of a crop that mops up residual nutrients whilst fixing nitrogen for future cropping rotations.”

Further technical info and data

Learn more about our high performance maize varieties here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the Maize Variety Selection Guide here

For north Somerset milk producer Jon Bult, growing a very early maturing variety of maize allows him to maximise his use of overwinter cover crops which deliver soil health benefits and an SFI payment.

Maize forms the basis of the ration for the 700-cow herd at Collum Farm as it consistently provides a high energy forage which contributes to yields of over 12,000 litres per lactation for the herd’s Holstein Friesians, and over 7,000 litres for the herd’s pure Jerseys.

Despite being grown on some marginal land, plus the challenging growing conditions of recent seasons, growing 800 acres of early maturing Gema allows Jon to prioritise soil health by maximising the area of overwinter cover crops that go into maize stubbles.

“We’re on heavy ground, a lot of which land is marginal for maize,” Jon says, “so it makes sense to opt for the earliest maturing varieties. With cows inside all year round, we need high yields and energy. Gema is ideal for us as it delivers high starch, but its earliness does not impact significantly on yield.

“We grow straight Italian ryegrass after maize and, being at sea level and with minimal risk of frosts, can typically drill this successfully as late as the end of October,” he says. “In the past, we’ve been able to establish grass with relatively light cultivations, but with increasingly wetter conditions we had to cultivate deeper to achieve success.”

As a straight overwinter cover crop, established after maize, the Italian ryegrass qualifies for the Sustainable Farming Incentive action SOH4, which is currently worth £203/ha, although Jon believes the greater value is in the benefits to soil health.

“Minimising soil erosion and nutrient losses is the main priority,” he says. “We’ll terminate the cover crop in the spring, and then apply farmyard manure and slurry before going back into maize.

“We will be growing Gema again in 2025. If we had the ground, I’d like to grow more, including some grain maize again, but land is our limiting factor at the moment.”

In an ideal season, Jon aims to drill maize from around 20^th April, though it has been later in the past two cold wet springs, even as late as 14^th May. He uses a standard herbicide programme, with pre-emergence applications for the earlier drilled crops. He’s routinely soil sampling his fields on a four-yearly rotation, and reports the key indices to be optimal, but is considering foliar applied nutrition as a possible development going forward.