Maize growers can boost the contribution their crops make to their farm’s bottom line by using the free Maize Manager App from LG Seeds to select the most appropriate varieties for their specific use and location.
Suitable for Android and iOS phones, the easy-to-use app is designed to help growers maximise the performance of their maize crops and offset the cost of purchased feed.
“When it comes to choosing which variety to grow, the first port of call should be to study the independent data provided by the BSPB/NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List,” explains LG Seeds maize manager, Tim Richmond. “Beyond that growers can also use the free LG Seeds Maize Manager App to determine which variety or varieties are best suited to their specific location and to ensure their 2023 crop delivers a reliable return on investment.”
The Maize Manager App uses the latest trials data and compares the energy output and milk, meat or biogas production potential of individual varieties within a similar maturity range to simplify the decision about which variety to grow for forage, grain or AD purposes.
“The Maturity Manager tool within the App uses postcode-specific Met Office data to calculate Ontario Heat Unit accumulations for the specified location and processes this information to recommend relevant varieties,” Mr Richmond says. “In doing so, growers can select the optimum variety for their location and purpose.”
The App’s Feed Value Manager tool enables users to calculate how much their chosen variety will save by offsetting purchased feed costs either as result of the variety’s ability to increase milk output from home-grown forage, or in the case of beef rearers and AD plants, how much the chosen variety will contribute to improved daily liveweight gains or increased biogas output.
The App also features a tool which helps growers to calculate the optimum seeding rate for their chosen variety, and one which determines the optimum date for harvest. It also contains a new LG Animal Nutrition (LGAN) tool which highlights the cost savings associated with using one of these high yielding, high energy varieties – either in terms of increased milk yields, higher liveweight gains or increased biogas (AD) output.
