Two new varieties have been added to the recommended forage maize list for crops grown in the open without a film cover.

The list was compiled by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from results of trials carried over the period from 2021 to 2023. The trials were carried out at sites in counties Cork, Kildare, Waterford and Kilkenny and across Department trials this year, 19 uncovered maize varieties were examined.

The new varieties are KWS Anastasio and Saxon. They are provisionally recommended along with Resolute, which was first recommended in 2023.

Ambition is holding strong on the fully recommended list. It has been on the list since 2015 and is joined by Prospect.

Newer varieties

As you would expect, the newer varieties are out-performing on yield. The control yield is 19t DM/ha and KWS Anastasio is reaching 109% of that dry matter yield. Saxon follows on 107 and Resolute is at 106.

Saxon performs well on DM content with a score of 100 to match Ambition.

However, Resolute comes in at 93 and KWS Anastasio at 91. KWS Anastasio is a late-maturing variety. Late varieties tend to have higher yields, but lower starch content. In the same way that early maturing varieties tend to have lower yields, but higher starch contents.

Starch contents are lower compare to controls. KWS Anastasio and Saxon have scores of 92 for Starch, with Resolute at 88 compared to 98 for Ambition and 101 for Prospect.

However, there is very little between varieties on energy with all on 11.3-11.4.

KWS Anastasio is a late-maturing variety so this is something to take account of, especially where planting on wetter land. Apart from KWS Anastasio which was bred by KWS in Germany, the remaining varieties were bred by Limagrain in France.

Covered maize

The majority of maize in Ireland is grown under cover. The Department of Agriculture stopped trialling maize varieties in the open in 2014, but recommenced these trials in 2020. In July 2021, the single-use plastic directive meant that plastic could no longer be used to cover maize.

The Department of Agriculture stopped covered maize trials as a result. However, a new biodegradable film was available almost immediately after the ban on plastics. Covered maize trials recommenced in 2023, but data cannot be shared yet as there is just one year of data so far.