THE growing need to harvest maize earlier, either for agronomic or environmental reasons, is driving farmers toward earlier-maturing varieties. South West Farmer discussed the trend with Mole Valley Farmers and met two customers who have experienced the benefits of doing so.

Farmers in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and even Dorset are now increasingly concerned about harvesting maize early, in some cases to allow drilling of winter cereals, grass or clover but increasingly for environmental reasons as cross-compliance regulations place more emphasis on minimising soil erosion from maize stubbles.

"Selecting an early maturing maize variety has become of greater importance in the South West. However it is necessary to select varieties with proven standing power, early vigour and high starch yield. Stay green and total crop digestibility are of increasing relevance as the proportion of maize sileage in the diet increases," explains Graham Ragg, arable sales manager for Mole Valley Farmers. "Seventy five per cent of our sales of maize are new varieties with NIAB maturing ratings of 8 or 9. However earliness is not the only consideration, reliability and consistency of performance are also vital."

To learn as much as possible about how varieties from different breeders perform in a wide range of growing conditions, Mole Valley Farmers conduct their own trials throughout the South West, enabling them to provide customers with practical, independent advice.

Whitley Farm at Walton in Somerset provides the ultimate growing environment for maize, the 8ft-thick layer of peat on the Somerset Levels being like a giant growbag. However, those very same conditions create the need to harvest maize early. Having hosted Mole Valley Farmers' trials for the last four years, with 22 varieties of maize grown in quarter-acre plots within the commercial crop, farmer Mike Pople is well aware of the benefits of early maturing varieties. Mike, who has farmed in the area with his brother Anthony since 1960 and at Whitley Farm since 1990, grows 50 acres of maize for the 220 Holstein Friesian dairy cows, 50-60 dairy herd replacements and 140 beef cattle.

Mole Valley Farmers members for 20 years, Mike and Anthony have most of their maize acreage into Fabius, an early-maturing variety that like Kingdom, another variety popular with MVF customers, represents the way forward. Demonstrating consistently high yields and starch content, Fabius can be harvested early to achieve optimum drymatter (around 32%), minimise soil damage, limit erosion and run-off from harvested fields and reduce the problem of mud on roads.

Kingdom, another proven performer, delivers exceptional starch yields, exhibits good early vigour and has a short growing season. Providing a late sowing opportunity following early-cut grass silage, it is well suited to traditionally less favoured areas for growing maize, stands well and can be harvested early, allowing early crops of winter cereals to be drilled on good sites.

Early maturing varieties are vital at Whitley Farm, as Mike Pople explains: "For the last four years we've drilled Italian Ryegrass on maize stubble to provide either early spring grazing or silage, which means we're always late drilling maize. Last year we cut the ryegrass on May 15, ploughed the land and planted maize the following week. The heart of successful maize growing is warm soil, moisture and a fine seedbed, all of which we have here. The crop emerged just six days after drilling, which is typical for this land almost regardless of weather conditions because it is very free draining, holds moisture and becomes very warm. Our enterprise is driven by profit and if something doesn't pay we don't do it. We choose Fabius because it is reliable and gives consistently high yields.

"Having built new concrete-walled, narrow-faced clamps, with separate sections for grass, maize and maize over grass silages, Mike Pople is delighted with the silage in them now. The cows, which average almost 8,000 litres, receive a daily ration which includes 1kg of wheat and barley, 1kg of soya, 2.5kg of brewers grains, 150 grams of specialist minerals, 150 grams of limestone flour and a 21% protein cake fed to yield through the parlour."

This year, Mike and Anthony Pople will be growing more Fabius but trying the new Advanta variety Aurellia, which in trials last year yielded 32 tonnes/acre at 34.6% starch. However, they are in no doubt that their underlying business philosophy, to maximise profits which are already at the very top end of the farming scale, will see the maize acreage increase still further during the year ahead.