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A dairy farm in Sussex experienced better-than-expected results with their maize crop, with a new variety outperforming expectations. John Hancock at Hurlands Farm near Petworth was impressed with the performance of the Emeleen variety on their light greensand soils. Despite challenges due to cold and wet spring conditions, Emeleen yielded remarkably well compared to the usual variety, Ballade.

With 222 hectares farmed, including 40 hectares of maize and 8 hectares of wheat, the farm is home to 250 Holstein Friesian cows producing 10,000 litres of milk. The small field of Emeleen produced 74-75t/ha, while the rest of the maize ground yielded only 40t/ha, which John attributes to the difficult spring conditions.

Harvest timings were normal, with drilling in the first week of May and harvesting in mid-September. Surprisingly, despite a slow start, the maize ripened early and was only slightly drier than preferred for clamping. Despite having Irrigation facilities, they did not water the crop during a dry period in August.

Maize is now a key part of the farm’s feeding system, alongside grass silage for grazing in summer and kale in winter. The farm historically used maize as a backstop for dry summers, strip-grazing once the cob emerged in August. Now, the maize is integrated into the feeding system for the cows.

The farm grows two main maize varieties, each with its own attributes. Ballade is known for early cob maturity and balanced silage production, while Emeleen is favored for its performance on lighter soils, early season growth, and high yield potential. In fact, Emeleen was the second-highest yielder in Niab descriptive list trials in 2022.

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