MAA Cob... · The winner of each of each section will be interviewed by the MAA, with an article...

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Autumn 2009

MAA

Autumn 2019

Hello to all,

The 18/19 season was a real challenge in my area and from what I have heard it was much the same in most maize growing areas. It was pleasing to see the maize grain price increase

significantly this season, however this was offset by low water allocations which resulted in a very expensive temporary trade price for irrigation water. Subsequent cuts in applied irrigation along with high heat throughout summer resulted in yields being a little lower than expected. This seemed to also be the case with many of the rice and cotton crops, however, it was pleasing to see an increase in the area of maize planted in comparison to rice and cotton, with some new growers in the MIA. A number of Coleambally growers also continue to plant significant areas to maize every year.

It’s with great interest I read in this edition of the cob, of maize being grown for grain in Tasmania on the property of Nathan Richardson. This makes a lot of sense to grow maize in the cooler summer climate latitudes, and looks likely to expand, great stuff!

David Coddington and I attended a maize field day held in Boort Victoria back in February this year. This was organised by Spot On Ag. It was well attended by both current and potential growers, along with several industry reps. You could feel a real buzz in the air during the field walks and while the keynote speakers gave their presentation and took questions from the floor. Well done to the organising committee, as a great day was had by all. Another recent highlight for the Maize industry in Australia was the export of maize grain out of Kununurra Western Australia to South Korea. Hopefully this market can continue to grow and enable growers to utilise that precious resource in Lake Argyle, which we have been very sadly lacking in our region. It certainly is the envy of the irrigation farmers down south. Great work to all concerned.

Hopefully the heavens will open shortly and give us some much-needed soil moisture and fill up the dams throughout the catchment area. We have recently received some rain, but hopefully that will lead into more widespread events over the coming months.

I would like to remind growers when doing their summer crop budgets to consider some of the shorter season maize varieties. These varieties are extremely useful if there is a late break and enables a double cropping program.

I would assume the maize price will continue to remain high during these uncertain times.

My wife, Liz and I are really looking forward to the 2019 Australian Summer Grains Conference on the Gold Coast from the 8 until the 10 July. With the industry being so spread across the country it will be good to catch up with some familiar faces once again. It is also winter down here and it’s freezing already! The ASGC organising committee are doing a magnificent job to bring this year’s conference together. I am looking forward to listening to the maize speakers and other presenters in their chosen fields.

Something for our southern growers to keep in mind; if they are unable to attend the conference on Gold Coast, Netafim and the MAA are sponsoring the guest speaker Dr Fred Bellow (who is a renowned maize and soybeans expert from the USA, both in breeding and agronomy) to give a presentation in Echuca, Victoria on the 15 July at the Mercure Port (465 High Street). I would encourage everyone to visit the ASGC website: http://www.australiansummergrains.com.au/ and have a look at the line-up of speakers and topics. It looks to contain some very diverse presentations on the major summer grains, that being Maize, Sorghum, Soybean, Sunflower & Mungbeans. The MAA will be holding a AGM at the conference on Tuesday afternoon at 5.30. I would like to growers and industry people to attend and participate in this event please.

Wishing everybody a good season and hope to catch up at conference.

Bernie Walsh - Yanco

2019

Enduring Farm Profitability

RACV Royal Pines ResortRoss Street, AshmoreGold Coast, Queensland

8-10th July 2019

Maize Association Chair report June 2019 - Bernie Walsh

MAA AGM – All Welcome

At the Australian Summer Grains Conference

When: Tuesday 9 July 2019

Where: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Prince Room

Time- 5:30-6:00pm

This will include the announcement of the 2019 Yield

Competition Winner

MAA

In this issue Upcoming Events 2

Dr Fred Below, Sponsored by Netafirm will be at the ASGC and MAA Meeting 3

New ‘Pest Reporting and Responses’ course 5

Australian Summer Grains Conference 8

Emerging Global Issues and Solutions Corn Wilt Disease 10

PIONEER® Silage Inoculants 11

Top 12 Inoculant Questions Aasked of Pioneer Sales Professionals 12

Farmers Edge Offers the Most Precise Nitrogen Management Tool at No Cost to Maise Growers 14

Maize Growing in Tasmania 15

Variable Rate Soil Management Using Mapping Precision Ag 16

2w w w . m a i z e a u s t r a l i a . c o m . a u

Maize Association of Australia Incorporated ABN 16 507 902 551 www.maizeaustralia.com.au

Circulation approx. 3400 Published Spring and Autumn

MAA and Membership Liz Mann MAA 534 Craven RdTatura, Vic 3616 0427 857578 [email protected]

Editorial and Advertising Liz Mann MAA 534 Craven RdTatura, Vic 3616 0427 857578 [email protected]

Deadlines The copy deadline for the Spring issue is: September, 2019.

Contributions welcome. Manuscripts and photographs are handled with care; return of unsolicited material is not guaranteed. Copy preferred by email or on disc in text-only format.

Disclaimer The Maize Association of Australia has produced The Cob in good faith based on information available at the time of publication. Information in this newsletter has not been independently verified or peer reviewed, and is published at the reader’s risk. Products or services may be identified by proprietary or trade names to help readers identify particular types of products but this is not and is not intended to be an endorsement or recommendation of any product or manufacturer.

The opinions expressed in The Cob are not necessarily those of the Maize Association of Australia, and no responsibility is taken for the accuracy of the material published herein.

National Maize Yield Competition 2019/20

Current highest recorded yield in Australia is 21 t/ha, the Maize Association of Australia is establishing this competition to see if this

record can be broken.

The winner of each of each section will be interviewed by the MAA, with an article submitted to the COB.

Free entry, beat your neighbour. For entry details contact:Maize Association of Australia534 Craven RdTatura, Vic 3616Phone: 0427 857 578Email: [email protected]

Proud sponsors of the Australian Maize Yield Competition - Irrigated

FREEMembership of the MAA for growers

Please contact Liz Mann to ensure you’re on the mailing [email protected]

Visit from Dr Fred Below

Sunday 14 JulyWill visit farm near Piangil and Boort, including lunch during the day. All welcome to be involved in this day, either on farm or over lunch.

Monday 15 JulyFarm visits between Shepparton/Rochester/Echuca during the morning on the way to the Echuca for the seminar which starts at 12:30 for lunch.

Please contact Liz Mann (0427 857 578 or email [email protected]) if you would like to be involved in either part or all of these days.

MAA AGM – All Welcome

At the Australian Summer Grains ConferenceWhen: Tuesday 9 July 2019Where: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Prince RoomTime: 5:30-6:00pmThis will include the announcement of the 2019 Yield Competition Winner

Upcoming Events

3 w w w . m a i z e a u s t r a l i a . c o m . a u

(adapted from: http://cropphysiology.cropsci.illinois.edu/research/seven_wonders.html)

Maize grain yield is the final product of numerous factors that affect crop growth and development during the growing season. Maize is undoubtedly the crop that shows the largest response to technology and management. Growers make critical decisions every year regarding the inputs needed to maximize the profitability of their farm based on the potential yield gain of a given input factor. Data collected over many years and locations by the Crop Physiology Laboratory has led to the identification and ranking of seven categorical management factors that impact yield. These ‘Seven Wonders of the Maize Yield World’ provide a framework for understanding the value of different management factors as well as their potential interactions.

The Seven Wonders are shown in Table 1. They are ranked in order from the factor with the greatest impact on yield (Weather, #1) to the factor with the least contribution to yield (Growth Regulators, # 7). The values represent a range of responses based on our research. For example, the weather can influence yield by more than 4.4 tons/hectare

Table 1. The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World. Values for each factor are presented in tons/hectare as well as percentage of the total

(16.3 tons/hectare).

There are two important aspects of the Seven Wonders:

1. The higher a factor is on the list, the more control it exerts over the factors below it.

2. The factors interact!

In a favourable year, Weather and Nitrogen (N) combine to contribute more than 50% of total yield. On average, the maximum response to nitrogen over an unfertilized check plot treatment is approximately 4.4 tons/hectare (Table 1 and Figure 1). The weather, however, influences every aspect of nitrogen fertilizer management including its application, the potential for loss, its availability, and its utilization by the plant. In a drought year such as 2005 (Figure 1, left), the

Dr Fred Below, Sponsored by Netafim will be at the ASGC (8-10 July) and the MAA Meeting in Echuca (15 July), speaking about “The Seven Wonders of the Maize Yield World”

weather limited the yield response to N application to approximately 1.3 tons/hectare, while in a year with excess spring precipitation such as 2009 (Figure 1, right) the lower linear response to N is indicative of weather-induced N loss.

The weather influences the success of all of our management efforts. Irrigation, particularly with sub-surface drip systems is an efficient way to help mitigate the weather impact of insufficient rainfall, while at the same time being able to supply key mineral nutrients (including nitrogen) at the right time through fertigation.

0 50 100 150 200 250

5.0

6.0

7.0

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2006

Fertilizer N rate (kg ha-1)

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Figure 1. Some examples of the interaction between weather and N fertilization on grain yield of maize. Graph on the top is of multiple hybrids grown at the same site in Champaign, IL USA in 2005 and 2006, while graph on the

bottom is of multiple hybrids grown at the same site in DeKalb, IL USA in 2008 and 2009. The lower yield in 2005 compared to 2006 is due

to drought which limited the need for, and the response to fertilizer N, while the lower yield

in 2009 compared to 2008 is due to N loss from excess Spring precipitation.

Nitrogen use also interacts strongly with the third wonder of the maize yield world, hybrid selection, and there is considerable interest in improving the efficiency of N use with genetics or biotechnology.

Hybrid selection is probably the most important decision made by farmers each year, and most do not realize the large differences in yield potential among elite commercial hybrids. Maize hybrids can vary by 3.1 tons/hectare, or more when grown in the same field in our research trials (Tables 1 and 2). This variation can be attributed to hybrid interactions with weather (e.g. differences in drought and heat tolerance), as well as interactions with N and plant population. The interactions of hybrid, N rate, and plant population are particularly important, since these are three of the management factors under the farmer’s control that have the greatest impact on grain yield.

Table 2. Range in yield among 44 elite commercial hybrids grown at Harrisburg, IL in 2017. Hybrids were grown using levels

of fertilizer N (300 kg/hectare), and at plant densities (79,000 plants/hectare) that were

presumed to be adequate for maximal yields.

Crop Rotation (continuous maize versus maize following soybean) is the fourth wonder of the corn yield world. Maize grown continuously yields less than when grown in rotation with soybean (an average of 1.6 tons/hectare less), in what is known as the continuous maize yield penalty, and this penalty increases with the number of years of continuous maize (Figure 2). Accumulation of residue in continuous maize is one of the main causes of the penalty as this additional residue influences the availability of key nutrients like N, P and S (Figure 3). Although continuous maize requires more fertilizer N for optimal yield (40 to 60 kg more N/hectare), there is no amount of additional N that can completely overcome the continuous maize yield penalty. In addition to influencing nutrient availability, the accumulation of maize residue can also lead to a build-up of autotoxic compounds that reduce corn growth and yield.


Figure 2. The magnitude of the continuous maize yield penalty (difference between continuous maize and a maize-soybean

rotation) for two fields that progress for seven years in continuous maize.

Figure 3. Differences in surface residue and crop appearance between seventh year continuous maize (left) and maize grown in rotation with

soybean (right). Note the symptoms of N deficiency on the lower leaves of continuous

maize (left) due to the residue immobilizing N. Picture taken at the R2 growth stage.

Plant Population (or Plant Density) must increase as we strive to achieve higher yields, and plant populations have steadily increased in the US over the last 50 years (Figure 4). Still we find that many farmers would benefit from correcting plant populations that are too low, especially if the other yield wonders are optimized. The difficulty is that plant population interacts heavily with other yield wonders, with high plant populations

being particularly susceptible to unfavourable weather conditions. Similarly, some hybrids are clearly more tolerant to high populations than others, and crop rotation and tillage can impact plant population by altering seed germination and seedling emergence.

High plant populations also result in increased inter-plant competition that has be managed, and we are evaluating narrowing the row spacing as one way to manage a higher population of plants. Compared to 76 cm row spacing, narrowing the rows to 51 cm increases the inter-row plant spacing, resulting in greater ground coverage and higher canopy photosynthesis, even with the same number of plants (Figure 5).

Figure 4. The average grain yield of maize (orange line) and the average planting density (blue line) in the US over the last 50 years. Note the close association between the increase in

plant density and grain yield.

Figure 5. Comparison of 76 cm row spacing (left) and 51 cm row spacing (right) with the same

population of plants (109,000 plants/hectare). By narrowing the row spacing more land area

is covered by green plant tissue resulting in greater light interception and higher canopy photosynthesis, and there is more distance

between the plants within the row.

Tillage can vary widely in its mechanism, timing, and degree. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to tillage, and practices may vary according to geography and the other yield wonders. In some geographies, no-tillage systems help to conserve soil moisture, while in others tillage is needed to help warm the soil and allow for earlier planting.

Tillage an also be an important component of crop rotation, due to the accumulation of crop residues, and the effect of crop rotation and tillage on soil tilth can be striking (Figure 6). In this example, tillage was needed to bury the accumulated residue from continuous maize production, thereby allowing more contact with soil microbes for degradation. However, extra passes were required to prepare a suitable seedbed. In contrast, minimal tillage was required to prepare a light, even seedbed when soybean was the previous crop.

Figure 6. Effect of crop rotation (continuous corn versus soybean) on soil tilth. Third year corn is show on the right, while soybean as previous

crop is shown on the left. Photo taken after spring tillage activities (chisel plough followed

by field cultivator).

The seventh wonder of the corn yield world (Growth Regulators and Biologicals) encompasses a wide variety of products that can modulate corn growth and yield. These products include seed treatments for more uniform rapid emergence, in-furrow applications to stimulate root growth and nutrient uptake, foliar products to up-regulate important physiological processes and/or to relieve plant stress, among others. The ‘greening’ or ‘plant health’ effect associated with application of strobilurin fungicides is a good example (Figure 7). We have documented this effect in the absence of yield-limiting disease, especially under intensive management systems where all other factors are optimized. Although it is difficult to experimentally separate physiological effects from disease control, we believe that strobilurin fungicides elicit a change in the ethylene-mediated senescence trajectory of source leaves.


Figure 7. The physiological greening effect associated with application of a strobilurin

fungicide. A strobilurin-containing fungicide was applied at VT/R1 to the plot shown on the right compared to untreated plants on the left.

Photos taken 50 days after application.

Some Final Comments.

The Seven Wonders approach assumes a few key prerequisites. These prerequisites include drainage, pest/weed control, proper soil pH, and adequate levels of P and K based on soil tests. Crop production would not be possible in many parts of the US without tile drainage. Similarly, weeds and other pests do not add yield. Good weed control, along with proper soil pH and nutrient levels are key prerequisites for maize production, and are necessary to allow the Seven Wonders of the Maize Yield World to express their positive impact on grain yield.

Using the Seven Wonders concept and recognizing the need to combine management factors to drive increased yields we developed a systems approach of enhanced management practices and inputs that we compared to a standard management system similar to that used by most growers. Using an Omission/Addition experimental design, where each factor is either added one at a time to the standard management system or removed one at a time from the enhanced management system, we documented an average yield increase of 3.1 tons/hectare from enhanced management. Although the relative importance of a management factor varied for different sites and years, in all cases the value of a given factor when combined with the other factors in the enhanced management system was greater than when the factor was provided alone. These trials show that single production factors cannot guarantee high maize yields, but rather it is the positive interaction among multiple single factors that gives farmers the greatest opportunity to achieve high maize yields.

PHA’s Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) system provides free access to e-learning courses related to plant biosecurity such as the PHA Foundation Course and National EPP Response Management.

In response to demand for more training options, a new course called Pest Reporting and Responses has been developed.

The course is for growers, farm workers and agronomists and aims to provide them with a better understanding of reporting and responding to plant pests in Australia. It includes information on the:

• benefits of biosecurity

• possible impacts of pests

• biosecurity practices which can protect crops

• steps to take if you find an unusual pest or symptom

• joint response from government and industry to a pest.

For more information:

http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/new-pest-reporting-and-responses-course-now-live/

Latest from the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program: Break the pest cycle before sowing

Taken from: http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/break-the-pest-cycle-before-sowing/

\With challenging and dry conditions prevailing this year, Grains Biosecurity Officer Jim Moran recommends staying one step ahead of pests by using farm biosecurity practices before and during sowing. “Simple things can save you money in the long run by reducing the introduction and spread of pests, diseases and weeds on your property,” explained Jim.

Eliminate the ‘green bridge’

He recommends eliminating the ‘green bridge’ before planting by controlling weeds and volunteer plants from previous crops in your paddocks to break pest breeding cycles and reduce weed seed banks. “It’s the easiest and most effective practice to protect this year’s crop as it will help to control insects, fungal diseases and weeds that are hard to kill or herbicide resistant,” said Jim.

“Removing the green bridge can also reduce the ability of rust spores to infect emerging seedlings.” “Don’t forget to control areas along the verges of fences and roadsides. They’re often overlooked but are an ideal spot for diseases and pests to multiply and infect your crop.”

New ‘Pest Reporting and Responses’ course

Clean machinery before sowing

Jim says it’s also important to clean your farm machinery, so you don’t spread weeds, pests and diseases around your property. “The nooks and crannies in your farm machinery are good hiding place for weeds, pests and diseases as they can easily trap seed, plant material or soil,” he said.

“As this is the easiest way to move pathogens, pests or weed seeds around your property it is best to ensure that your machinery is thoroughly cleaned before planting starts.”

He also suggests getting any contractors or agronomists you use for pre-sowing spraying, spreading of fertiliser or planting to make sure their machinery is very clean before working. “It may be necessary to provide a dedicated wash down area with equipment. Watch this area for anything unusual emerging in the following weeks,” said Jim.

“Also tell contractors about any weed or pest issues on your farm and where they are to reduce the risk of spreading the problem to other areas of your farm or to someone else’s.”

Continue to keep things clean during sowing

While planting, Jim recommends having an air compressor or a high-pressure washer so you, or the contractor, can clean machinery, including clearing seed from planters, between paddocks and properties. “It is essential to maintain farm hygiene practices on your property during sowing,” said Jim.

“Giving things a quick clean before leaving one paddock and moving to the next can significantly reduce your risk of spreading soil-borne pathogens and weed seed throughout your farm.”

“It’s also a good idea to leave the weedier paddocks until last in your planting cycle to reduce the risk of spreading the weeds into uninfected areas.”

Jim is a biosecurity officer for the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program which is an initiative of Plant Health Australia and Grain Producers Australia. Contact Jim on 03 5430 4479 for a free copy of the Biosecurity Manual for Grain Producers.

Find more information and tips on how to implement farm biosecurity on your property at farmbiosecurity.com.au.


Netafim Australia and Maize Australia invites you to attend our Maize forum, featuring international expert on crop production Dr Fredrick Below (https://cropsciences.illinois.edu/people/profile/fbelow) and industry guest speakers. Dr Below is world-renowned for creating strategies for decisions regarding high-yield maize production. His concept, ‘The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World’ is sure to bring knowledge to those growers wishing to optimise yield. There will be an opportunity for question and answer time, as well as networking with industry colleagues.

Lunch provided.

RSVP Monday 1st JulyEmail: Liz Mann: [email protected] Phone: 0427 857 578

HIGH-YIELDING MAIZE FORUM

INTERNATIONAL EXPERT TO SPEAK ON PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS IN MAIZEMERCURE PORT OF ECHUCA – 465 HIGH ST, ECHUCA VIC 3564 MONDAY 15TH JULY 12:30PM – 3:30PM


Model Agronomy for High Yields Summary of Program

Grain yield is the final product of numerous factors that affect crop growth and development during the growing season. Growers make critical decisions every year regarding the inputs needed to maximize the profitability of their farm based on the potential yield gain of a given input factor. Data collected over many years and locations has led to the identification of management factors that impact yield. The Model Agronomy IPM MasterClass will provide a framework for understanding the value of different management factors as well as their potential interactions to produce high yielding crops.

■ Nutrient Partitioning for High Yield■ Agronomy System – Omissions, Additions, Design■ 7 Wonders – Factors Affecting Corn Yield

The IPM MasterClass is presented for guests to improve agronomic performance using highly skilled instructors, in an environment where challenges are discussed and resolved. Guests participating in IPM MasterClass events frequently rate the events as excellent and we are proud of our repeat participants. Presentations are designed for guests to learn, improve and thrive. The IPM MasterClass is highly regarded in Australian and international agriculture, achieving a reputation for providing exceptional learning opportunities, through recognising and meeting the educational needs of growers and advisors, drilling down on single topics to support growers and advisors learning.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND FARMERS | AGRONOMISTS | CONSULTANTS | STUDENTS | RETAILERS | RESEARCHERSThe program is designed for farmers, agronomists, consultants, students, retailers and researchers to build practical skills and support decision making in crop management and agronomy.

INSTRUCTORProfessor Fred Below | University of Illinois, Crop Physiologyhttps://cropsciences.illinois.edu/people/profile/fbelow

PRICE | $253.00 inc GST

FOR MORE INFORMATION | www.ipmmasterclass.com/event-registration

Darren Cribbes | t: 0400 600 556 | e: [email protected] McCarron | t: 0419 006 100 | e: [email protected]

EXCLUSIVE CROP MASTERCLASSFRIDAY 12TH JULY 2019 GRIFFITHREGISTRATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL | www.ipmmasterclass.com/event-registration


Assessing the virulence of Puccinia sorghi isolates from Eastern Australia on commercial maize lines.

Aurelie Quade1

1. Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern

Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Common rust of maize (Puccinia sorghi)

occurs across a broad geographic range

and environmental conditions influence the

incidence and severity of disease symptoms. Yield

reductions may reach up to 40%, mostly due to a

reduction in seed size, and typically for each 10%

in rust incidence yield is reduced by approximately

6%. The most effective control method for the

pathogen relies on the deployment of maize

varieties carrying Puccinia resistance (Rp) genes,

which tend to be race specific. In Australia,

there currently is no knowledge of the virulence

spectrum contained within the common rust

population, the effectiveness of various Rp genes,

and associated yield losses due to infection.

Assessing the virulence of a pathogen population

requires a host differential set carrying known

resistance genes and a pathogen collection of

characterised isolates with known virulence.

Neither of these are currently available in Australia,

which may impede breeding programs from

continued development of maize lines resistant to

the Australian common rust population.

To begin to address this issue, a collection of 105

single pustule isolates of P. sorghi was created in

2018, representing maize and sweet corn fields in

Queensland and Victoria. In order to gain insight

to the current virulence spectrum present within

the common rust population, fifteen isolates

were randomly selected and assessed on 7 maize

lines and 3 sweet corn lines commonly grown

in Australia. In the long term, the project aims at

developing a collection of common rust isolates

representative of the virulence found in the main

maize growing regions of Eastern Australia to

evaluate the resistance of Rp genes.

Come along to the Australian Summer Grains Conference to hear the following people speak about maize.

Making Quality Maize Silage

Jason Scott1

1. Gentech Seeds, Huntly, VIC, Australia

This talk will take you through the process from why you would grow Maize Silage, encompassing the benefits of maize silage, hybrid and paddock selection then finishing with the ensiling process.

What are the key factors for Hybrid selection? Detail the corn developmental timeline and discuss the influences on silage fermentation as well as the differences between good and bad fermentation process’s, including the 4 stages of the preservation process finishing off with locking the nutrients in to produce a quality feed.

The impact of sub optimum soil temperatures on establishment and growth of maize in Northern NSW

Loretta Serafin1, Mark Hellyer1, Andrew Bishop 1, Annie Warren 1, Michael Mumford2

1. NSW DPI, CALALA, NSW, Australia

2. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), QLD, Australia, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

The optimum soil temperature for planting maize was traditionally defined by the parameters of 12°C and rising for 3 consecutive days. Climate variability in northern NSW has prompted consideration of the need to move the sowing window for maize earlier into late winter or early spring. This would enable anthesis and grain-fill to occur in periods less likely to incur heat and moisture stress. Sowing in August or early September in this region means crops will need to establish in less than ideal soil temperatures and are exposed to the risk of frost.

Three experimental sites at Gurley, Mallawa and Breeza (two rainfed and 1 irrigated) were conducted in northern NSW in 2017-18. Three times of planting were used to provide comparison of the impact of very low, low and ideal soil temperatures on plant establishment, growth and grain yield. At each site, 3 maize hybrids (P1467, Pac606IT, P1756) were planted at target plant densities of 15, 30, 45 and 60, 000 plants/ha. At

Breeza the 45,000 plants/ha was replaced with a 120,000 plants/ha treatment to match higher potential yields due to irrigation.

Soil temperatures at 8 am for seven days post sowing varied from 8.4 – 20°C depending on the site and time of sowing. At all sites and sowing times, plant establishment achieved the target population. Plant establishment was not impacted at soil temperatures as low as 8.4°C in this single year of research.

Establishing maize in cool soil conditions (<12°C) appears to be a viable option. Grain yields were improved by sowing earlier than normal at Mallawa and Gurley, the rainfed sites. There was no impact of sowing time on grain yield at Breeza.

Further evaluation across multiple seasons and in combination with predictive modelling is recommended to improve confidence in these findings, with particular focus on the impact of frost and time of flowering.

The role of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers in improving nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated maize

Mike Bell1, Yash Dang1, Cristina Martinez2, Daniel Smith1, Peter Grace3

1. University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia

2. University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia

3. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia

This study developed a nitrogen (N) response curve for irrigated maize using granular urea applied at sowing, and then compared the performance of urea to that of different enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEF’s) at 125 kg and 250 kg N/ha. These EEF’s employed either controlled release (coatings) or urease or nitrification inhibitors to better match N availability to crop N demand. Product performance was assessed by crop yield, various measures of N use efficiency and losses of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N

2O).

Grain yield increased with increasing rates of applied urea-N, with maximum yields of 12.1 t/ha at >175 kg N/ha. The efficiency of recovery of urea-N (RE

N – kg additional biomass N/kg N


applied) and the agronomic efficiency (AEN – kg

additional grain yield/kg N applied) both showed inverse relationships with N rate, and there were no significant differences between the EEFs and urea fertilizer. At 125 kg N/ha, where any differences in NUE would be expected to produce larger impacts, a combination of urease and nitrification inhibitors with urea produced highest yields, while the nitrification inhibitor-based products also performed strongly. While not significantly worse than urea, a number of the controlled release products performed relatively poorly – perhaps due to a mismatch between application time, N release dynamics and crop N demand. Nitrogen concentrations in grain significantly increased with increasing rates of applied N, but there was no significant difference between the EEFs.

The majority of N2O fluxes occurred in the first two

months of the growing season, when soil mineral N was high. The N

2O emissions ranged 1.2% of

N applied as urea to a low of 0.2% for the most effective nitrification inhibitor products. A number of the controlled release products had little effect on emissions. While reduced emissions were a significant environmental outcome, the higher cost/kg N applied and the lack of additional yield response questions the role of these products in broadacre grain systems.

Demystifying Drip Irrigation for Maize

Andrew Pollard1

1. Netafim Australia, Laverton, VIC, Australia

A major challenge facing maize producers in many regions is the cost and availability of water. The decreasing availability and upward trend in water prices is resulting in a strong push towards improving water use efficiency. Well-managed SDI systems bring the benefit of saving water, fertilizer and labour while improving yield, quality and economics. Both internationally and locally in

Australia there are large areas of land dedicated to this style of SDI system, recent estimates suggest over 50,000Ha.

Broadacre SDI was first taken up in Australia by the processing tomato industry in Northern Victoria in the early 90’s with an immediate increase of nearly 100% increase in yield. Many of these same growers are now very successfully using the same SDI to produce maize.

While SDI has the ability to very accurately regulate the moisture and nutrient content available for a crop it is important that these systems are designed for simple operation and maintenance. What to consider when designing a system will be explained with practical examples taken from installed systems.

In the 2017/2018 season the maize yield trial was won by an SDI grower in the Shepparton district, the yield data and costs associated with producing this crop will be presented.

Irrigation Farmer

Chris Salafia1

1. Irrigation Farmer, Leeton, NSW, Australia

Owner/manager of an irrigation farm in Leeton NSW in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area

Maize grower since 2002

Irrigation layouts - bankless channel layouts, beds in bays. Improved water efficiencies and crop yield results

Irrigation automation - Padman concrete irrigation structures and Padman automation

Mite control in maize - New product Zeal results, Importance of Permits for miticides in maize

The use of NDVI and in crop results

RAINFALL MAIZE YIELD MAY INCREASE IN MEXICO DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Arturo Chong1, Samuel Sanchez1, Abel Munoz1, Jose de Jesus Loyola1

1. Universidad Autonoma Chapingo, Mexico City, CIUDAD DE MEXICO, Mexico

Climate Change is usually associated to the increase of temperature, lack of water or droughts, etc. Therefore, agriculture production is going to diminish all around the world. This may be true. But for local situations, agriculture may have better production conditions that probably is going to increase production, especially for basic crops. Mexico may be in this situation. Because, it has both oceans, the Pacific and Atlantic, around it. As sea temperatures increase, more water has been introduced from both seas by strong wins.

Climate Change has impacted Mexican agriculture. The growing season is longer, early and late frosts have receded, and temperatures during the season have slightly increased, which have had a favourable effect specially at high altitudes. Also, rainfall is going to be higher, specially at north valleys. The increase of temperature and rainfalls, not doubt, is going to produce floods, droughts and other natural disasters, but, after summing all agriculture loses and gains,

Mexican agriculture production may increase, especially for basic crops: maize, wheat, beans, soybeans, etc. For example five north estates at the north of Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Queretaro and Zacatecas, that usually have low rainfall, had their temperature increased by 0.7 °C, and annual precipitation increase by 35.3 mm, for the period 2003 to 2017. Also, average rainfall grain maize yield increased by 0.121 T/Ha, for the same period.

Basic crops yields may increase due to Climate Change in Mexico. Observed environment changes are increases of temperatures and annual precipitation, longer growing periods, less frosts at high altitudes. Precipitations have increased due to the exposure of land to both oceans, Pacific and Atlantic, and the help of strong wins that pushes humidity into continental land.


Drip as a delivery system: A safer and more effective way to treat crops using chemicals

Drip irrigation systems are already known for delivering nutrients, as well as water, directly to the root zone of the crops. But now, an innovative approach is being used to deliver crop protection materials via drip as well. This novel approach enables farmers to apply crop protection products in a more targeted and effective way that also reduces environmental impact (no spraying, no residues), improves farmer safety (no exposure) and saves natural resources. This paper summarizes a successful decade’s long effort to develop an effective treatment for Corn Late Wilt.

Tackling corn late wilt disease in the field using crop protection applied via Netafim’s drip irrigation system

Late Wilt affects corn fields throughout Israel, India, the Middle East and parts of Europe, where it poses a threat to corn production with yield losses approaching 40-70% in non-resistant cultivars1. Corn Late Wilt disease is caused by the fungus Harpophora maydis, a soil-born and seed-borne pathogen, and is characterized by relatively rapid wilting of corn plants just before tasseling and until shortly before maturity. The disease is steadily on the rise.

A series of trials conducted over a period of ten years by Migal, the Galilee Research Institute in Israel, in cooperation with Netafim since 2017, proves the efficacy of drip as a delivery system in treating Corn Late Wilt disease.

Emerging Global Issues and Solutions - Tackling corn late wilt disease using drip as a delivery system

The Results: Drip delivery plus seed coating shown to be the most effective treatment - reducing fungal levels to near zero and increasing yield recovery

In the early studies, a variety of chemicals were examined. Among them, Azoxystrobin (AS) delivered through the drip irrigation line to each single row was shown to suppress H. maydis in the field in the most effective way. In later trials a more cost-effective protective treatment using a fungicide AS+DC (Difenoconazole) in combined treatment of seed coating and a drip irrigation line for two coupling rows was examined.

Migal’s researchers made an interesting discovery. While protecting the plants using AS+DC seed coating alone managed to delay pathogen DNA spread in the corn tissues in the early stages of the growth season (up to 50 days from sowing), this approach was less effective in protecting the crops later. In contrast, AS+DC seed coating combined with application of AS+DC in a targeted way via drip irrigation was the most successful treatment, reducing fungal DNA in the host tissues to near zero levels.

Furthermore, the treatment combining delivery of the fungicide via drip inhibited the development of wilt symptoms by 41% and recovered cob yield increased by a factor of 1.6. Moreover, the yield classified as A class increased from 58% to 75% in this treatment.

Crop protection delivery via drip for late wilt offers corn growers a brighter future

Successful treatment against H. maydis using drip irrigation as a delivery system in Israel opens the way for treating sensitive corn cultivars in other parts of the world, albeit with implementation of localized procedures.

As a global leader in agricultural innovation, Netafim will continue to explore how using drip as a delivery system can be applied to tackling new challenges in pest and disease prevention, to offer a more cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and safer solution than crop spraying and dusting. It is one more important way that Netafim is fulfilling its mission to help the world grow more with less.

As-dc treatment using a drip system reduced h. Maydis dna in the plant to near zero levels


Pioneer® Brand Products has been researching and identifying bacterial strains to be used in Silage additives and inoculants since 1978. Over this time Pioneer microbiologists have developed a wide-ranging portfolio of crop specific inoculants.

The bacteria used in these inoculants are proprietary to Pioneer and are exclusively used in only Pioneer products. No other company has access to these same strains of bacteria. Over these years it has been proven that Lactobacillus buchneri has been the main bacterial strain of choice to ensure silage pits remain cool and to prevent feed losses due to the growth of yeasts and moulds. During the identification and development process of a new inoculant Pioneer microbiologists test thousands of bacterial combinations both in the laboratory and animal trials, this is because bacterial strains react differently when combined with other strains than they do on their own.

Pioneer commercialised the first inoculant containing L. buchneri in 2000, this was followed in 2003 with the first combination inoculant product 11C33. This original 11C33 product contained crop specific Lactic Acid Bacteria strains combined with L. buchneri to deliver rapid pH decline and greatly improve Pit life. In 2016 Pioneer introduced Rapid React technology products which contains a new L. buchneri strain that works rapidly to produce stable silage in just 7 days.

A 2009 study conducted in the USA by Huisden et al and published in the Journal of Dairy Science vol. 92 No.2 2009 looked at the Effect of applying molasses or inoculants at two rates on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage and compared two L. buchneri containing products Pioneer 11C33 (containing Lactobacillus plantarum, L. buchneri and Enteroccocus faecium) and a product containing Lallemand L. buchneri 40788 strain and Pediococcus pentosaceus 12455 strain with a bare Control and a Molasses treatment.

The research concluded that the silage treated with all inoculant-based treatments had a similar pH value, total VFA concentration was higher in Pioneer treated silage compared to Control. Aerobic Stability was best from the Pioneer 11C33 inoculant.

Microbial Counts and Aerobic Stability

Lactic Acid bacteria counts were unaffected by treatment. However Molasses treated silage had the highest mould counts whilst the Pioneer treatment had the lowest. Yeasts were 25% lower in all Inoculant treatments compared to Control & Molasses treatments, and Pioneer 1x and Pioneer 2x silages had fewer yeasts than Lallemand 1x and Lallemand 2x treatments.

PIONEER® Silage Inoculants By Jason Scott, National Maize and Microbial Lead, Gentech Seeds

During the study the samples were opened to the air to mimic an open Pit face. Control and Molasses treated silages were only stable for 25 hours whereas inoculant treated silages were stable for an additional 35-71 hours (Fig1).

Pioneer treated silages had the best aerobic stability with an additional 19-37 hours above the Lallemand products. This means that the Dairy farmer can have confidence in the Pioneer treated silage to feed out silage feed requirements up to a day in advance with no adverse effects on feed quality. Also, the Pioneer label rate (1x) was stable for 11 hours longer than the double rate (2x) of the Lallemand product.

This research has proven by putting more inoculant on over and above the manufacturers specifications especially with the Pioneer product is not necessary, it also shows that the amount of applied inoculant and the efficiency of the bacteria to convert the sugars into Lactic Acid Bacteria and hence produce aerobically stable silage varies greatly. As in the study the Lallemand (1x) product was applied at 8mg/kg fresh forage whilst the Pioneer 11C33 (1x) was applied at 1.1mg/kg fresh forage and as shown in Fig 1 the 1x rate of Pioneer 11C33 was stable for longer than both the 1x and 2x rates of the Lallemand product. This is another

reason why the label statement of CFU’s or colony forming units is only part of the story it is a mixture of the amount of CFU’s in the inoculant and the efficiency of these bacteria to get to work quickly and effectively.

Pioneer microbiologists work to ensure that the bacteria that is in a Pioneer inoculant is the best it can be. Bacterial strains in silage will multiply until they achieve a population of about 1 billion cfu/gram of forage and they seldom exceed that population count. Pioneer silage microbiologists have performed hundreds of experiments to understand at what dosage our proprietary L. buchneri strains most effectively dominate fermentation. What other companies use for counts is irrelevant to the strain dosages found in Pioneer® brand inoculants and it can only be assumed that some companies have higher counts because their strains differ in activity than Pioneer strains.

Reference Huisden C. M., A.T. Adesogan, S.C. Kim, T. Osoanya. 2009 Effect of applying molasses or inoculants containing homofermentative or heterofermentative bacteria at two rates on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage. J. Dairy Sci 92:690-697

Figure 1: Aerobic Stability of disturbed silages with different treatments.

Figure 2: Silage bacteria combinations being tested in the Pioneer Laboratory


Q1) Why should I pay more for your product, aren’t most inoculants the same?

Strain differences between various silage additive products may appear similar to producers simply because they contain the same genus/ species information on the label (e.g. Lactobacillus plantarum or Lactobacillus buchneri). However, there are tremendous genetic differences between individuals within a genus/species. If not, we would not have bull studs selling genetically different “Bos taurus” (zoological classification for Holsteins) or seed companies selling genetically distinct “Zea mays” (zoological classification for corn).

The same applies to silage bacteria. But in the silage additive world, we do not have the luxury of easily quantified measurements to compare responses (e.g. “daughters” to measure milk production transmitting ability of bulls or “weigh wagons” to measure hybrid differences). Therefore, it is very easy for some salesmen to confuse the consumer by claiming that inexpensive products are the same as highly-researched, cutting-edge products simply by holding up a label and saying... “see, same bugs as theirs and even higher counts”.

Many inoculant companies claim that all lactobacillus plantarum are the same and paying more for Pioneer products is simply “paying for the Pioneer brand name”. Remember that Pioneer is a genetics company… that applies to corn and to bacteria… and we protect both genetic forms with patents that attest to their uniqueness in the marketplace.

An analogy to show the difference between inoculant products is to compare them to buying cattle. If cows were bought using “label comparisons” then all Bos taurus should be the same price. If this were true, you could start buying cattle from any “cattle-jockey” and not worry about the genetic background of the cattle. Also, the entire artificial insemination industry would disappear.

Just because “product labels” read similar, there is still a world of difference in the genetic ability of the bacteria contained in the bottle just as there is among corn hybrids or the population of cows and bulls that are for sale.

A more scientific approach is to show actual DNA profiles to illustrate all Lactobacillus are not the same; just as not all Homo sapiens (humans) are genetically the same.

Q2) Competitors claim that they have the same bacteria as Pioneer, but cheaper.

Not possible! All the strains in Pioneer brand inoculants were collected by Pioneer silage microbiologists and each Pioneer inoculant consists

Top 12 Inoculant Questions Asked of Pioneer Sales Professionals

of proprietary strains selected from our proprietary collection of over 10,000 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains. Pioneer inoculant products are patented and are not found in any other product on the market. As with our seed genetics, Pioneer takes intellectual property rights very seriously and by utilizing state of the art technology, we can determine if competitor products contain any of our proprietary strains. Please alert us if you have competitors making this claim so the appropriate legal action can be taken.

Q3) Why does Pioneer have so many inoculant products? Won’t one product work on all crops?

During the course of evaluating the 10,000 proprietary strains in our collection for their ability to rapidly reduce pH in whole plant corn silage, lucerne silage, grass silage and high-moisture corn, Pioneer microbiologists learned that some strains would do very well in one crop and poorly in another. In some cases, a strain would negatively influence not only pH decline, but also the digestibility of one crop-type while positively influence the digestibility of another crop-type. For that reason, Pioneer products consist of individual strains and combinations selected to optimize the fermentation of specific crops, hence Pioneer was the first and only company to commercialize crop-specific inoculants. Other companies claim that their products can work on all crops. While we still have an omnibus product like 1174, our research has advanced since the current formulation of 1174 was released in the mid-1980’s. Today we offer silage producers 11C33 and 11CFT specifically formulated for corn silage and 1189 for high-moisture corn.

We also learned that homofermentative LAB (e.g. L. plantarum) were very good at generating a rapid pH drop but could not reduce heating during feedout while heterofermentative LAB (e.g. L. buchneri) were very good at reducing heating during feedout but not generating a rapid pH drop. This is because yeast, which initiate the cascade of microbial events leading to silage heating are not inhibited by lactic acid. However, yeast growth at feedout is inhibited by the L. buchneri. Pioneer inoculants which contain L. buchneri also have crop-specific homofermentative LAB to maximize the benefits of both “front-end” pH decline and “back-end” reduction in heating.

Q4) What about products that claim to have higher counts?

Competitive sales pitches focused on bacterial counts are not as common today as in the past. The reason is that customers are starting to realize that counts are meaningless without addressing

the genetic ability of the bacteria. It would be like talking the merits of high planting populations for a hybrid with known genetic performance limitations.

Pioneer® brand inoculants applied correctly provide 100,000 colony forming units (CFU) per gram of fresh forage. This is consistent with industry standards. The only exception is Pioneer® brand 1189 which only applies 20,000 CFU/gram of high moisture corn. This is because Pioneer research showed this to be the optimum level for our proprietary strains. Our research, from strain selection to product testing, was conducted at the 100,000 cfu/gram application rate and other company application rates are irrelevant to our products. University research has shown that our product (11C33) out performed a competitor product even though the competitive product was applied at a rate 4X our product.

Ask any reputable microbiologist and they will tell you that “activity” is more important than “counts”. Activity (growth rate) is important so the additive strains dominate the fermentation by overwhelming the natural bacteria populations (epiphytes) found on the crop.

It is like comparing dairy herds... not all herds with 1,000 cows have the genetic ability to produce the same amount of milk (even if they were given the same feed). Not all homo sapiens can run the 100 meters at the same pace. Activity (growth rate) is critical to performance in humans, in cows and in bacteria.

Q5) Why doesn’t Pioneer have more “head-to-head” comparisons against inoculant competitors?

At last count, there were more than 20 inoculant products on the market. It would be a tremendous financial drain to test against all competitive products because animal trials (the only true test) can cost upwards of $20-40,000 per trial. Undoubtedly, as soon as a comparison is made against one product, producers will want comparisons against yet another product. When we release new products, we have made the decision to make comparisons against control silage (without inoculant) and versus our current best product. Customers can then see the relative improvement in dry matter loss (shrink), fermentation parameters (e.g. pH, ammonia nitrogen, VFA profiles) and animal performance against a control silage.

We think this is being the best steward of our research funds… delivering new products rather than spending budget comparing Pioneer® brand products against competitors. One way for producers to make product comparisons is to ask


competitors for their animal data against control silages. However, most competitors have no animal data (and often very little fermentation data as well) even against control silages. We have decided not to spend our resources comparing Pioneer against scores of competitors who do not think it important enough to prove their own product value over control silage.

Q6) We’ve heard there is a research study showing that bacteria die in the applicator tank, how do our strains stand up?

Many choppers have their applicator tanks mounted next to the engine, causing heat to build up in the tanks and kill the bacteria. Research conducted with the Appli-Pro system, under harvest conditions with Pioneer’s Inoculant Lactic Acid Bacteria, showed excellent survivability in the tanks. The findings of the Pioneer QC work revealed that 11C33 strains maintained above label guarantee colony forming unit (cfu) counts at 30oC, 35oC, 40oC, and 45oC temperatures. Furthermore, bacterial viability at those temperatures remained the same when cfu population counts were determined at 6, 12, and 24 hours. Be sure to refer to Pioneer’s thermotolerance work when customers ask you if bacterial strains contained in Pioneer inoculant products remain viable at high temperatures. The paper concludes that temperatures exceeding 35oC is when inoculant bacterial viability will begin to decline, however, Pioneer’s Forage Additive Research (FAR) group uses 36.6oC for standard incubation temperatures during bacterial strain research and development.

Q7) How important is viability for silage inoculants.

Silage Inoculants only work if the bacteria are alive. Decreased counts will result in decreased benefits. For most silage inoculants, the level of bacteria listed on their label refers to the level of bacteria at the time of manufacture, not to the level of bacteria at the time of application. Each strain used in Pioneer brand inoculants is grown individually in large fermentation vessels and then validated using advanced DNA techniques to guarantee the identity and purity of the strain. Individual strains are then blended together at precise ratios based on the formulas developed by Pioneer’s Research team. Each batch of blended strains is quality checked to ensure that the product meets its label guarantee.

The two biggest causes of decreased microbial counts in silage inoculants are heat and moisture. Pioneer’s inoculants are packaged in special bottles and bags that are specially designed to keep out moisture. Furthermore, Pioneer is unique in the inoculant industry, in that being a leading seed company concerned with seed germination, all our inoculants are stored in refrigerated warehouses until they go to the rep warehouses. Unlike some inoculant distributors, who sell through all product

without any annual viability testing, any Pioneer carry-over inoculant is shipped back from rep warehouses to refrigerated seed warehouses at the end of each silage season. Returned products that do not meet Pioneer’s quality standard for viability (bacterial counts) are removed from the system to ensure that they are not sold to a customer.

Q8) What should I do if there is a delay once I add water to the inoculant?

During harvest, once water is added to the inoculant bottle, bacterial viability is good for 3-days without refrigeration, and up to 7-days under refrigeration. Freezing the product is required if storage will extend beyond 7-days. Pioneer Microbial Quality Control research showed that the bacterial strains remained above the labeled guarantee for 12 months even with repeated thawing cycles as shown on the graph.

Q9) Will 11CFT turn my conventional silage into BMR?

11CFT will not reduce the amount of lignin in your conventional silage, which is the hallmark of BMR silage. However, the unique strain of (L. buchneri) in 11CFT produces an esterase enzyme, which breaks the bond between the lignin and the fiber. This allows the rumen bacteria to access the fiber more quickly, resulting in a faster rate of digestion. In turn, that stimulates rumen bacteria growth providing additional bacterial protein to the cow’s digestive tract and more volatile fatty acids in the rumen, which the cow can then use for energy. 11CFT improves the efficiency of fibre digestibility, allowing for the removal of some protein and energy from the diet while maintaining the same milk production.

Q10) I treated with your L. buchneri product and my silage is still heating, what’s going wrong?

If you have a well-managed silage pile that is experiencing heating despite high levels of acetic acid (from L. buchneri) and low yeast counts, acetobacter may be the cause. Acetobacters are gram-negative bacteria that are strict anaerobes and very acid tolerant. They have the ability to preferentially convert ethanol (from yeast) to acetic acid in the presence of oxygen (like at feedout). They are also capable of increase dry matter loss

by converting lactic and acetic acids to C02, water

and heat when ethanol levels are depleted. An easy way to identify acetobacter is if the silage smells similar to nail polish. This telltale odor may account for reduced intakes when cattle are fed silage with high acetobacter populations. Research shows that this nail polish aroma becomes noticeable approximately 24-hours before the onset of heating. Acetobacter can be found in well-managed, highly compacted silages that have elevated ethanol levels from yeast growing in anaerobic conditions. While L. buchneri doesn’t inhibit acetobacter levels, reducing ethanol-producing yeast populations helps limit their negative impact.

Q11) My silage has mould balls and I used an inoculant, what went wrong?

These moulds were formed during the first couple of weeks of fermentation and likely not during feedout. Moulds grow very slowly and take a week or two to reach the size of small balls. Moulds that grow during feedout don’t have enough time to grow to this size and would be spread throughout the whole silage face. In most of the situations where we see mould masses of this nature, poor packing density or poor feedout face management is the issue, allowing the moulds to have exposure to oxygen for an extended time. The basic principle is that moulds need oxygen to grow… no oxygen, no mould growth.

Q12) Which forage additive should I use when moving silage from one silo to another?

For those producers that are looking to move silage after initial fermentation, it is NOT recommended to inoculate again when moving. The success of moving silage really comes down to its condition in the original storage structure. Well-ensiled, stored silage can be successfully moved if:

The silage was treated with a combination forage additive containing

• L. buchneri at harvest/initial ensiling.

• Silage can be moved to the new storage structure quickly.

• The move is made during the coldest time of year to minimize fueling bacterial/fungal growth.

• The move is managed carefully to prevent as much oxygen penetration into the silage mass as possible.


N-Manager Delivers Live Nitrogen Recommendations Driven by Field-Centric Data to Improve Yield and Increase Grower Profitability

WINNIPEG, Manitoba and AMES, Iowa – May 1, 2019 — Farmers Edge™ announced they were providing their yield-based nitrogen tool at no additional cost to growers in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Ames, Iowa for the season. Following recent weather events impacting upon soil nitrogen levels, the tool will help growers reach their yield goals by providing greater control over the most important decision affecting corn production. Unlike other nitrogen management tools on the market that base recommendations on publicly available data, N-Manager is the industry’s first and only tool that uses multiple field-centric variables to give growers accurate recommendations for their farm versus generic estimations. Integrated with the FarmCommand™ platform, N-Manager gives growers a simple and automated way to determine precisely the right amount of nitrogen to apply at the right time in each management zone or field on their farm to maximize effectiveness, minimize losses, and improve maize profits. Growers who sign up for N-Manager also receive direct assistance from Farmers Edge agronomists to support nitrogen planning, along with access to a myriad of digital tools to guide decisions.

This innovative tool has been intensively calibrated, validated under diverse geographical conditions, and tested under a wide variety of management scenarios. In a multi-year study that tested the nitrogen model across over 2,600 R&D zones, N-Manager achieved the gold standard of accuracy for its mineralization values in comparison to USDA standard values. Precise, easy to use, and data-rich, N-Manager helps to ensure the global corn industry moves into a future defined by highly efficient and sustainable production.

Farmers Edge Offers the Most Precise Nitrogen Management Tool at No Cost to Maize Growers in Wake of Unfavorable Weather Events

“While Mother Nature is both a friend and a foe to farmers, data is the great equalizer,” said Wade Barnes, CEO of Farmers Edge. “This year, excess moisture has caused maize growers a lot of doubt and angst surrounding nitrogen. On one hand, growers need to ensure they don’t short the crop, but on the other hand, wasting money is not an option either as margins are getting tighter. We’re offering N-Manager at no cost to demonstrate the value that real-time strategies bring to growers in circumstances with a lot of uncertainty, giving them one less thing to worry about.”

N-Manager Provides the Industry’s Most Accurate Zone-by-Zone Nutrient Recommendations

Nitrogen remains the most important, yet the most difficult, nutrient to manage for high-yield maize production. Offering automated daily or on-demand updates, N-Manager provides Farmers Edge growers with highly specific nitrogen data on a field, or zone-by-zone basis, allowing them to adopt optimized nutrient stewardship practices that help reduce environmental impact while increasing yields. To provide growers with full visibility of the needs of their crops, N-Manager is complemented by exclusive features from Farmers Edge to help plan applications, track critical growth stages, and visualize overall crop health from anywhere. Designed to deliver the highest levels of accuracy to support informed decision-making, N-Manager combines more field-centric variables than any other tool in the industry, including:

• Meteorological information from on-farm weather stations;

• Soil sampling analysis;

• Detailed crop management data such as hybrid planted, planting rate, depth, and date, row spacing, and the presence of tile drainage or irrigation.

“This past year, we decided to use N-Manager across all our fields. After sitting down with our Famers Edge agronomist to map our yield goals, he put together a program for each of our farms,” said Tanner Lawton, a grower and Farmers Edge customer in Iowa. “We saw a very significant yield increase by taking a customized approach for each zone, instead of just doing things as usual. Farmers Edge allows you to analyze information much more in-depth and put all the pieces of the puzzle together at the same time. It’s been time and money well spent on the nitrogen program with Farmers Edge.”

On-farm weather stations monitor real-time precipitation, temperature, solar radiation, soil moisture, soil temperature and wind speed, which are then used as input data to N-Manager. The 10 day weather forecast used to model predictions is also centred around the weather station. Zone-based soil samples collected by Farmers Edge technicians and partner dealers are analyzed for texture, Organic Matter, pH, CEC and soil Nitrogen levels. Past application data then feeds into the model to contribute site specific application information for model accuracy. This combined with crop cultivar and field management practices are directly used as input parameters for the development as well as simulations of the N-Manager. Genetic co-efficient data from the actual hybrid grown in the field is also used as we have found this allows for greater precision.

For more information in Australia please contact: Nathaniel Clark, Precision Agronomist, Email: [email protected]


Nathan Richardson from Bookfield Farming at Thirlstane on the North West Coast of Tasmania grew his first crop of maize during the 2018/19 season. Following a very wet winter and spring, and subsequently a failed wheat crop from water logging, he decided to sow maize on 15 November 2018.

He planted 0.3 ha of two varieties, P9127-BS and P8500-BS, sown at a density of 90,000 to 100,000 seeds/ha As Nathan also operates a chicken broiler operation on the farm, he applied 20-25 t/ha of chicken manure to the area. No other fertiliser was applied to the maize crop, although the soils on the farm are traditionally high in both phosphorus and potassium.

During the season he applied 3 irrigations of 30mm each via overhead irrigation, with approximately 30mm of rain during the season. The last irrigation was applied during the first week of February.

Harvest occurred on 17 May 2019, with P9127-BS yielding 14 t/ha and P8500-BS 15.3 t/ha at 22% moisture. (adjusted yield at 14% moisture 12.7 and 13.9 t/ha respectively). Harvest was conducted using a conventional draper front as no corn front was available in Tasmania.

Maize Growing in Tasmania

The harvested grain was then sent to Michael Nichols, NW Grain Pool from Sisters Creek on the NW Coast of Tasmania. Michael recently installed a 12 tonne continuous flow grain dryer (rated at 5% moisture) with the assistance of some state government funding. Currently Michael supplies grain to a number of dairy farmers in the region and can store 2,200 tonnes of grain on the property. The dairy farmers have expressed interest in including 20% maize in their feed rations, hence Michael has this year also planted 4ha of maize on his own property, using the Titus variety from HSR.

Once the maize is dried it will be milled and then feed tested to determine if maize growing in Tasmania can be a viable crop.

Overall Nathan was very happy with his first attempt at growing maize for grain and will consider it again for the coming season. Currently it looks like approximately 50ha of maize will be grown in Tasmania for grain this coming season.

Figure 1: Sowing the maize crop 15 November 2018

Figure 2: Nathan in his maize crop mid March 2019

Figure 3: Harvesting maize 17 May 2019


Precision Agriculture Pty Ltd, through a deep commitment to applied research and innovation, assists farmers improve the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of Australian agriculture. We apply proven technologies and methodologies that reduce cost, increase yield and minimise environmental impact. ensure the global corn industry moves into a future defined by highly efficient and sustainable production.

The use of precision agriculture to support measurement and decision making is not new to the Maize Industry. For instance, Precision Agriculture Pty Ltd (PA) supported a project last year which aimed to understand the relationship between maize yield and soil chemical, physical or biology properties. However, many farmers, including those who grow maize, are yet to unlock the full benefits of precision technology.

Grid based soil sampling provides rich data from which to build a profit optimising variable rate strategy. Our clients value the savings in terms of reduced lime, gypsum and key fertiliser inputs and are happy to invest in soil sampling so that they can be confident in the results and their application rates.

There is sometimes debate about the value of grid sampling, including the relative benefits versus the costs involved. For instance, it is occasionally contended that grid sampling is expensive and therefore other, cheaper, options should be used by growers. However, in our experience the benefits justify the cost in the vast majority of cases.

The methods used by PA to map soil properties and variability on farm are based on extensive experience and the analysis of an arguably unrivalled data set which has allowed us to evolve and refine our methods. For example, in the last three years we have analysed in excess of 95,000 soil samples. This is the result of grid mapping over 200,000ha, about 3,200 paddocks on 760 farms across six States.

Working with so many clients across Australia gives us a unique insight to the broadscale impact of

Variable rate soil management using grid mapping Precision Ag

using detailed soil sampling. Examining aggregate data for 2018 soil pH grid mapping results for 879 paddocks (50,000 ha), showed that, on average, the farmers involved saved $90/ha in lime alone compared to a blanket application of 2.5 t/ha.

Developing a variable rate soil management strategy

Investment decisions are made on the farm every day. Lime, gypsum and fertiliser represent a significant annual investment in the production system and producers are increasingly wanting a sound evidence-base for these decisions and to optimise this application within a paddock using Variable Rate (VR) technology.

The cost of soil analyses, whether by zone or grid mapping, is relatively minor in comparison to the investment in lime, gypsum and fertilizer. There is a significant return on investment in soil data as it allows the grower to maximise the efficiency of inputs with reduced lime and fertilizer requirements usually offsetting the upfront cost of grid soil mapping.

“Grid mapping of pH and phosphorus has allowed our clients to apply lime, manure, or starter

fertiliser in a more targeted manner. Thus, ensuring adequate application to low testing areas whilst not over applying lime or fertiliser to high testing areas. The process has been economic, delivering

overall cost savings and/or, more targeted and specific application of inputs.”

-Greg Hunt, Director Rural Management Strategies Pty Ltd

Farmer knowledge, historic yield and satellite data can all provide a valuable insight into the variation we see within a paddock in terms of crop and pasture production. This variability is the result of many variables including:

- Water availability - affected by management, soil type, topography, rainfall and historic management of the farm.

- Soil physical and chemical constraints – including compaction, pH, CEC and sodicity.

- Nutrient availability - affected by soil type, water movement, paddock history, chemical and physical soil properties.

- Pests and diseases

There are a number of available methods for generating variable rate recommendations for a property, but these fall into two main categories.

- Developing management zones based on experience and historic data (NDVI, satellite, yield)

- Grid soil mapping which divides a paddock into a uniform grid for soil sampling.

While PA uses management zones to develop VR strategies where appropriate, grid soil mapping is the most robust and reliable method for understanding the variability in surface soil pH, CEC and nutrients.

VR strategies based on zones

Zonal sampling based on satellite images, NDVI, and/or yield maps is an established approach to the development of zones across the farm for management and soil sampling. The development of soil management zones from this low cost, or even free, data can work well on some properties, especially where there is clear soil type variation across the paddock.

While zoning can work on many soils, it is subjective and can be challenging to separate the underlying cause/effect relationships within these zones. On new land, where there is no prior understanding of the property, this is an even more challenging approach, given there is no local knowledge to interpret the available data.PA founder, Andrew Whitlock sums it up nicely: “I have learnt over many years, that soil pH and nutrient levels vary more than we once thought, and this variability does not necessarily follow soil textural zones.”

VR strategies using grid mapping

PA predominantly uses grid soil mapping to define our variable rate strategies as our experience


has shown that using soil data provides a more accurate understanding of the individual soil constraints.

Grid soil sampling divides a paddock into small grids. In most situations, the grids are two-hectare in size, however the grid size can be customised to match underlying variability, paddock size, intensity of enterprise (e.g. irrigated horticulture vs dryland cropping). Within each grid, multiple soil cores are collected on a transect to represent the average conditions within that grid. This data is then provided to producers as a grid map across their paddock/property along with recommendations for lime, gypsum, and fertiliser as required. Importantly, these recommendations include prescription files for their spreaders to ensure easy conversion of soil data to on-ground action.

This approach provides a robust data set from which to make informed management decisions. There are no assumptions around cause-effect relationships, or that the key soil constraints are consistent across the paddock. From the 200,000 hectares of grid soil mapping done the past three years, we have consistently seen that the patterns of variability within paddocks often differ between elements which only becomes evident via grid mapping. For instance, in the figures of surface soil pH and phosphorus (P), we can see that both pH and P are low in the SW corner of the paddock (red and yellow); in contrast in the SE side of the paddock where pH is again low (yellow) the soil P levels are notably higher (dark blue).

In developing our variable rate strategies, we also consider the impact of variability down through the soil profile. A significant focus of our research is to improve our understanding of the variability vertically and horizontally, and to develop effective options for managing soil variability at depth.

In addition to economic returns based on lime and fertiliser savings, the PA Research and Innovation team has been working with Agriculture Victoria to use a discounted cash flow model to investigate the economics of variable rate lime applications in terms of costs and crop production. While this work is currently being finalized, the results clearly show that across a range of scenarios VR lime returned a positive Net Present Value (NVP), that is return on investment, across a 5-year window.

Grid soil mapping is a consistent, repeatable way of identifying soil constraints, creating variable rate amelioration strategies and developing management zones.

Figure 1. The grid soil sampling results from a cropping paddock in SW Victoria showing (a) soil pH and (b) Colwell Phosphorus from surface soils (0-10cm) in 2017

(a) (b)


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MAA Executive Committee 2018-2019

Liz Mann CEO - MAA 0427 857 578 [email protected]

Bernie Walsh (Chair) Walsh Farms Pty Ltd 0427 478 227 [email protected]

David Coddington HSR Pty. Ltd. 0499 274 464 [email protected]

Stephen Wilson Pioneer Hi-Breed Aust. 0428 351 196 [email protected]

Brett Thompson Corson [email protected]

Gino De Stefani Yarranbrook Farms Pty. Ltd. 0409 914 439 [email protected]

Jason Scott Pioneer Seeds 0447 717 020 [email protected]

Johannes Roellgen Tyunga Farms P/L [email protected]

John Houghton Grower / Heritage Seeds 0428 683 038 [email protected]

Luke Mancini Yenda Prod Grain 0437 512 322 [email protected]

Peter Durand Netafim 0407 975 401 [email protected]

Rob Johnston Grower / Heritage Seeds 0427 427 577 [email protected]

Tony Cogswell Lachlan Commodities 02 6851 2077 [email protected]

· To identify new opportunities for growers and marketers;

· To respond to issues affecting the industry, e.g. GMO and export standards; and to

· Liaise with R&D corporations to achieve the best outcomes from growers’ R&D levies.

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MAA Cob... · The winner of each of each section will be interviewed by the MAA, with an article...

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