Maize an ideal fit for farming system

Growing maize is an important part of Eric and Karen Zink’s farm management systems – and not just as a supplementary feed for their 240 cows.

It enables the couple, who farm near Edgecumbe, to use nutrients in dairy shed effluent and to renew pasture by changing maize paddocks each season and re-sowing grass seed over the stubble.


Ripe and ready to harvest – Eric Zink checks a cob from one of his maize blocks.

“We are not using the same paddocks year after year for maize, which is a very hungry plant in its demands for nutrients,” says Karen.

However, close attention is paid to the nutrient demands of their maize crops, which during recent years have yielded 30 tonne per hectare.

It’s no accident the crops perform so well – Eric and Karen have a deliberate strategy for
achieving top results.

Because their farm is totally flat, they are able to change paddocks each season. The soils, however, are pumice, light and free-draining, with not a lot of top soil.

“When we first started cultivating for maize the plough was going so deep it turned the pumice to the surface and left a lot of mounds and hollows.

“I converted an old Clough plough so I could do the ploughing myself, only going down 15cm and retaining the top soil,” says Eric, who is an engineer by trade.

Effluent from the 14-aside herringbone cowshed’s two ponds is pumped onto the maize paddocks by George Oakes of G & R Pumping Services of Pukehina.

“He has about 800 metres of hose and can spread it over 80 metres, after covering up the water troughs beforehand,” says Karen. The farm is also irrigated with whey from the nearby Fonterra dairy factory.

Soil tests are carried out by Robin Boom, of Agronomic Advisory Services Cambridge, who uses them to prepare an individual fertiliser ‘prescription’ for the farm.

“Robin uses Brookside Laboratories tests for 16 elements and minerals; and those that are lacking are added to the mix prepared for us,” says Karen.

Soil health
Eric and Karen believe the general excellent health of pasture, maize and livestock is largely credited to paying attention to soil health.

The couple also work closely with Robin Billett, Bay of Plenty regional manager for Pioneer, to decide which Pioneer maize seed is sown on the farm and to conduct trials.

Robin is delighted with the trial results achieved on the farm this maize growing season.

“The average across the eight plots is 34.7 tonnes of dry matter per hectare, which is a very pleasing result, and is an increase over last season which was also an exceptionally good growing season.”

Robin says the two top-performing varieties are P1253, which has been in the market place for three years, and the brand new P1636, which will be available this season.

“Eric and Karen have been Pioneer trial co-operators for several seasons. These trials are undertaken to evaluate potential new hybrids alongside existing commercial hybrids,” says Robin.

This means frequent visits from Pioneer staff, who are on-hand when the maize is sown and throughout the growing season, right up until harvest.

Insight
In late March the 3.5 metre high host crop included several research strip trials, sections of which were cut out and sampled before the harvest began.

The results are added to data gathered throughout the season, informing decisions about which varieties will go forward for commercial release.

Eric says he’s happy to have the trials conducted on his farm, as it gives him an insight into varieties which perform well on his property; inside information which helps when deciding on seed for next season.

“Some varieties do really well, others not so well,” says Eric.


Trial rows of maize are sampled before harvest.


The Zink farm near Edgecumbe is on flat, fertile land.


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