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Know How / Maize

Whether it is grown for anaerobic digestion, for livestock feed or grain, maize is being grown more widely and is being seen as a valuable addition to rotation. Our maize page aims to help you grow a more profitable crop.

This is your starting point for addressing challenges such as disease and weed control, choosing the right varieties and protecting the environment.

Key areas of focus:

  • Getting establishment right
  • Planning fungicide strategy
  • Keeping on top of weeds
  • Choosing the right varieties for the right market

Must reads

Case studies

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MAIZE

Biostimulants show potential for UK maize growers

Oxfordshire farmer Mark Viner has seen promising results from using biostimulants to support maize crops under challenging growing conditions. Smokedown Farm, near Faringdon, moved from dairying into a large-scale calf-rearing…

MAIZE

How grain maize earns more profit than wheat for two growers

With yields approaching 10t/ha and gross margins currently exceeding those of wheat, grain maize can be a profitable break crop. However, the crop does have its challenges and requires good…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maize

Faced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.…

DRILLING

Strip-till cultivator brings big maize establishment savings

The use of a strip-till cultivator has halved the number of maize establishment passes and more than doubled work rate at a Hampshire arable farm – all while maintaining yields.…

SOILS

How Arable Insights farmer panel are unlocking soil improvements

Managing soils to improve physical structure and chemical and biological activity has become a key trend on arable farms this decade. Each of this season’s Arable Insights farmer panel are…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Maize Watch: Average year in Suffolk after wet winter

A laborious drilling campaign was rewarded with an average maize year on the Suffolk-Norfolk border for ex-dairy farmer Toby Tibbenham. Crops yielded a solid 39.5t/ha across the18.5ha (46 acres) of…

Practical advice

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MAIZE

Advice on cropping decisions for 2027 forage maize crops

Maize growers whose crops suffered this year in the heatwaves and prolonged drought are advised to prepare for these extreme conditions again in 2027, as predicted by the Met Office.…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on growing successful maize crops after a wet winter

Challenging wet weather, waterlogged soils and flooded sites mean growers must be flexible and develop a farm-specific strategy to get maize seed in the ground this year. Conditions are not…

COVER CROPS

How to tackle large cover crops before spring drilling

Some of the biggest overwinter cover crops seen in the past 15-20 years will need careful management ahead of spring drilling to maximise yields of the following crop. Oxfordshire-based Agrii…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

What's in your grain store? Tackling pests before harvest

It is estimated that 90% of grain stores harbour at least one insect species known to infest grain, underlining the critical importance of good store hygiene in the run-up to…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on early nutrition for forage maize crops

Top of the to-do list when planning this year’s forage maize crops should be to check soil pH and correct where necessary. Maize needs a pH of 5.8-7, and outside…

FEED AND NUTRITION

5 ways to be more efficient at maize production in 2025

The value of maize in feed rations is not in doubt but farmers are facing challenges in continuing to use it with confidence amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. They need…

Insights

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WEED MANAGEMENT

Nutsedge findings point to gap in invasive weed defences

Yellow nutsedge may still be a relatively unknown weed, but its appearance on a handful of farms is highlighting a much bigger problem: the UK has no coordinated system for…

MAIZE

Trial shows maize yield lift with drone-applied foliar N

Using a drone to apply late nitrogen to maize increased predicted yields by up to 10t/ha in trials carried out by an agronomy company in Leicestershire. Hutchinsons crop nutrition specialist…

VARIETY SELECTION

Maize list overhaul helps variety choice for 2027

The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) Forage Maize Descriptive Lists have been redesigned for the 2027 growing season, making it easier for growers to identify varieties suited to their…

MAIZE

Why UK faces growing mycotoxin risk in silage

Extreme weather patterns are increasing the risk that mycotoxins will cause problems for the UK’s high-yielding dairy herds. A global shift in crop production fuelled by climate change is expected…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How US dairies are using drones to measure clamp tonnage

Using drones to measure silage stocks in maize clamps is replacing estimates on US dairy farms. Farmers can now plan their storage requirements before harvest and better organise feeding –…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why demand for hybrid rye and maize is set to rise

The expansion of biomethane injection plants and on‑farm anaerobic digestion capacity is creating  long‑term demand for home‑grown feedstocks, offering growers new low‑risk routes to improve profitability and resilience. With 130…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Key benefits of new maize fungicide for growers

Maize growers have a new-generation azole fungicide option for managing foliar disease at the critical stem extension to flowering stage. While mefentrifluconazole is already familiar to cereal growers, the active…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Forage maize yield more than double under film, trial shows

The impact on a farm’s cost of production from more than doubling forage maize yield, from 7t dry matter/ha to 18t, is significant. This yield benefit was seen when the…

CROP SELECTION

Maize for anaerobic digestion - how do the numbers stack up?

Growing maize to supply a local anaerobic digestion plant may look attractive for farmers in the right location, however haulage costs and yield variability can “make or break” profitability That’s…

MAIZE

Triple-use maize variety on offer to support rising interest

The demand for UK maize rise is rising, and so too is the demand for multi-use varieties which offer flexible market opportunities. Maize continues to be the first-choice feedstock for…

Video

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CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How 3 farmers spruced up their spray stores

Having the right spray store set-up will help growers stay on the right side of the law, keep valuable spray stocks safe from criminals and save spray operators a significant…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How nozzle choice affects spray quality and efficacy

Selecting the appropriate sprayer nozzle for pre-emergence weed control is an important step in cutting spray drift and maximising the efficacy of the chemicals being applied. There are four key…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How growing maize with beans can improve silage quality

Intercropping of maize and climbing beans is gaining ground among German farmers keen to improve the quality of their silage. Yields and protein content are particularly promising when the two…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How to properly set up a crop sprayer

Crop spraying is one of the most important and highly skilled jobs undertaken on any arable farm, but it is facing increased public scrutiny. This is why it is vital…