The 2025 season brought a very dry spring and a hot, dry summer, causing drought and major maize yield losses (20–50%+) across much of the UK.

Livestock farms dependent on maize and already short of grass silage will face forage shortages by spring 2026, driving higher demand for maize in 2026/27.

In contrast, northern and marginal regions such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Tyne–Tees, and parts of southwest Scotland saw excellent maize performance, especially from very early Limagrain varieties. Strong results are expected to encourage continued maize growing in these areas, where early, high-performing varieties are expanding opportunities and often provide better feed value than wholecrop wheat.

Mainstream varieties for higher yields

For growers in more favourable regions looking to maximise yield and forage quality, two standout varieties from Limagrain are Promise and LG Highlight.

LG Highlight – Expected to join the 2027 list, LG Highlight offers:

Early maturity (similar to Prospect)
Very high starch and cell wall digestibility
A significant improvement in dry matter yield
8–10 t/ha dry grain yield
8–10% lower harvest moisture than many current market varieties
Attractive orange/yellow grain, ideal for animal feed markets

Proven drought tolerance, carrying the Hydraneo badge, indicating enhanced stay-green characteristics and performance under moisture stress. These varieties present excellent opportunities for farmers aiming to replenish forage reserves and improve ration quality in 2026.

Growing maize as a cash crop

In eastern arable regions, maize is increasingly being grown as a profitable cash crop, either for forage, for sale to livestock units, or for anaerobic digestion (AD). Droughted AD units from 2025 are expected to have depleted buffer stocks, and new green gas biomethane units supported by government schemes are creating further demand. For arable units short of land or seeking rotational benefits, partnerships with livestock producers also present opportunities. 

Grain maize opportunities

A growing area of interest is grain maize, supported by new breeding progress that enables earlier dry-down and reduced drying costs. One notable development is which has shown outstanding performance across three years of grain maize trials: Lower grain moisture directly reduces energy and drying costs, improving profitability. Grain maize also offers rotational benefits, including:

Opportunities for blackgrass and problem-weed control

Timely establishment of winter wheat following a September harvest
Valuable residue incorporation, contributing to soil organic matter

Summary

The 2026 season presents strong opportunities for both livestock and arable farmers:

Growers in mainstream areas can maximise output with high-yield, high-quality varieties such as LG Highlight and Promise.

Arable farmers have expanding opportunities to grow maize as a cash crop for forage, AD, or grain, with varieties like LG31.160 offering excellent grain potential and lower drying costs.

With high demand for homegrown forage and expanding AD capacity, maize cropping in 2026 is expected to increase significantly, supported by a strong pipeline of innovative, high-performance Limagrain varieties.

You can view all our maize varieties and the rest of our product portfolio in our brand new Nickerson Seed Book – click to download!

Farming on the northern margins of the North Wessex Downs, Hamish McIntosh has always tried to maximise the contribution maize makes to his milking ration.

Soil types vary across the farm, some being challengingly heavy, so success has come with tailoring variety selection according to field conditions, as well as staying abreast of the latest developments in maize breeding, in order to continually improve his output.

In 2025 – a year that has proved challenging for many maize growers – the decision to grow one of the very latest early maturing varieties to come onto the BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List has certainly paid dividends.

Based at Hardwell Farm, near Knighton in Oxfordshire, Hamish runs a 400-cow milking herd alongside 200 acres of arable cropping and a similar acreage of grassland. The herd is conventionally managed, calving all year round, housed in the winter months, and outside during the grazing season. In an area where TB is a continual threat, as many heifers as possible are retained on the farm, in a quest to maintain numbers.

Hamish McIntosh and his dairy herd at Hardwell Farm.

The aim is to minimise parlour-fed concentrates and derive as much as possible from the mixed ration, to support average yields of 9,000 litres/cow. Maize silage certainly plays a key part in this strategy, comprising around half of the forage component.

Around 200 acres of maize are grown on the farm, fitting into a rotation with winter wheat and grass, and this year a quarter of the acreage was given over to newly listed LG Highlight.

“It’s a variety that has looked really promising in trials and fits perfectly with Hamish’s requirement for high dry matter yields, quality in the clamp, and a sufficiently early harvest to allow a following crop of winter wheat to be established,” says Nickerson Seed Specialist Fraser House.

“LG Highlight will be one of the top new varieties for dry matter yield on the 2027 maize Descriptive Lists, and with an FAO rating of 170 it certainly has the earliness. It also has high starch yields and strong agronomic characteristics. Where farmers are looking for the combination of yield, quality and earliness, this is a variety that really hits the sweet spot.”

It was grown alongside Prospect, also FAO 170, and the slightly later maturing Conclusion, both from the Limagrain Field Seeds UK breeding programme and having a proven track record on the farm.

“Some of the land at Hardwell Farm is not the best for maize, so the policy is to grow what we think will perform in the particular circumstances,” continues Fraser. “Robust varieties with early vigour, good standing power and the necessary disease tolerance are what’s required, plus early maturity and high dry matter yields. Increasingly, we are seeing varieties that will deliver this full package, with the additional benefits of high cell wall digestibility that ensure farmers like Hamish can rely on having a full clamp of energy dense forage.”

Hamish was delighted with the yield and quality of the LG Highlight silage.

With so much rain falling throughout the winter and spring, Hamish had to work hard to create a suitable seedbed for his 2025 maize crop. All the maize ground is ploughed, with slurry and manure applied before and sometimes afterwards.

“The heavy rain seems to be becoming more common and it does not help our heavier ground,” he says. “We’re increasingly needing to sub-soil, and on our heavier ground we’ll normally need to power harrow before drilling. We have our own maize drill, so we can be timely, going when the conditions are right.”

Optimum drilling date is 1^st May at Hardwell Farm, and maize is drilled with DAP fertiliser down the spout and 125kg N/ha onto the seedbed. Pre- and post-emergence herbicides maintain good weed control, and – with that including a reduction in blackgrass on the farm – offers a wider benefit of having maize in the rotation.

“I’m aware of the specialist maize fertilisers and developments like foliar sprays, and we’ll keep a close eye on any ways to improve, but – at the moment – our system seems to be working. Growing the right varieties is a good part of our success, and being aware of the progress in maize breeding.”

The maize at Hardwell Farm was harvested on 20^th September and, whilst it was not the best year for maize generally, Hamish was happy to see the LG Highlight standing out.

“It was our largest crop with big mature cobs, so it delivered what we wanted,” he says.

“We probably cut a little earlier than some, because I like to see some green leaf in the clamp. Overall, I’m very happy with the performance of the maize, and it was off in good time to establish the winter wheat.”

The maize will go into the ration at what Hamish considers the optimum level of around 50% of the forage, alongside grass silage, biscuit meal, a rape-soya meal and urea.

With maize breeding progress providing earlier varieties that avoid any compromise on dry matter yield or forage quality, it is a crop that will continue to be of great value at Hardwell Farm, for both milk production and crop rotation

Maize is one of my favourite crops to talk about. There is such a substantial difference between the vast array of maize varieties currently on the market – perhaps more so than any other crop species.

When I am speaking to my customers regarding variety choice for the upcoming season, I consider many factors before making a variety recommendation. These factors can include soil type, field aspect, end-use, drilling period and intended harvest date, amongst others. All these factors must be considered in order to choose the correct varieties for your farm.

Within my area, there has been a notable uptick in attention to variety choice, due to the extremely varied and challenging seasons we have had in recent years. The vast differences between the 2024 season, which saw crops mature later than normal, compared to 2025, which has been incredibly early, has thrown confusion into variety choice for this coming year.

Variety choice plays a key role in overcoming abnormal climatic conditions, so it is reassuring to know that there is a spectrum of different varieties out there, and there will certainly be one to fit on your farm.

We have also had more disease pressure in 2025, along with increasingly common pests, such as the European corn borer, which is making its way further north every year. I always try to encourage my customers to think about the above factors when looking at variety choice, to help mitigate risks in the coming growing season.

However, even with all these challenges we face, we can still produce an excellent quality crop. Whether it is for forage, crimping or anaerobic digestion, we have the varieties and experience to best guide our growers to the correct variety choice.

Download the brand new 2026 Nickerson Seed Book here featuring all our maize varieties!

Maize: The New Game-Changer for Doddington Dairy’s Forage and Sustainability Strategy

Farming in the rain shadow of the Cheviot Hills and with predominantly light sandy soils, Neill and Jackie Maxwell and their team at Doddington Dairy find growing grass to be a challenge.

Fodder beet bolsters the ration for the 400 strong crossbred milking herd, but what they have really wanted to include for quite a number of years is maize.

Neill and Jackie Maxwell make French-style raw milk cheese and ice cream at Doddington Dairy and won Best Food Producers in the BBC Food and Farming Awards in 2015.

Based near Wooler, in Northumberland, on the same latitude as Moscow and the south of Sweden, that’s not been an option, at least not until the 2025 season.

“Maize is a potential game-changer for us, particularly on a farm where grass growth is often difficult,” explains Neill. “Our aim is to produce as much as possible from homegrown crops, so to have our own maize in the ration will be a big step forward.

“We did try growing it around 15 years ago, but without any success. Growing maize under plastic has seemed like our only option, but we would not want the risk of microplastics in our soils and we have a strong sustainability agenda across the business.

”We decided to try growing maize unprotected again after attending an alternative forages workshop where we heard about the progress in maize breeding.

“From our experience this summer, it’s quite possible that maize will perform best for us in the years that are the most difficult to grow grass. Farming is about mitigating risk, so having another crop in the mix that can add great value to the ration whilst bolstering our overall forage output will be a great result.”

The event Neill refers to was organised by Nickerson and featured a presentation from Limagrain Field Seeds UK on the increased potential of earlier maturing varieties. Seed specialist David Watson, who hosted the meeting, helped the Doddington Dairy team in the choice of variety and the management of the crop.

“I advised growing a variety called Prospect, because I knew it had a great track record and felt it would best suit the site,” he explains. “With an FAO of 170, it’s an early variety, though not the earliest produced from the Limagrain breeding programme, but the farm has light soils and the fields in question have a southerly aspect, so I felt sure it could do well. The early vigour certainly helped the crop and with high starch and very good cell wall digestibility it should deliver what the farm wants in the ration.”

The farm grew a cautious 21 acres in 2025, on land close to the farmstead. After plentiful applications of muck and slurry, the sandy ground was ploughed and cultivated before being drilled and then rolled. A compound fertiliser was included down the spout and nitrogen was applied onto the seedbed at 125kg N/ha. A standard programme of pre- and post-emergence herbicides, as advised by the farm’s agronomist, were the only other inputs.

“We drilled on 1^st May in dry conditions, but there was moisture in the seedbed,” recalls Neill. “The crop was out of the ground quickly, and then it rained in June. Thereafter conditions remained largely dry.

“It was not the conditions for growing grass, but the maize continued to thrive. Our biggest issue turned out to be the crows feasting on the maize seedlings.”

The crop was fully mature and harvested on 30^th September, yielding 18.5 tonnes/acre at 33% dry matter, but the on-board yield monitor on the forager revealed some areas of the field yielding 22 to 23 tonnes/acre.

“The variation in yields was almost certainly due to the crow damage,” adds Neill. “Despite that, we’re delighted with how the crop has performed, and particularly with the earliness as it has allowed us plenty of time to drill a following crop of wheat. We don’t ever leave bare ground over winter, so such early maturity is a big factor in the crop being viable for us.”

The farm, run by Neill and Jackie Maxwell, their herd manager James Kelly and his dedicated team, extends to 1,200 tenanted acres. Wheat, barley and fodder beet are grown across about 300 acres, with all crops fed at home.

Calving all year round, the milking herd at Doddington Dairy averages around 8,500 litres/cow. Milk solids are particularly important, with around 20% of production going into the farm’s specialist French-style raw milk cheeses and ice cream. The majority of the milk is sold on a contract to Arla.

Maize has been a game-changer for Jackie and Neill.

“We’re striving all the time to lower our carbon footprint and maximise sustainability,” continues Neill. “So, despite the challenges, we try to make as much as we can from grazing, and will aim to have some cows at grass from the beginning of April through until Christmas if we possibly can, as well as making up to four cuts of grass silage.

From this winter, maize will be included in the milking ration for the first time, replacing a proportion of the grass silage and potentially some of the bought-in straights. The aim is to take the pressure off grass production and also boost the performance of the cows at a critical time.

“We’ll include maize in the ration for the early lactation cows, to maximise intakes and yields,” says Neill. “We’ll go into it steadily at first, but do see great potential going forward.”

The milking ration is fed twice daily, after milking, not least to avoid the risk of cows gorging on fodder beet, which – once available – is fed at a rate of 15kg/cow/day. Also included is a set level of 12kg/cow of concentrate feed, fed as straights, as well as ground maize, soya hulls, barley and wholecrop wheat. There is no bought in compound feed or soya.

“Our herd manager James is first class and I know he and his team are really looking forward to feeding maize,” concludes Neill. “It will allow us to reduce our reliance on grass, making more milk at a similar cost, and that’s all building sustainability into the business and reducing our exposure to risk. If all goes as we hope, we’ll look to increase the maize acreage next year by two or three times.”

Welcome to the first EVER Nickerson Seed Book!

Click to download your copy of the new guide!

For the very first time, you’ll find our entire range brought together in one place – Cereals, Pulses, Oilseed Rape, Maize, Circle Leys grass mixtures, plus our specialist Forage and Environmental seeds. A full catalogue designed to give you clarity, choice, and confidence when it comes to your seed decisions.

Nickerson are the Original Seed Specialists. For over 75 years, we’ve supplied seed and advice to British farmers – trusted by generations because we understand the job, the challenges, and what it takes to grow a successful crop. Our history gives us provenance. Our experience gives you peace of mind. When you choose Nickerson, you are not just buying seed – you are investing in a partnership.

That partnership is delivered through our nationwide team of Nickerson Seed Specialists. These are not simply salespeople – they are experts, practical thinkers, and trusted advisors. They know farming, they know seed, and they take the time to understand your business. Their role is simple: to help you make the best choice for every field, every season.

We are proud of our heritage, but we never stand still.

Farming is changing – new pressures, new opportunities, new demands on every hectare. Our job is to make sure you have the right seed, the right advice, and the right support to meet those challenges head-on.

This brochure is designed to help you do exactly that. It brings our portfolio together in one clear guide – from high-yielding cereals and resilient oilseed rape to productive maize, proven grass mixtures, and targeted environmental options. Every product has been selected, tested, and supported by Nickerson, so you can choose with confidence.

Quality seed. Trusted advice. Unmatched service. That has been our promise for over 75 years – and it remains our promise today.

Take a look at our 2026 Seed Book today.

Harvesting maize at the correct maturity is crucial for ensuring optimal yield, quality, and nutritional value.

Harvesting too early can lead to underdeveloped grain, lower starch and excess effluent, whilst waiting too long may result in losses of feed value, digestibility and palatability. With the very challenging conditions this year, assessing crop maturity is crucial for optimising quality. Below are some important points to consider:

Understand the Importance of Maturity

Maize maturity directly impacts its starch content, moisture levels, and overall quality. For silage, harvesting at the right stage ensures the best fermentation and feed value. For grain maize, the crop needs to reach a moisture content of 25-35% (DM of 65-75%), before being combined. The crop must be left longer in the field to dry down, to ensure maximum yield and storability.

Key Indicators of Maize Maturity

2. – Kernel Milk Line

The milk line is a visual indicator of kernel maturity. It appears as a dividing line between the starchy and milky parts of the kernel. As the maize matures, this line moves from the top of the kernel toward the base. Harvest for silage is ideal when the milk line is about two-thirds to three-quarters down the kernel for silage. For grain maize, wait until the milk line disappears entirely, indicating full maturity.

1. – Black Layer Formation

The black layer is a small, dark spot that forms at the base of the kernel when it reaches physiological maturity. This is a sign that the maize has stopped accumulating dry matter. For grain maize, this is the ideal time to harvest, as the moisture content will have dropped to around 25-35%.

1. – Cob and Husk Appearance

Cob Colour: Mature cobs often turn from green to a reddish or brownish hue.

Husk Texture: The husks will feel dry and papery when the maize is ready for harvest.

Kernel Hardness: Mature kernels are firm and dented, with no milky liquid when pressed.

Field Observations

Uniformity: Check multiple plants across the field to ensure uniform maturity. Variability in planting dates or soil conditions can lead to uneven ripening, especially in a year such as this

Plant Health: Look for signs of disease or pest damage, as these can affect the timing of harvest. Early harvesting may be necessary in cases of severe infestation.

Timing Tips

Weather Considerations: Wet or cold growing seasons, like the one experienced in 2024, can delay maturity. Be patient and monitor the crop closely.

Harvest Window: For silage, aim to harvest within a narrow window to maintain quality. For grain maize, allow time for natural drying in the field, but avoid leaving it too long to prevent losses from lodging or pests.

Tools to Assist

LG Maize Manager App. This app is free to download and walks you through step by step to gauge plant maturity in the field.  Download the LG Maize Manager App here

Visual Guides: Use charts or photos of maize at different stages of maturity to compare with your crop.

Expert Advice: Consult your local Nickerson Seed Specialist who can provide tailored advice based on your region and crop conditions.

By combining visual cues, moisture measurements, and field observations, you can make informed decisions to maximize your yield and quality.

The Nickerson team once again attended the Bath & West Dairy Show, based near Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

This year, we were based in the Showering Pavilion, opposite the cattle arena. It is always great to see the hard work and commitment so many put into their stock, really pay off. I have been attending this event since I was young and although the site and stands remain similar, what attendees show and sell has definitely changed!

That goes for seed too; varieties, regardless of species, have moved on so much in the past decade. With the sheer number of different varieties and mixtures on the market, coupled with the Single Farm Incentive (SFI) and other environmental schemes, it can be difficult to know what to do.

This is where we, as Seed Specialists, can help you to make it all a bit clearer!

There is often a theme when talking to customers on a show stand. The recurring theme on stand at this year’s show was variability. Whether that be levels of forage in stock for the winter, or progress through maize harvest, it all comes down to who caught the rain and who sadly did not. I can say from my own experience, that west of Cardiff and South Wales has been lucky, as has Devon and Cornwall. Whereas, central and Southern areas have had to contend with a serious forage shortfall. 

There is little that can be done about that now of course, although there is still time to put in catch crop mixtures to maximise home grown forage for the winter and into the spring.

Options at this point in the season could include short and long-term leys, wholecrop options or forage rye, which is often overlooked, but can be grazed in situ or zero grazed.

Another takeaway from this season, particularly in drought hit areas, is that the smallest differences can have the biggest effects. Soil type for example, has affected how well crops have done this year more than most, even soil type differences within the same field have been quite easy to spot.

As our weather is getting more and more extreme, rotation planning, cultivation methods, drilling dates and many more factors, are all things which can have a significant difference on the outcome and success of your crops.

Contact your Nickerson Seed Specialist for the best advice for your specific farm needs.

When growing maize for grain, it is important to understand all the characteristics and possible limitations of your soil. Weather patterns and varietal choice are also key to ensuring you have a crop that is going to reach its full potential at harvest.

As a grower you consider the best site, the correct establishment method and the most appropriate varieties for your conditions. The portfolio of Limagrain varieties have been bred to be adaptable. As Nickerson seed specialists, we are well versed in the characteristics and growth habits of individual varieties within the Limagrain stable, making us best placed to advise on suitability.

Varieties for grain maize recommended by Nickerson include LG30.179, Ambition, Promise, Prospect and our new variety LG31.160. These are all rated highly in terms of standing, disease resistance and all-important yield.

The newest grain maize variety I have to offer on farm is LG31.160. With good yields of 9.2 t/ha @ 15% moisture and reduced harvest moisture content of 24.6 % means drying costs can be lower, compared to previous varieties that are harvested wetter.

Harvesting later than forage maize, due to the time required for the grain to dry down as much as possible, can lead to combining maize in worse conditions. Having a cob that dries down rapidly without losing yield or quality is crucial. This is where LG31.160 excels with its rapid dry down characteristic.

Selecting the right site is crucial. Maize is a crop that favours sheltered locations with a south-facing aspect which will allow for earlier drilling and will maintain soil temperatures for longer in early spring. With maize being a crop so reliant on heat units, it is imperative to give the crop the best chance, given the UK’s unpredictable weather patterns.

Sheltered fields offer higher retention of heat units in the canopy as well as reduced chance of lodging. The recommended maximum altitude for maize is 1,000 feet (300m) above sea level.

Maize favours sandy/

sandy loam soils, a well aerated soil structure and no compaction. Clay soils hold water and can be slow to warm up. However, maize can be grown on soils with a clay content of up to 25% if earlier drilling is achieved.

Chalk is unsuitable due to slow warm up in the spring and can reflect sunlight. However, chalk downland soils can support maize if soil depth is sufficient. Poorly aerated soils will limit root formation and can cause premature crop senescence.

Grain Maize should be drilled at a lower seed rate, around 35,000 to 37,500 seeds per acre, compared to forage maize which should be grown at around 42,000 seeds per acre. This gives more space per plant, allowing cobs to increase in size due to increased sunlight penetration into the lower canopy of each plant.

A huge thank you to all the farmers who visited our stand! It was fantastic to see you in a different environment than your farms and to hear from so many of you across the country about how well your Red Circle leys have been performing. We also enjoyed answering your questions about maize, whole crop silage, and lucerne.

With so much on offer from the industry, we hope you took away some valuable ideas from the event. It was also great to hear a sense of optimism, especially after the challenges agriculture has faced in recent years.

For those who couldn’t make it—Dairy Tech was bigger than ever this year!—we hope to see you at upcoming events like Farm Expo Southeast. We’re also hosting some breakfast meetings, so keep an eye out for details.

If you’re unable to leave the farm, remember we’re always just a phone call away. Looking forward to catching up soon!

Over the last 20 years, maize breeding has come a long way.

It would be perfectly normal for Farms to be cutting Maize in November in the south and Midlands back in 2000. Maize wouldn’t even be considered in a dairy ration north of the Humber in Yorkshire or Lancashire back in  the early 2000s. But now most Farms in the South and Midlands can harvest early varieties by the first and second week in September, and farms in the North can finally harvest varieties in mid October without plastic.

 With this revolution in dairy rations bringing affordable homegrown protein, how can harvesting earlier in the season be more cost-effective for your farm business?

 With the government’s new SFI scheme replacing the Basic Payment, farmers are having to change their cropping systems again—not due to revolutionary breeding, but to maintain much needed income for their businesses. This is where the last 30 years of maize breeding and research could come into play.

 Schemes such as SAM2, which promotes multi-species winter cover crops, are being introduced to ensure farmers don’t have fallow fields over the winter period. Though the payment is not substantial, it still provides support to the business.

 With an earlier variety, the benefits extend beyond just yield; it’s easier on the soil, reducing compaction and water run-off.  This keeps any risk of environmental damage to minimum, saving farms from any potential visits from the environment agency.

 Many farmers have found it easier to coordinate with their contractors, as harvesting earlier means that contractors do not have to rush between farms leading to a better service and a better clamp compacted and covered. Farmers are also finding that, with having earlier varieties available to them, they have a longer window for the maize in the clamp to ferment with anaerobic respiration, leading to a higher quality product for their cows when the grass quality drops.

With a longer period before the soil temperature drops, the cover crops have a better chance for establishing. If farmers choose to grow a grass mix, including Westworlds and Italian ryegrass post-maize harvest. In a full farm rotation, an early maize harvest could be incredibly beneficial for getting in a cereals crop, such as barley or triticale.

Holding soil structure together better means fewer nutrients run-off the fields. saving fertiliser expenditure for the next crop. 

In conclusion, adapting to the advancements in maize breeding and embracing earlier harvesting practices is not just a matter of timing; it’s about securing the financial future of our farms. By making these strategic changes, we can optimise our operations and enhance the sustainability of our agricultural practices.

More Information?
If you would like to know more about how embracing earlier harvesting practises could help you on your farm please contact me on 07977523201, or sam.johnson@nickerson.co.uk

Maize cultivation – a face off

After a very late start to the maize season, with an extended period of wet weather in the South West, it was going to be interesting to see if the prophecy of extended maturity times on reduced cultivation maize was going to be correct or not.

Two adjacent fields had been selected and drilled with LG Promise on the same day, one with conventional cultivation and the second using Malcolm Barratt’s Strip Till drill. The drill rate was the same at 45k

Conventional drilled cob on the left and strip till on the right – 3rd October.

seeds an acre and both had a slight difference in row widths. The conventional went in with 760mm widths and the strip till at 640mm.

With this in mind, I set out with Jerry Alford, from the Soil Association to take some pre harvest samples from across both fields in mid-October.

The difference in row spacing showed up in the fields with the strip till field having much thicker stems than the conventional. This would be due to the wider seed spacing in row which affected the conventional field, as the storms from the previous two weeks had knocked some patches over.

At the time of sampling, it was surprising to find that the strip till maize was very slightly ahead in maturity than the conventional field which we weren’t expecting. The yields did show differences though with a reduction in yield of 7% in cob weight and about 12% in total plant wet weight, with the better yield going to the conventional field. We are waiting to see the results of starch content to come back. I did also see a reduction in secondary cobs on the strip till compared to the conventional making the strip till cobs better quality.

Strip till cob on the left, conventional on the right – 23rd October

With these results in mind and the way weather is playing a major role in when we can drill maize, all is not lost if a full cultivation is not going to be possible. A reduced cultivation will still return a viable crop, even though the overall yield may be slightly reduced. By selecting a high yielding variety to start with such as Promise, it is possible to mitigate some yield reductions though.

Many thanks to Innovative Farmers and Field Lab for their help with this trial.

I’m Simon Custance. I come from a family farm in north west Cambridgeshire where we grow winter and spring cereals, winter beans and sugar beet.

I’ve always enjoyed farming from helping my dad walk fields as a child, to grading potatoes and learning to drive a tractor in my teens.

I studied Agriculture with Crop Science at Hartpury where I learned much more about maize, grass and added to my existing knowledge of combinables and roots.

The course was wide-ranging including working on the university farm doing many roles. Milking cows, lambing and young stock management were all enjoyable parts that I learnt and was happy to gain experience in.

After finishing university in May 2020, I started with Agrii as a Agronomist. I really enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of identifying pests, weeds and diseases and coming up with both cultural and chemical solutions.

After almost 2 years with Agrii, I decided to leave in spring 2022, the world was opening post-Covid and I travelled to Canada to work on an arable farm and experience different farming methods. South Saskatchewan is on the same latitude as the midlands; however, the farming practices are incredibly different! Rainfall is about 30% of central England. The challenges for the farm there revolved around the large temperature fluctuation of -40 to +40 degrees Celsius, low rainfall and poorer soils.

On my return to England, I worked for a local New Holland dealer in Cambridgeshire demonstrating, selling and supporting products from combines to potato planters. I was given an established area and helped, through a difficult time for agriculture, to build a customer base and expand the business.

I have always thought seed is the most important part of growing. Varietal choice for the unique conditions each farm and field present is critical. That’s when I applied for the job with Nickerson, I am very much looking forward to learning and expanding the business.

Nickerson is a well-established and highly thought of company, I am very privileged to work for them as a Seed Specialist, learning and working in an industry which is always full of ideas and forward thinking.