Dream summer truly a-maize-ing
If you see someone smiling from ear to ear right now chances are they’ll be a farmer growing maize.
What a season this is turning out to be. We’ve all forgotten the wet winter and spring which delayed cultivation and planting; it seems such a distant memory now.
While the weather improved during December, those late plantings in light soils were actually under duress.
They might not have developed a deep enough main root and the surface hair roots in really dry ground might have withered and died.
American maize specialist Dr Bob Neilson outlined that scenario at the Foundation for Arable Research’s (FAR) field day at Tamahere just before Christmas. But thanks to the warm and sunny January, the plantings have recovered and are looking amazing.
Maize loves heat and moisture, especially when it is growing and filling the cobs. Our own crops are looking good, with green leaves right down to soil level and cobs at the milk stage and filling right now.
At our place, Te Kowhai, rainfall has been ideal with about
230ml so far this summer. No wonder I’m suffering from a sore jaw through smiling too much.
I estimate the yields this year could be around 21-22 tonnes per hectare of dry matter for silage and
13 tonnes per hectare for grain. I should mention how New Zealand and Kiwi farmers impressed Neilson. He reckons we produce the best food in the world, and he would seriously consider settling here.
Interestingly, he says farmers face stiffer regulations in the US and that Kiwi farmers should get out and promote themselves more.
FAR has also appointed a new chief executive, Dr Alison Stewart, who takes over from the outgoing Nick Pyke. Dr Stewart starts on March 19, and comes with great credentials.
Pyke is resigning after 22 years and oversaw the growth of FAR since 1995.
He has done a fantastic job, and over that time I got to know him closely and have always found him friendly and astute.
I recall back in the day how the levy paid to FAR by growers was calculated on maize grain delivered to grain driers. Because maize silage was becoming more popular and silage growers were not paying the levy, I proposed that it be changed and collected on each bag of maize seed purchased.
Pyke and myself worked together on my idea and eventually got it through. He still calls it the Hodge levy.
Finally, it was extremely sad to hear the passing of Hybe Poot, a Federated Farmers Waikato life member.
Poot came out from Holland and ended up farming near Te Awamutu.
He was a regular at many Waikato Feds’ meetings and his opinion on any subject was always sincere. On behalf of the Waikato farming community, our sincere condolences to his family.
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