Increasing yield of forage maize
Forage maize is cut and chopped by forage harvesters and then promptly ensiled in a clamp under anaerobic conditions.
This leads to fermentation that improves the quality and feeding potential of the silage.
The best maize silage has a high dry matter content, a high starch content and a good starchdigestibility.
Although forage maize yield is influenced by the same nutrients as grain maize, the difference in nutrient removal between the two types needs to be considered when planning the nutrition program of forage maize crops.
Crop Nutrition and Yield of Forage Maize
Nitrogen
Use of nitrogen is important to build and maintain green leaf, maximizing photosynthetic assimilation and maize crop yields.
Potassium
Forage crops grown for silage remove significantly higher amounts of poassium than grain maize. K is needed to support plantgorwth and maximize yields.
Boron
There is evidence that boron increases the yield and starch content of forage maize. Foliar applications made at the V5 or V6 stage, when there is significant leaf cover, will improve forage maize yields in deficient crops.
