Game Maize
Is still one of the most popular crops used for cover and feed. Nearly all maize varieties used for game cover have at some stage been commercial forage or grain varieties. As these varieties are superseded by newer hybrids, stocks of those being replaced diminish and we carefully select the most suitable of these for our game cover purposes.
The selection criteria a breeder would use for a new forage maize are:
- High yeild potencial
- Maturity
- Resistance to lodging
- Very good early vigour
- Resistance to disease
Most of these attributes are just as important for our game cover crops and as breeding evolves the varieties we supply will continue to improve.
Weather conditions for growing maize in 2009 created very different problems compared to 2008 but generally have been better than the previous two years. An early spring meant earlier planting, but then conditions became damp and cold with a wet july, cold august with low sunshine hours, followed by a warm and very dry september. In the south west this caused Eye Spot to become a problem, in which case trash should be thoroughly buried or where possible fresh ground used for the next maize crop. Smut appeared in some crops, probably due to the late warm, dry september weather, but this should not have affected crops too badly.
For game cover purposes, a crop of maize can allways be relied upon to provide the perfect hiding cover for game; birds can move easily through it and the cob will provide valuable feed.
Variety selection is as important a factor as when and where to sow and we have five brands to suit all locations and requirements.
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