ONHANDWHATEVER THE SEASONHOLDS Weather-proofing farm systems Having a stack of maize silage on hand means you can feed your cows regardless of how well the grass grows. Whether it’s hot and dry, or cold and wet, you have feed when you need it. Certainty over your feed supply is just one of the benefits of maize silage from Pioneer® brand hybrids. Talk to your Pioneer Area Manager or local merchant. www.pioneer.nz/maize-silage Pioneer maize just right for Reporoa Originally hailing from the south-west of England, Tom Buckley is passionate about New Zealand’s grass-based farming system, and growing great crops. Tom and his wife Kelli are in their second season contract milking on Kelli’s parent’s farm in Reporoa. Encompassing a milking platform of 192 hectares, the farm is home to 500 cows and sits at the foot of the Paeroa Ranges. Last season Tom and his father-in-law introduced maize crops to the farming system in response to an on-going autumn shortage of dry matter. “Because it can be cold here in the Taupo District over the winter we didn’t want to use up too much grass silage and we were trying to build up cover for the winter and calving,” says Tom. “We always chewed away on other supplement or the pasture wedge. Grazing off farm is quite expensive so we had to keep more cows home. By growing a high tonnage of dry matter we were able to create plenty of supplement to get through that autumn period, and save a bit more grass or grass silage.” In the rst season eight hectares of maize were sown, producing 25 – 27 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. This season the maize will be doubled to 16 hectares and is on track to match last year’s yield per hectare. “Maize allows us to grow a bulk quantity of dry matter in a short space of time. I don’t think there’s another product that would allow us to grow the same amount for the same cost.” Re ecting on its bene ts Tom says maize has deep roots and is drought tolerant to help protect against dry summers. “Pasture supply is also variable and maize is a great stored feed that enables us to supply a high-quality feed that keeps the cows producing. Maximising home-grown feed also helps to reduce imported feeds like PKE, and maize is also low in N, so helps out from an environmental perspective in the spring when pasture has too much N for the cows’ diet.” As a leading and trusted brand in the industry, Tom acknowledges that Pioneer was the obvious choice in terms of providing both maize seed and support. “This was a big step for my father-in-law to take and I wanted to be sure it was going to deliver the right results. While maize should be twenty- ve or more tonnes per hectare in the Waikato, we’re pushing the boundaries in the cooler climes that we have in the Taupo District. But the new varieties provided by Pioneer very much suit our area. Pioneer discussed the different maize varieties, the different soil types we might come up against and different fertility needs. All the paddocks were soil tested and the Ballance Agri-Nutrients team built up a fertiliser mix that was suitable. So it was big discussion before anything ever went into the ground. Ben Gordon, the local Pioneer Rep is on the ground every week, just going for a walk and looking at the establishment. We’ve been very impressed with Pioneers ongoing support.”
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