Standout maize varieties show their worth in trials – Farmers Guardian

In Shropshire, near Bishops Castle, Hutchinsons ran an on-farm maize variety trial, demonstrating 21 varie- ties, which followed a winter wheat crop last year, followed by a winter cover crop of Westerwald ryegrass.

Speaking at the demonstration event on September 18, Hutchinsons agronomist Matt Joseph said: “Sheep grazed the cover over winter before a cut of silage was taken in the beginning of May, the field then received applica- tions of poultry manure and biosolids.”

The trial plots were drilled on May 20, with each variety spaced one row width apart, and 125kg per hectare of DAP fertiliser applied.

As for many spring crops planted in 2025, a key challenge for the maize varieties was the lack of moisture seen this summer. The company’s digital farm management system, Omnia, has a weather feature which is site-specific to the farm in Shropshire, whereby the graph (below right) shows just how little rainfall there was this year, compared with five-year averages shown in green and 10-year averages shown in blue.

The crop plots were harvested on September 23 and, of the 21 varieties planted, five varieties – including Pion- eer P7179, DSV Ambient, Pioneer DS1897B, KWS Norento and DSV Activo – all stood out at the site, ac- cording to Mr Joseph.

Pioneer P7179 is an extra early ma- turing hybrid variety that was launched in 2023 and most suited to sowing on less favourable sites and sites where an early harvest is sought.

The variety spot yielded at 29.8 tonnes/ ha with 32.4% dry matter (DM).

Mr Joseph said: “This variety showed impressive cobs despite the lack of rainfall and a reasonable plant hight, despite its short FAO maturity rating of 170.”

Described as an ‘ultra early’ variety, DSV Ambient claims to be the earliest maturing variety, with an FAO of 130. The variety spot yielded 30.9t/ha with 33.2% DM.

“This variety had very good cobs, but it was very short and lacked bio- mass,” said Mr Joseph.

“That being said, with an FAO of 130, it will be one to watch in the west for next year.”

Pioneer DS1897B is a taller and late maturing variety with an FAO of 250, the longest of all the trial varieties.

“It looked very promising all season and this showed true when it came to yield at 44t/ha with a DM of 30.2%,” said Mr Joseph.

Highest yielding variety of the trial, KWS Norento yielded 46.9t/ha, 32% DM. Mr Joseph pinpointed this variety of having an ‘impressive’ yield, despite being a later maturing variety with an FAO of 210.

Finally, later-maturing DSV Activo has an FAO of 220 and yielded well at 44.2t/ha and 33.2% DM.

Mr Jospeh added: “While this was the tallest variety by a mile, un- fortunately it seemed to be a long way away from being harvest-ready, when comparing it to the rest of the varieties.”

It is important to note that the yield data is spot rates opposed to averages.

Hutchinsons agronomist Matt Joseph said: “The residual herbicide Anthem (pendimethalin) was at applied pre-emergence, and this was followed by a post-emergence mix of Raikiri (mesotrione), Fornet 6 OD (nicosulfuron) and Fielder Maize Feeder at the 6 true leaf stage.”

The crop also received a dose of nitrogen and sulphur liquid fertiliser.