NK Smile and NK Jasmic take top spots on new forage maize list
05 October 2009 | Mark Britton
Two new forage maize varieties from Syngenta Seeds have topped the 2010 NIAB Descriptive List with dry matter yields of 20.1 t/ha.
NK Smile is a maturity class (MC) 5 variety which combines great feed quality with exceptional dry matter yield. NK Jasmic is an earlier-maturing variety (MC 6) and can therefore be grown in a wider range of locations, allowing more growers to benefit from the highest yielding varieties that the 2010 Descriptive List has to offer.
Syngenta Seeds is leading the way with the highest yielding forage maize varieties for the UK: the result of a breeding programme focussed on delivering forage maize varieties specifically for northwest Europe.
“The UK needs forage maize varieties that fill the silage clamp and complement feed rations. We’re delighted that we’ve achieved the top yielding variety on the Descriptive List for three years in a row. The strength of our forage maize portfolio can also be seen in the fact that four out of the top five varieties on the 2010 Descriptive List are from Syngenta Seeds” says Nigel Padbury, technical, sales and marketing manager for NK, the Syngenta Seeds brand for maize and oilseeds in the UK.
When combined with a dry matter yield of 20.1 t/ha, NK Smile’s 32.3% starch content and ME score of 11.1 MJ/kg dry matter equate to an outstanding starch and ME yield of 6.48 t/ha and 224,000 MJ/ha respectively. Slightly earlier NK Jasmic is also the highest yielding variety at less favourable sites at 19.4 t/ha, 0.5 t/ha more dry matter yield than the second highest MC 6 variety.
An exceptional ME yield of 223,000 MJ/ha suggests the variety could also be ideal for biogas production as work in Europe indicates a correlation between energy content and methane yield. “With lots of interest in biogas plants, NK Jasmic could have great characteristics for growers looking to use less favourable land for renewable energy production. UK biogas plant owners are usually farmers growing their own maize. Electricity production is related to methane production so, with opportunities for an additional income source through the sale of surplus electricity to the National Grid, farmer operators should consider optimising methane yield rather than plant matter volume,” explains Mr Padbury.
For growers looking for earliness Syngenta Seeds’ new high yielding MC7 variety Nigella has been placed on the 2010 Descriptive List. With an impressive dry matter yield of 19.2 t/ha the variety has tremendous all-round characteristics delivering excellent feed quality coupled with outstanding agronomic strengths. “Nigella has a good balance of starch at 32% and a ME score of 10.9 MJ/kg dry matter, a very good early vigour score of 7.7 and the best harvest standing power score of 8.4,” says Mr Padbury.
